First Thoughts – Silent Library – MTV

While I was watching an episode of Made last week on MTV, and before I could skip over a commercial with the DVR, I saw something which intrigued me. Silent Library… a game show, would be coming to MTV next week starting at 6pm. Figured I might as well give it a shot as I am yearning for some new television these days. I butchered the show description from the MTV site to give you the highlights about what the show is about.

Modeled after a Japanese game show, Silent Library will represent a new breed of competition format that will feature six friends, all vying for a cash prize, forced to impose unimaginable, beyond hysterical stunts on one another.

Within each episode, team members will repeatedly draw cards to determine who must step up to the plate to endure the next “test.” The teammate who unluckily draws the skull and cross bones card will have to complete the task at hand to the satisfaction of the wise cracking host and moderator of Silent Library. Should the teammate performing the stunt not last long enough or should their friends seated beside them erupt with uncontainable laughter… the cash prize on the line will decrease.

So last night was the night, the start of a show that might make the regular viewing schedule, or at least be a summer diversion. MTV has put out shows like Made, Yo Momma, and if we go old school Yo! MTV Raps, so I am not adverse to watching the once music channel for some entertainment.

Here are the problems that the show faces. The locale of the library is neat to start, but then you realize it is just a gimmick. The lady in the library that never says anything and just shakes her head gets old, and the announcer guy is forced to play this host role with facial expressions that are just stupid. Now the show itself…It seems even in the first episode that it became very repetitive by having to pick cards again after each challenge, and then even the challenges became the same, because the goal of each challenge is the same no matter which way you cut it…just do not laugh. The amount of money given for winning the challenges is also pretty damn low, which in my mind is always like, well how much money are they making from advertisers when they are only giving away under 5 grand each show. Also, if I am not drunk, how hard is it not to laugh for 30 damn seconds most of the time. Most normal people have this ability especially with money on the line. Plus the team makes it so much harder on each of their teammates like they are trying hard to get them to laugh. Me, I would just take it the easiest I could on the guy that drew the damn skull card so we could win the flipping money.

A game show usually needs the ability to follow along at home, or at least make you feel like you are rooting for a favorite person to make it interesting and Silent Library does not have either one. See how I can make this show so much cooler in the few minutes I thought about it? Make two fucking teams and have team 1 perform the challenge on a team 2 member and see if team 2 can keep from laughing. I don’t think that would save the show, but might make it a little more interesting. Also if you are going to have a lady in the library reading and shaking her head only, make her hot at least, not an old bitty. It becomes just another dumb ass game show that was semi-funny for the first few minutes of the first view and now put into obscurity.