Extreme Gong

"Extreme Gong" was Game Show Network's attempt to cash in on the popularity of reruns of the original "Gong Show," which aired on that network. The premise of this program, hosted by comedian George Gray, was identical to the classic Chuck Barris game show: Amateur acts, usually with bizzare and outrageous talents, performed in a setting not unlike MTV's "Remote Control." However, there was no celebrity panel judging the acts on their talent, or was often the case, lack thereof; that responsibility was left to the viewers, who voted (by calling a 1-900 number) to either keep or "gong" the act. If the currently-performing act got enough "keep" votes, they were eligible for the grand prize given away at the end of the show; however, getting enough "gong" votes immediately disqualified the act and made them ineligible to win the top prize. A feature on each show was "Babe of the Day," where a young, beautiful, bikini-clad woman came out and interrupts the show, often exchanging banter with Gray.