Poker Is Suddenly One Of Television's Hottest Programming Trends
Published on Friday, November 28, 2003 5:49:47 PM
Card playing -- an activity that filled the evening hours before television was invented -- has improbably become one of TV's hottest programming trends.
After less than a year, the "World Poker Tour" is already the Travel Channel's most popular series ever, a status NBC Sports took note of last week in announcing it would air a poker game on Super Bowl Sunday.
Bravo, probably the most trend-conscious cable channel, beat World Poker Tour operators to the punch by putting together the "Celebrity Poker Showdown." The new series premieres Dec. 2.
"It's surprisingly entertaining and exciting," said Jeff Gaspin, Bravo's chief executive. "I was really taken aback. As a spectator sport, you wouldn't think that much of it. It's really interesting."
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