Family Feud finds a home at Universal Orlando

The phrase "survey says" will become a familiar feature at Universal Orlando when Family Feud moves its production to Orlando this summer.

Executive producer Kevin Williams cited several reasons for moving the game show from Los Angeles, but the chief one is that entertainer Steve Harvey is becoming host.

"Everything is being geared around him," Williams said in an interview last week. "He's based in Atlanta. It's a 45-minute flight for him to Orlando."

But Family Feud sees potential in the Orlando market.

"If you're not shooting in Los Angeles, Orlando studios are a good alternative," Williams said. "Universal is so well set up with marketing. And the audience comes from all over the country and the world. That suits our brand."

FremantleMedia, which produces Family Feud and American Idol, knows Orlando has a lot to offer from the American Idol Experience at Walt Disney World, Williams added.

The game show will tape 165 episodes from July through September on Sound Stage 19 at Universal Orlando Resort. Episodes will be staged Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate Harvey, who hosts a radio show from Atlanta. Family Feud will produce four to eight episodes a day.

Family Feud is one of the most familiar game shows since Richard Dawson hosted it in the 1970s. This version of the show has been running 11 years in syndication. Current host John O'Hurley followed Richard Karn and Louie Anderson in the job. The show airs at 10 a.m. weekdays on WFTV-Channel 9.

Universal Orlando will play up Family Feud in promotions to bring more guests to the resort, said Pamela Tuscany, vice president of production.

"We did a dynamic change last year. We looked for audience-based television opportunities for guests to see live television," Tuscany said. "It's a strategy. We've been working with Fremantle."

America's Got Talent, another Fremantle show, recently taped at Universal.

In Los Angeles, Family Feud has to bring the audiences in. At Universal, Williams expects a different dynamic: an energized audience looking for something similar to getting on a ride. But you won't have to be a theme-park guest to see a taping.

"We have to construct an experience," Williams said. "We want Steve to connect with families and get his comedy out."

Harvey will receive a lot of support as Fremantle stages the show. "Bottom line: We hire a lot of people," Williams said. "We fly in a core group who knows how to make the show. But we're leaning heavily on the Orlando infrastructure and production community. There's a lot of qualified people down there. America's Got Talent went well for us."

Williams didn't give a number, but Tuscany estimated that Fremantle will probably hire 50 to 70 people.

Several times a week, Family Feud will carry a plug for Orlando. Providing $150,000 in all to help the game show relocate were the city of Orlando, the Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency and the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"We thought that was important because of the jobs it [Family Feud] would create, the economic impact it would generate and the promotion of downtown Orlando on a national stage," said Orlando spokeswoman Heather Allebaugh.