Pax TV hopes to cash in with 'Balderdash'

Cabler to launch gamer in summer

By JOHN DEMPSEY

Pax TV has landed five-a-week primetime series "Balderdash" to join its summer schedule in a one-hour gameshow block with the previously announced "On the Cover."

The two series are the first to emerge from a program-consultancy deal that Paxson Communications, majority owner of Pax TV, engineered with NBC Studios last month. NBC owns a 32% stake in Paxson.

"Balderdash" features three comedians who deliver offbeat answers to questions from two contestants drawing on categories like words, movies, people, famous epitaphs and loony laws. Interpolated into the format are man-in-the-street segments.

The Hatchery will co-produce the show in Los Angeles. The shingle's partners are Margaret Loesch, former president and CEO of Hallmark Channel; Dan Angel, the producer-writer (TNT's "Door to Door"); and Bruce Stein, former president and chief operating officer of Mattel Inc. Mattel Entertainment is the other producer.

Also Los Angeles-based, "On the Cover" will test how much its contestants know about pop culture. Exec producers are Lisa Jones Johnson, Jonathan Barry and Rick Leed for Western Intl. Syndication.