PlayMania was a live interactive game show on GSN, hosted by Mel Peachey, Shandi Finnessey, Jessica York, Angelle Tymon, and Jeff Thisted. The two-hour program featured interactive games that the viewers could play to win cash prizes. On February 20, 2007, the show was replaced with two separate programs, quiznation and 100 Winners which were collectively known as the PlayMania Block.
Format
The original PlayMania was a game show in which home viewers were the contestants. American residents 18 or older could enter the contest by text messaging for a small fee, or using the network's website to enter free. From January to April 2007 a premium-rate phone number was available to use as an entry method, as well. Within a few moments, a contestant was notified whether or not his or her entry had been chosen (at random) to proceed to another random selection process. If an entry was selected in the second phase, the contestant would then be called on his or her home or mobile phone, depending on which method of entry had been used. The contestant would then, if the game was still in progress, play on-air. After a game was completed, the queue was cleared, and any entrants who wished to play the next game were required to re-enter. A $.99 fee applied for each text message entry or premium rate phone call, along with standard text messaging rates added to the former. Entries on the network's website were free. Regardless of the method of entry, each entry had an equal chance of being selected. An entry did not necessarily guarantee an opportunity to appear on the show. Residents of certain states were ineligible to play using various entry methods.
The PlayMania Block shows continued to use the same entry process.
Programming history
The original format of PlayMania was based on Quiznation, a British television channel produced by Optimistic Entertainment. Optimistic was also co-producer of the U.S. PlayMania, and Mel Peachey, one of the hosts of Quiznation, was brought over to host the U.S. version. After the division of PlayMania into two separate programs, the Quiznation name would be used in the U.S., as well. PlayMania originally was scheduled to air three days a week in April 2006, from 1–3 AM (Eastern Time); a Sunday broadcast was added on August 27, and Tuesday and Wednesday editions were added on October 3 and October 4 of that year. The airtime of the show changed to 12 midnight–2 AM (ET) beginning with the August 24, 2006 episode.
On February 20, 2007, PlayMania was divided into two separate programs. Collectively, these shows, quiznation and 100 Winners, became known as "the PlayMania Block." While 100 Winners presented a format novel to American viewers, the quiznation program shared games and a similar format with the original PlayMania.
By June 14, 2007, all scheduled airings of 100 Winners had been replaced with quiznation episodes. The show is considered indefinitely canceled from the programming schedule, and is no longer referenced in the official rules described on the GSN website. The same month 100 Winners was canceled, Optimistic Entertainment, the co-producer of PlayMania Block, went into administration. It is unknown what impact, if any, this had on the PlayMania Block.
On June 26, 2007, PlayMania gave away its one millionth dollar. The winning contestant, Bernice, received a $500 bonus in addition to the $400 she had won playing, as well as a personalized plaque commemorating the achievement.
On July 17, 2007, the Tuesday edition of quiznation ceased airing. After September 2, 2007, the Sunday broadcast was removed as well, slightly over a year after it originally debuted.
quiznation aired its last episode on October 31, 2007. The network had made claims that it was improving upon its interactive participation for new concepts in the future, which came about with the premiere of GSN Live on February 25, 2008.