I’d Like to Solve the Puzzle

“The number of soap operas, a decades-old linchpin of daytime television, has fallen to a small handful. Hit daytime talk shows — once hosted by the likes of Phil Donahue, Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres — are becoming rarer by the year. Late-night shows are dwindling. But one golden oldie is still standing strong.” They’re cheap to produce. They target the right demographic. And, if needed, they allow you to purchase a vowel. NYT (Gift Article): This Broadcast TV Genre Continues to Thrive. (What Are Game Shows?)

+ Slate: Pat Sajak is one of the richest, longest-tenured men on television. Why is he so mad? “Sajak still works only 48 days a year for that reported $15 million annual salary, and he always seems as if he’d rather be anywhere else while making the hay. He won the lottery and remains forever aggrieved.”