I don’t have to tell you that $85 million is a lot of money. After all, a lot of people out there would actually kill (and have already done so) for this kind of bankroll. Brian McSmith isn’t going to be killing anybody for $85 million (at least I hope not), but he does plan on getting this kind of money in some manner. That’s because he has filed a lawsuit for $85 million against the producers of the NBC-based poker show Face the Ace as well as against a company called Poker Productions.
McSmith claims that he was the one who came up with the idea for Face the Ace where contestants choose from 4 doors so that they can find which poker pro they’ll have to play in a heads-up game. If a person wins, they can keep the cash or choose another door to play for more money.
The concept sounds cool, but it really hasn’t managed to draw any viewers. In fact, the viewership base of Face the Ace has been downright horrible since a rerun of Finding Nemo was able to beat the show on its debut night. Still though, McSmith thinks that he is entitled to $85 million for this show idea which has been a mega-failure as far as the television market goes.
Whether or not McSmith receives any of the $85 million he’s asking for, it does sound like he has a legitimate case. He pitched the idea of Face the Ace to Poker Productions about 2 years ago only to be turned away. Now that the show is up and running, guess who the creators are…..Poker Productions. Even if McSmith’s story is entirely accurate, I don’t think any court will award him $85 million for a show that has turned out awfully.