• by Wayne Friedman , January 16, 2007

LAS VEGAS -- The dearth of new first-run shows from the major studios here at the National Association of Television Program Executives meeting means opportunities for the little guy--if you can call Merv Griffin a little guy.

Griffin, the creator of bedrocks of the syndication business, "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!", unveiled a new game called "Let's Play Crosswords," to be offered by mid-level producer/syndicator Program Partners, Merv Griffin Entertainment, and William Morris Agency.

Program Partners is known for syndicating the weekly show, "Da Vinci's Inquest," and offering this year, "DeGrassi: The Next Generation."

An announcement said the show was being previewed at a private pre-NATPE invitational presentation for potential syndicators. The three companies didn't disclose terms of the deal, station clearances or whether "Crosswords" would be offered as a weekly or a Monday to Friday strip.

Since his major successes of "Wheel" and "Jeopardy," Griffin has tried a number of other game shows, including "Ruckus" featuring "The Amazing Johnathan," a comedian/magician, and "Monopoly." Both shows had brief syndication runs.

Program Partners executives say that what "Wheel" is to the childhood game of Hangman, "Let's Play Crosswords" will be to crossword puzzles. Players must answer questions with words that solve a crossword to win.