Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned
| Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reality |
| Starring | Chuck Woolery |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer | Phil Gurin |
| Running time | 20–22 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Game Show Network |
| Release | June 15 – July 27, 2003 |
Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned is an American reality television show that starred American game show host Chuck Woolery. The show aired on GSN from June 15, 2003, running for six episodes, the last of which aired July 27, 2003.[1]
Format
The show focuses on the life of Chuck Woolery, host of the Game Show Network (GSN) series Lingo.[2][3] The series' title, "Naturally Stoned", is derived from a Billboard Top 40 hit song by Woolery's former music group The Avant-Garde.[4] Each half-hour episode combines elements from Woolery's personal life and a behind-the-scenes look at Lingo.[5]
Production
The series green-lit on December 1, 2002, under the preliminary title Chuck Woolery: Behind the Lingo.[5] Game Show Network chief executive Rich Cronin explained, "We felt our fans loved Chuck, and if we did a reality show (about him), we'd have something that appealed to our current audience and bring in new viewers."[5] Cronin added that it was important for the network to air original programming beyond game shows themselves: "We may get fans for this show who love reality series or love Chuck Woolery, but either way, it's important for us to break out of just doing studio-based game shows."[6]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Behind the Chuck" | June 15, 2003 | 01-001[1] |
|
Chuck's early life and career are summarized; his wife and kids are also introduced to the viewers. | |||
| 2 | "A Tale of Two Chucks" | June 22, 2003 | 01-002[1] |
|
Chuck's desire to spend more time with his family is made difficult due to his hectic schedule with Lingo. | |||
| 3 | "Reinventing the Cheese Wheel" | June 29, 2003 | 01-003[1] |
|
Chuck travels to a discount store in search of his favorite cottage cheese. | |||
| 4 | "The Road to QVC" | July 6, 2003 | 01-004[1] |
|
Chuck sells a bass fishing lure product on QVC. | |||
| 5 | "Chuck and the Common Man" | July 13, 2003 | 01-005[1] |
|
Chuck's relationships with his Lingo co-workers are detailed. | |||
| 6 | "The Reality Behind Reality" | July 27, 2003 | 01-006[1] |
|
Chuck's issues with his marriage are brought to attention. | |||
Reception
When previewing Carnie Wilson: Unstapled (a similar series that aired on GSN several years later), CNN's James Dinan recalled the network's lack of success with reality television in the past, writing, "Anyone remember the horse racing-themed American Dream Derby or the Chuck Woolery-centric Naturally Stoned? Neither lasted long."[7] PopMatters' Cary O'Dell opined, "This too-much-Chuck is a problem. Without a built-in curiosity factor...Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned is left with Woolery mugging for the camera or behind the scenes hijinks at Lingo. Neither is interesting enough to fill 30 minutes of TV."[8] In his book Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars, David Baber wrote in the chapter on Woolery "Reality Stinks" and noted "taping the reality series put tremendous pressure on Woolery's already troubled marriage."[9] Woolery separated from his then-wife Teri Nelson while the series was airing.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned!". TV Tango. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ "Marriage Woes for Woolery". Fox News. July 15, 2003. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Barnes, Brooke (February 23, 2017). "And Now, Here's Your Right-Wing Podcast Host: Chuck Woolery!". The New York Times. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Siano, Joseph (June 15, 2003). "Cover Story; Love Connection Meets The Osbournes". The New York Times. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ a b c Adalian, Josef (December 1, 2002). "GSN game for real Woolery". Variety. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Petrozzello, Donna (June 9, 2003). "Woolery chucked into the reality mix". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on February 9, 2006.
- ^ Dinan, James (December 31, 2009). "Another cable channel losing its niche?". CNN. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
- ^ O'Dell, Cary (July 6, 2003). "Reviews: Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned". PopMatters. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ a b Baber 2008, p. 275.
Bibliography
- Baber, David (2008). Television Game Show Hosts: Biographies of 32 Stars. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-2926-4.
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