2 TV Game Shows Are Doing Battle

A battle over competing game-show concepts “The Chamber” and “The Chair” took a nasty and bizarre turn Friday as Fox countersued producers of the rival ABC series, accusing them of engaging in “a campaign” to undermine the Fox show that allegedly included sneaking onto the set and trying to lure away staff to secure information about the program.

Touchdown Television, the New Zealand-based producer of “The Chair,” filed suit a week ago against Fox and Dick Clark Productions, which is producing “The Chamber,” alleging that Fox appropriated the idea to develop a similarly themed show after it was pitched to the network.

Fox’s countersuit, however, maintains “The Chamber” has been in development at the network since June and that Andrew Golder, an executive producer on “The Chair,” was caught trespassing on the program’s closed set Thursday--the first night of taping--surreptitiously seeking to obtain details about the show.

“When Golder realized that [one of the producers] had seen him, he attempted to flee,” the suit contends. Fox and Clark also charge that on several occasions since Dec. 24, Golder promised “The Chamber’s” contestant coordinator that she could “become a ‘heavy hitter’ if she defected to their competing program, ‘The Chair.’”

Producers of “The Chair” could not be reached for comment.

Fox announced Thursday that it would introduce “The Chamber” this Sunday--a move made so late the program will not be mentioned in most TV listings--to get it on the air prior to “The Chair,” which is scheduled to premiere Tuesday. Hosted by tennis commentator John McEnroe, the ABC show features contestants hooked up to a monitor measuring their heart rate while they answer questions.

“The Chamber” also features a contestant fielding questions while being monitored, only in this case the contestant is also subjected to various “environmental stimuli”--including heat, cold, water and wind--that become increasingly intense as the questioning progresses.

Fox indicated that contestants would be monitored to keep an eye on their health during the ordeal and that all players would be subjected to thorough physical examinations before being allowed to participate.

Both networks are hoping they can promote their series, particularly to elusive male viewers, during NFL playoff coverage this weekend. ABC will televise back-to-back “wild card” games today, while Fox will broadcast one of the two contests Sunday.

Fox will run “The Chamber” on Sunday night for two weeks before the show settles into its regular time slot Fridays at 8 p.m. Both networks have ordered limited trial runs of each series but clearly hope such a variation on the traditional game-show format could provide the next potential alternative programming hit.