Top 50 Game Shows
1)Wheel of Fortune
A nationwide search for the best home cooks in America. One of 50 hopefuls will become a culinary star and one of America's 'Masterchefs.' Stars: Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, Charlie Ryan, Graham Elliot. Votes: 6,983. A list of the best Game-Show movies and TV shows, as ranked by IMDb users, like you. Find something great to watch now. The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time 1. The Price is Right. Wheel of Fortune. Let's Make a Deal. The Newlywed Game. The Dating Game. Hollywood Squares. The Gong Show. Press Your Luck. List of famous male game show hosts, listed by their level of prominence with photos when available. This greatest male game show hosts list contains the most prominent and top males known for being the best game show hosts. The five-day-a-week syndicated successor to the popular CBS game show, where two could compete to match fill-in-the-blank phrases with those of the celebrities. Stars: Gene Rayburn, Johnny Olson, Brett Somers, Richard Dawson.
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that contestants spin throughout the course of the game to determine their cash and/or prizes. The current broadcast syndicated version of the program premiered on September 19, 1983 and is hosted by Pat Sajak and Vanna White. In a 2008 article, TV Guide named Wheel of Fortune as the 'top-rated syndicated series.'
Merv Griffin was responsible for creating the original version of Wheel of Fortune and also served as executive producer until his retirement in 2000.
2)Beat the Clock
Monty Hall hosted as two male-female couples (husband & wife, boyfriend-girlfriend, mother-son, father-daughter, etc. a red team & green team) competed in stunts. Each stunt awarded $250 to the winning team + a bonus stunt for an additional $250 more. Two rounds were played.
Then comes the bonus shuffle. There's a shuffleboard table with amounts from $300-$1,000. Each team had two discs (red & green) & had two chances to reach the furthest without going off the table. The disc that's the furthest in money value won the amount & played a super stunt for 10 times the value (up to $10,000).
Teams stayed on as champions until defeated or reached the CBS $25,000 limit.
In November, civilians were dumped & celebrities were in as the show became 'All Star All New Beat The Clock'. And just like Tattletales, the audience were divided into two rooting sections; the red & the green. In the super stunt round, $1,000 of the jackpot went to the audience while the other amount went to the stars favorite charity. The four stars played for a week.
3)Anything For Money Video
Anything For Money was a television game show hosted by Fred Travalena and announced by Johnny Gilbert which ran in syndication from September 17, 1984 to September 1985. Reruns were later aired on the USA Network from 1986 to 1988. Contestants watched video clips in which cast members Christopher Callen and Ralph Harris attempted to coerce passers-by into participating in jokes, in exchange for increasing amounts of money. The series was produced by Bernstein/Hovis Productions and Impact Studios for Paramount Television. Travalena would introduce clips and, once the premise of the prank was known, the contestants then guessed whether or not the participants would consent. Three rounds were played, with a correct guess worth $200 in round 1, $300 in round 2, and $500 in round 3. The player with the most money after 3 rounds won the game and received a bonus prize, in addition to their winnings.
4)The Big Showdown
Hard quiz with a dice game determining a possible $10,000 payoff.
Three players competed. Peck introduced six categories, worth from one to six points, a payoff point (the first one, for example, would have been seven) that the contestants tried to reach, and a dollar value for each payoff point determined by a 'money dial' on his podium (worth from $25 to $500). One-point tossup questions determined control of the board. The goal was to hit the payoff point exactly by ringing in first and answering questions correctly in the six categories without going over. If a contestant requested a point value that would have put another contestant over the payoff point, the second contestant was locked out of that particular question. After a payoff point was hit, a new payoff point (which would have been fifteen) and dollar value were established. Two rounds were played in this manner, with different categories for the second round.
The second round ended with a 90-second speed round, in which all payoff points (after the one already in play had been reached) were worth $100. The two players with the highest scores went to Final Showdown.
In Final Showdown, only three categories were offered, worth from one to three points, and the payoff point was seven. The first player to reach seven points, in a similar manner as illustrated above, won $250 and the right to roll the dice for $10,000. All players kept the money earned during the game.
5) Bullseye
In 2007 Bullseye was once again invited back by ITV to be one of the 8 game shows on ITV’s Game Show Marathon series 2 hosted by Vernon Kay. The seven other shows in the series were, The Price is Right, Blockbusters, Blankety Blank, The Golden Shot, Name that Tune, Mr & Mrs and Play Your Cards Right. For the second time Bullseye had the highest ratings of all 8 shows in the Marathon and when you consider the fact that Bullseye was transmitted on Cup Final Day when half of London and half of Manchester were in the pub celebrating or commiserating the result of the Cup Final – Bullseye still came out on top, illustrating Bullseye’s continued and deserved place as the king of British game shows and cementing its iconic status and eternal popularity with the Great British public.
6)Bumper Stumpers
Bumper Stumpers was actually created by Wink Martindale, a popular host of numerous game shows including Trivial Pursuit and Tic-Tac-Dough. Martindale didn't host Bumper stumpers, though - that honor went to the lesser-known Al DuBois.
The show aired from 1987 to 1990, with nearly 1,000 episodes hitting the airwaves.
The entire Bumper Stumpers show had a car theme, from the theme music featuring honking horns to the basic elements of game play. The premise was that contestants would receive clues and use them to try to decode the meaning of vanity license plates.
7) 1 vs. 100
In 1 VS. 100, one player (“The One”) must correctly answer a series of multiple-choice trivia questions while trying to outlast “The Mob” of 100 people, who are also trying to answer each question. If The One is correct, all Mob members who answered the question incorrectly are eliminated, bringing the lone contestant closer to winning the game. Along the way, The One can “Poll the Mob” or “Trust the Mob” for help with the answers. If the contestant eliminates all 100 Mob members, he or she claims the top prize of $50,000. However, if The One is incorrect, the game ends and he or she leaves with nothing, and the remaining members of the Mob split the contestant's winnings.
8)Don’t Forget the Lyrics!
“Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” is a musical game show that tests contestants’ knowledge of song lyrics from different genres, decades and artists. “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” is the ultimate rock star fantasy taking viewers on a dramatic, heart pounding, rollercoaster ride of music and edge-of-your seat entertainment.
Mark McGrath, a member of the multi-platinum group, Sugar Ray, hosts “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” where he brings ordinary people center stage for a chance to win a fortune – just by knowing the words to the biggest hit songs ever recorded. “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” first premiered on July 11, 2007 on FOX and became one of the most popular shows in America, as well as an international phenomenon where contestants around the globe put their winnings on the line as they tried to not forget the lyrics.
In addition, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” will be presented on VH1, as well as in primetime on MyNetworkTV.
This upcoming season the program welcomes celebrity contestants from “American Idol”, the Backstreet Boys, and the NFL; Plus special themed episodes including “Movie Music Week”, “Rock the Troops Week”, and “Rock the Cradle Week” featuring moms-to-be.
“Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” is produced by RDF USA and Apploff Entertainment. Executive produced by Jeff Apploff, Tony Yates, Chris Coelen and Grant Mansfield.
9)Downfall
On Tuesday the ABC’s new game show Downfall premiered. The newest game show is hosted by wrestler Chris Jericho and on the show he proved that he is a good host. Downfall is overall a great show for those who love to watch game shows.
Chris Jericho kept the game moving in a good way and tried his level best to engage the contestants and he did it very well. Downfall is an hour game show which is divided into many categories with many questions.
In the American television game show series Downfall contestants can win up to one million dollar. The set of this game show is on the roof of a 10-story building. Previously this game show was scheduled to premier on June 29th but later they moved it to 22 June. This game show is produced by Fremantle Media and the executive producer is Scott St. John. In the game show three prizes will be given in the first five rounds and contestants should answer the question as quickly as possible if they want to move to next round.
Downfall also provides a chance to Chris Jericho fans to watch their favorite again. American-born Canadian professional wrestler Chris Jericho is also a stage actor, rock musician, television host and radio host.
10)Family Feud
'Family Feud' has been around for decades in one incarnation or another. It started out in 1977 with host
Richard Dawson, and then came back in 1988 with host Ray Combs. Another version of the Feud was hosted by comedian Louie Anderson, until 2002, when they dropped Louis and replaced him with Richard Karn (best known as Tim Allen's co-host 'Al' on the popular TV sitcom 'Home Improvement').
In 2006, Tribune Entertainment announced that there would be a new host of the Feud. They are replacing Karn with actor John O'Hurley, from ABC's reality show 'Dancing With the Stars' (and before that, as Elaine's boss on 'Seinfeld'), beginning in the Fall of 2006.
As usual, the Feud gives its witty host plenty of opportunity to interact and joke with the various contestants while he asks the questions.
And you can be a contestant.
The catch here is that you can't appear on this game by yourself. You have to convince four other family members to participate.Windows xp boot disk cd.
11)Family Game Night
The Hub, the new kids and family network which is a joint venture between Discovery and Hasbro, has announced its first game show pickup during its upfront announcements. The first pickup is Family Game Night. Instead of specifically focusing on one game, Family Game Night will encompass many Hasbro properties.
Each hour-long episode will see teams of families of all ages compete in various Hasbro games for points and prizes. Some games first announced are Cranium (which correct me if I’m wrong has been attempted to be turned into a game show in the past), Bop-It, and Connect 4. Other games will obviously be included as time goes on. The show looks to be airing in the network’s “Family Prime” block which will air from 7:00PM to 11:00PM. Family Game Night is produced by Hasbro Studios.
http://buzzerblog.flashgameshows.com/the-hub-announces-family-game-night-as-first-game-show/
12)Friend or Foe
Back in 2002, the Game Show Channel featured a game showed called Friend or Foe. Friend or Foe is a game show based on both knowledge and trust. It’s one of those game shows where one gets to see the best and worst of human nature. The game show premiered on April of 2002, and aired for two seasons with 130 episodes. It was hosted by Kennedy, a true realist with a wicked sense of humor.
The rules for Friend or Foe are very straight forward. The game begins with six contestants, three of the contestants get to choose their partner. They are then paired of into three teams. Each team is given a trust fund, with a minimum of two hundred dollars. The three teams build up their trust funds by answering multiple choice questions. They work as a team. Although, the question is, do these partners, who worked so hard together to build their trust funds, also chose to share the money they won together, fairly?
13)Catch 21
Catch 21 is an American game show centered around blackjack, created by Merrill Heatter (who also produced the show's predecessor Gambit) and taped at the Hollywood Center Studios. The series is hosted by actor-singer Alfonso Ribeiro, with actress Mikki Padilla as the card dealer.
Three contestants compete in a game of blackjack with questions (ala Gambit). The object of the game was to make a blackjack hand total 21 (hence catching 21), or come closer to 21 than the other contestants without going over. Anything over 21 is a bust and caused elimination of the round
14)Card Sharks
Two contestants try to predict whether the next card will be high or low in a deck of 52 cards. Contestants would gain control by answering survey questions of 100 people in a specific group; the contestant who guessed the closes gets control of the cards. Contestants have a row of five cards and must successful guess before the other opponent does in order to go on to the Money Cards, the bonus round.
Duration: 30 minutes; 1709 episodes
Cast: Bob Eubanks - Host (1986-1989)
Jim Perry - Host (1978-1981)
Gene Wood - Announcer (1978-1981,1986-1989)
Pat Bullard - Host (2001)
Gary Kroeger - Announcer (2001)
Tv Guide Top 50 Game Shows
Bill Rafferty - Host (1986-1987)
15)Cash Cab
Unassuming people enter the 'Cash Cab' as simple passengers taking a normal taxi ride, only to be shocked when they discover that they’re instant contestants on Discovery Channel's innovative game show!
Ben Bailey, the host and driver of Cash Cab, then offers them the following proposition:
The Cash Cab will drive you all the way to your destination and ask you general knowledge questions along the way. The questions start out on the easy side, then get harder along the way – the harder the question, the more money it’s worth. The first four questions are worth $25 for each correct answer. The next four are worth $50 and then every question after that is worth $100.
A correct answer is awarded the cash, an incorrect answer means the contestant gets a strike. The contestants can earn cash all the way to their destination. But the second they miss their third question (i.e., earn their third strike), Ben pulls the Cash Cab over and ejects them onto the sidewalk, no matter where they are.
16)Let's Make A Deal
The popular television game show Let's Make A Deal continues throughout the world -- forty-seven years after its debut on the NBC Television Network on December 30, 1963! Broadcasters in Europe and Asia have produced their own versions of Let's Make A Deal - to the delight of their contestants and viewers. And now CBS network has an all-new version of Let's Make A Deal!
Let's Make A Deal is a creation of Stefan Hatos and Monty Hall. Carol Merrill and Jay Stewart performed on the show through 1977. The television production has been broadcast by NBC and ABC television networks, as well as many channels throughout the country on a syndication basis.
Re-runs of the original telecasts have been shown on various cable channels. Since 2001 the Game Show Network has broadcast classic episodes of Let's Make A Deal from the 1970's and 1980's.
And Trato Hecho (a Spanish-language version of Let's Make A Deal) was broadcast in 2005 on Univision stations throughout the U.S.
17)Concentration
Concentration, based on the children’s card game, was created by Jack Barry, Dan Enright, Robert Noah and Buddy Piper. NBC itself produced the original show; Mark Goodson and Bill Todman produced the syndicated show with Jack Narz. In 1985, Orson Bean was the host of a Concentration pilot. The latest version of the show, Classic Concentration with Alex Trebek, was produced by Mark Goodson and aired on NBC from 1987 to 1991.
18)Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is a quiz show that takes its questions from actual school textbooks, from first to fifth grade. On hand are five actual fifth-graders, who more often than not know all of the right answers, and help the adult contestants along the way. Hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, 5th Grader gives trivia-based quizzers a new twist, resulting in a game show the entire family can watch and play along with together.
The game itself is really simple and easy to follow. A few contestant 'helps' are thrown in for good measure, and of course the kids are the main attraction.
Official web Site : http://www.5thgradertvshow.com/
19)Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck was based on the short-lived show Second Chance, seen in 1977 on ABC and produced by the Carruthers Company (which also produced Press Your Luck). A first attempt to revive the show occured in 1980, when the Carruthers Company pitched Press Your Luck with host Pat Sajak, then known only as a TV weatherman. When Press Your Luck returned in 1983, Sajak was occupied with Wheel of Fortune, so Tomarken, who had just come off a 13-week stint hosting his first game show, Hit Man, was given the job.
Press Your Luck premiered on CBS on September 19, 1983 at 10:30am, having replaced the Bill Cullen-hosted Child's Play. Sitauted between the popular $25,000 Pyramid at 10am and the megahit Price is Right at 11am, Press Your Luck had a good shot at success.
20)Power of 10
On POWER OF 10, the contestant who can most accurately predict how the American public will respond to the most intriguing poll questions could walk away winning millions.
POWER OF 10 reaches out all across America to poll thousands of people and ask them just about everything. The contestant who has the best take on the American mindset could walk away with a $10 million payday.
21)Identity
Contestants rely on their own perceptions and judgment in order to match up a group of strangers with a list of unique characteristics about each person such as their shoe size, weight or career.
this show was captivating. i loved watching it and i really really want it to come back on the air. it was so good. every night i watched it and every night my love of the show quadrupled. Penn just made it so much better. He was hilarious and just made the show so suspenseful. Please make this show a weekly event! It's better than Deal or no Deal!!! watch it! i promise that you wont be disappointed. if you are then you don't know a good show when you see one. i cant emphasize enough how good penn was. he would make great wisecracks and i would end up on the floor laughing my rear end off. for the sake of everyones entertainment we need to put this show on the air once again. it was so amazing and i hope that whoever reads this will comment and hopefully we'll see a 2nd season of..IDENTITY!!!
22)Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
The syndicated television quiz show, is an on-air program of thirty (30) minutes in length (subject to change) (the 'Program'). To qualify to become a Contestant on the Program individuals must go through an audition process (see Rule 3 below). The dates and locations for auditions will be announced via various means, including, but not limited to, www.millionairetv.com and local media. Individuals must attend an audition session that will be held at designated audition site(s). Individuals must go to the designated audition site at the specified audition time(s) and complete a written test within the specified time limit. Individuals who do not receive a passing score (to be determined at the sole discretion of Valleycrest Productions Ltd. (the 'Producer')) will be eliminated from the audition. Individuals who do receive a passing score will continue with an audition interview. Producer, in its sole discretion, will determine which people have passed the audition interview. Those people will be put into a pool along with all other individuals who have received a passing score on the written test and who have passed the audition interview, for possible selection as a Contestant (defined below) for the Program ('Contestant Pool'). For each episode of the Program, the Producer, in its sole discretion, will select Contestants from the Contestant Pool to appear as Contestants who will play the game on the Program in which they can win up to One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) by correctly answering up to fourteen (14) multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty ('Game').
23)Million Dollar Money Drop
During each game, two contestants work together as a team to beat one of the most difficult challenges of their lives: saving the million-dollar mountain of cash in front of them from disappearing forever. Unlike any other game show, the duo is given their prize money - bundles of real cash totaling $1 million - at the start of the game, and it's up to them to keep this life-changing cash. Once the question is revealed, the duo must debate and decide the answer(s) on which they will risk all of their money. Are they confident enough to place all of their money on one answer? Or will the relentless pressure cause them play it safe and spread their money across a few answers?
24)American Gladiators
'American Gladiators' premiered in 1989. Throughout all of its seasons, it was hosted by Mike Adamle with a co-host. Those co-hosts have ranged from talents like Joe Theismann, Larry Csonka and Dan Clark. The show lasted for seven seasons, with each season having two tournaments and the grand finale featured the winners of both tournaments competing against each other. The show also had special episodes featuring former NFL players, NYPD officers, former Olympians and returning 'American Gladiators' champions.
Most game shows rely on contestants' knowledge and wit, but the classic show 'American Gladiators' relied on speed, strength and agility. The show was formatted in a tournament style where two players would compete against each other every week, as well as being challenged by one of the 'Gladiators.' This show was so popular that it will always be a part of pop culture history.
25)Baffle
Baffle was a syndicated game show of identifying phrases. It was a revival of the 1965 show P.D.Q. It was also the show that took the time slot of Concentration, which ended a 14-year/8 month run on NBC that past Friday.
Two teams, each of a celebrity and a civilian, participated. One member of each team is in a soundproof booth. As the opponent's booth is shut off, the other's partner is shown a phrase and puts up three letters on a rack. The object was for the player in the booth to identify the phrase. A signal told the partner to add a letter. Once the phrase is identified, the opposing team plays the same phrase. Scoring is based on the amount of time used to guess the phrase with the quickest time tallying a point. The top scoring team after four rounds is the winner.
The winning team vied to identify words from three-letter clues for the chance to win a new car.
Baffle began using celebrity teams on September 29, 1973.
26)The Challengers
Revival of the 1969-74 NBC classic The Who, What, or Where Game hosted by Art James, now a syndicated current-events quiz with three players (one a returning champion) and Dick Clark at the helm. While the basics of the game remained the same through the run, certain aspects of the game were tweaked along the way.
Each show was introduced by announcer Don Morrow giving the date (e.g., 'Today is Monday, September 3, 1990') and began with a 60-second rapid-fire current events question round called the 'Challengers Sprint', with $100 per correct guess and $100 deducted for an incorrect guess. (This was later changed to just one toss-up question to decide who started, but the Sprint eventually returned.) The contestant with the most money after the Sprint got to select from a board of questions. Each round had six categories of three questions about current events and popular culture; each question was worth $150, $200, and $250 (later $100/$150/$200).
27)Eye Guess
A wild & wacky game show where contestants use their memory to answer questions. They do that by uncovering answers on a game board.
Two rounds of two boards (one for each board) were played and at the beginning of each round, the eight answers were revealed for six to nine seconds with the 'Eye Guess' square left blank. Then host Cullen read eight questions pertaining to those answers. The player in control selected a number he/she thought the correct answer was found under and a correct choice earned points and kept his/her turn but an incorrect choice received no points and lost his/her turn. Upon an exposure of a wrong answer, a funny reaction occurs. On one question, if the correct answer he/she thinks is not hidden on the board, all that player has to do is call 'Eye Guess' causing the 'Eye Guess' square to be revealed and if the correct answer was exposed, he/she gets the points, but if that square was blank no points were scored and that player lost his/her turn. If a player can get five correct answers in a row, he/she also won a bonus prize
28)The Face is Familiar
USA / CBS / x30 minute episodes / 1966 (7 May - 3 September / Saturdays @ 9.30pm )
Quiz show. This quiz hosted by Jack Whitaker teamed a celebrity with a member of the public. There were two teams and the premise involved the teams having to guess the identity of a person from a jumbled up picture. $200 was won for each correct guess – the bonus round was worth $500 and contestants had to identify someone just from seeing a picture of their nose, eyes, etc.
29)Face To Face
USA / NBC / x20 minute episodes / 9 June 1946 – 26 January 1947
Game show. This very early show featured an artist (Bill Dunn) having to draw a picture of a celebrity simply by hearing their voice, the celeb generally sat on the other side of a curtain to the artist so the audience could monitor his progress. Eddie Dunn and towards the end of the shows run a lady called Sugar hosted.
30)The Honeymoon Race
USA / ABC / x30m-e / July 17, 1967-December 1, 1967 (Broadcast Mon.-Fri. 11-11:30 a.m. )
Meshing nicely in theme with ABCs other games at the time (The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game), The Honeymoon Race had three newlywed duos compete in a scavenger hunt of five items hidden in a mall in Hollywood, Florida. However, unlike its successor Supermarket Sweep, the couples used electric scooters rather than shopping carts to locate their booty. Another loser game show, Temptation, replaced this in 1968. Hosted by Bill Malone.
31)Face The Music
Face the Music was an American television game show that aired in syndication from January 14, 1980 to September 1981. The show tested contestants' knowledge of popular music songs, and association of song titles with famous people, places and things. The show was hosted by Ron Ely and also featured the Tommy Oliver Orchestra and vocalist Lisa Donovan. Dave Williams, now the morning anchor at KNX-1070 in Los Angeles, was the announcer from January to September, 1980. For the second season, John Harlan announced with Art James occasionally filling in. The show was produced by Sandy Frank Productions. Game show fans remember the show for its cheesy production values (broken lights on the set, bizarre sound effects, etc.) and the sometimes overenthusiastic hosting job by Ely. Both these aspects make it a cult favorite today. At the 1988 NATPE Convention, there was a possible syndicated revival available for the taking, but not enough stations signed on.
32)Fear Factor
Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. It was originally created by Endemol Netherlands and first aired on June 11, 2001. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor.
Premiered: Jun. 11, 2001
Normal Runtime: 60 min.
33)He Said, She Said
A few months back there was word that Howie Mandel was casting for a TV adaptation of the board game Battle of the Sexes. It looks like it’s finally coming to fruition, apparently without the board game tie-in. The show is now called He Said She Said and it’s created/executive produced by Howie and Don’t Forget the Lyrics! producer Jeff Apploff. The description of the show is contestants of the opposite sex have to answer edgy polling questions and the winners get some gender specific prize, like a fishing trip for men or a spa weekend for the ladies. Pretty standard show.
34)High Rollers
High Rollers was a daytime game show that ran from 1974 to 1976 and 1978 to 1980 on NBC. This page is devoted to the latter of those two versions, as the original version has no episodes circulating on the trading circuit (thus meaning your curator has not seen any).
Current Jeopardy! emcee Alex Trebek hosted both versions of this show.
Broadcast History: NBC Daytime April 24, 1978-June 20, 1980
Host: Alex Trebek
Announcer: Kenny Williams
Packager: Heatter-Quigley Productions
35)I've Got A Secret
The I've Got A Secret TV show was a game show series where the contestants would tell a secret to the host and the audience. Then a panel of four celebrities would ask them questions and try to figure out what their secret was. On one show this really old guy's secret was 'I saw John Wilkes Booth Shoot Abraham Lincoln'! The longer it took the panel to guess, the more money the guest would win! (with a maximum of $20 in the early years and eventually up to a whopping $80) Guest celebrities would also come on the show with their own secrets, join the panelists in guessing the secrets, or even host the program.
36)The Joker's Wild
The Joker's Wild was a game show that successfully started in 1972. It aired on CBS for a few years. It is a game show where 'knowledge is king and lady luck is queen', literally. The game board is literally a gigantic slot machine with jokers, devils, cars, categories, and prize amounts; all made possible by what was close as possible to LCD screens at that time: 3 slide projectors, most likely carousels, and specifically a Sawyer/GAF group of slide projectors, each shining backwards on the other side of a clear screen. The spinning slides would pause randomly, and any slide projectors not in use would have its lamp turned off. Use of these projectors in this method would result in them malfunctioning, with having to repair and alternate slide projectors and replacing the lamp bulbs.
37)Liar's Club
The Liar's Club Game Show was a game show produced by Ralph Andrews that first premiered on American television in 1969. The game show had a panel of celebrities who were given a strange object, based on the object the celebrities would make up an explanation on what the object was used for, and the contestants would wager on which explanation was correct. Starting at ten dollars with a maximum of one hundred, the contestants would wager until the other opponent refused to challenge their bid, leaving the celebrities to reveal which one was telling the truth. Popular celebrities that frequently made appearances were David Letterman, Betty White, Jim Byrnes, and Jimmy Walker. The show was canceled after the first season but premiered again in 1976 and ran until 1989 when it was canceled. Hosts included Bill Armstrong, Allen Ludden, and Eric Boardman. Eventually the show was syndicated and was shown in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
38)The Magnificent Marble Machine
The Magnificent Marble Machine was an American television game show that was based on pinball, and starred Art James. The show ran on NBC from July 7, 1975 to June 11, 1976, but was interrupted for about two weeks in January, due to scheduling changes on the network. It aired in both half-hour slots between Noon and 1 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. and Noon Central. Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley packaged this program. Robert Noah was the executive producer. MMM and the short-lived 1967 ABC game show Temptation (coincidentally hosted by James also) were the only two game shows packaged by Heatter-Quigley to not use Kenny Williams as announcer. Because Williams was so busy at the time on the other H-Q shows, Johnny Gilbert, best known today as the long-standing voice of Jeopardy, worked MMM instead.
39)The Moneymaze
The Money Maze was an American television game show seen on ABC in 1974 and 1975. The host of the show was Nick Clooney, the father of veteran actor George Clooney and a Cincinnati-based television personality. Alan Kalter was the announcer. It was produced by Daphne-Lipp Productions, of which Dick Cavett was a principal.
The object of the game was to negotiate a large maze built on the studio floor. A contestant would direct his or her spouse from a perch above the maze; the spouse would need to find his or her way to a pushbutton on the side of a tower inside the maze.
40)The Newlywed Game
A game show in which newly-married husbands and wives were separately asked the same questions and had to predict how their spouses would answer, was a staple of American television for over twenty years. It aired in a prime time network version from January 1967 to August 1971 and ran during the day from July 1966 to December 1974. A syndicated version was produced from 1977 until 1980, and the show was revived yet again as The Newlywed Game in the fall of 1985, a version that lasted until 1990.
41)The $1,000,000 Chance of A Lifetime
A gameshow aired in the mid eighties that predated WWTBaM and the clonesthat followed. It was essentially a cross between Scrabble and Wheel of Fortune, with a massive cash prize thrown in. Not the most stable format in the world, but just like any other big money show, if you knew someone was going for big money, it was at least watchable. It was even rated #1 in the primetime Nielsen ratings for a short period of time. The show bears a resemblance in title, but not in format, to It's Your Chance of a Lifetime!
Two married couples compete against each other in the first round, which has multiple stages that repeat for 3 rounds, where the couple with the most money moves on to the Bonus Round.
42)Pantomime Quiz
Pantomime Quiz` was an American television game show produced and hosted by Mike Stokey. Running from 1950 to 1959, it has the distinction of being one of the few television series -- along with `The Arthur Murray Party`, `Down You Go`, and `Original Amateur Hour` -- to air on all four TV networks in the US during the Golden Age of Television.
Based on the parlor game of Charades, Pantomime Quiz was first broadcast locally in Los Angeles from November 13, 1947 to 1949; In that format, it won an Emmy Award for 'Most Popular Television Program' at the first Emmy Awards ceremony. The competition involved two teams of four contestants each (three regulars and one guest). In each round, one member acts out (in mime) a phrase or a name while the other three try to guess it. Each team had five rounds (in some broadcasts there were only four); the team that took the less amount of time to guess all phrases won the game.
43)New Faces
Popular talent show, but unlike the amateur Opportunity Knocks, this one was for smalltime professional acts who already had their Equity cards. It came in two incarnations.
The first, hosted by That's My Dog's Derek Hobson saw a variety of turns being judged by a panel of talent spotters, usually a combination of celebrities and Tony Hatch, who is generally reckoned to have been the original plain-speaking 'nasty judge' - nowadays every show has one, but he was arguably the first. (Though not the only one on this show: Mickie Most was also noted for his harsh comments.) The acts were marked out of 100 in various criteria with the highest scores moving on to semi-finals and finals.
The remake hosted by Marti Caine was set in a large theatre and our acts were commented upon by three judges sitting high up in a box, of which Nina Myskow seems to be remembered for being the nastiest towards the acts. The audience decided who won here, as a gigantic lightboard known as Spaghetti Junction lit up to a varying degree as the audience pushed buttons. The final was live and decided on a home vote, with Marti going round all the ITV regions and the regions giving points on an Eurovision Song Contest style basis. Excellent!
44)The Biggest Loser
Twelve overweight individuals (eight couples in the 2009 revival, seven couples in the 2011 series) live together, cut-off from the outside world, as they are put through a strenuous exercise regime. During their stay, contestants must complete weekly tasks, cook all of their own meals, and stare temptation in the face as they are offered unhealthy treats. Each week, one person who has lost the least amount of weight (either individually or as part of a team) is eliminated, until only one contestant remains and is crowned, The Biggest Loser.
Host Vicki Butler-Henderson, Kate Garraway, Davina McCall
45)Blind Date
This show was every media students dream for two reasons. First, because it was so great to analyse. Did you spot the way which Cilla patronized the females but didn't to the males? Did you notice how Cilla made huge points about how good people looked, when ironically the contestants couldn't actually see each other? Ah, hurrah for feminist theory, dominant ideologies and the Frankfurt School!
Second, because it was the easiest way of getting onto television in prime time, more of which in a moment.
But first, let's chip away at the show itself. Everybody's collective Mum Cilla Black played matchmaker to three girls and one guy (and later, three guys and one girl). After introducing us to each of the three girls, each 'looking for love', we were introduced with the 'lucky fella' who would be going on a date with one of the said three females. He asked three questions and the females replied as best they can.
46)Sale of the Century
The Original Series The original Sale of the Century debuted on NBC's daytime schedule on September 29, 1969. The show was a Jones-Howard Production (The Howard in question was Al, who was also responsible for Supermarket Sweep.) Hosted by Jack Kelly until 1971, then by Joe Garagiola until the series' end, it played virtually the same as the '80s Grundy versions, except for the lack of a 'Fame Game' and the questions increasing in value from $5 to $10 and finally $15.
In 1973, the show changed its format to allow for two couples to compete in lieu of three solo players. Also at that time, the $15 round was replaced with the 'Century Round', consisting of five questions worth $20 each. This format remained in place until the NBC daytime version left the air on July 13, 1973. It is assumed that the couples rules were also used during a short-lived syndicated weekly version during the '73-'74 season.
47)Seven Keys
The show started out slowly as a local offering on Los Angeles station KTLA in September 1960; but proved to be such a big hit that the ABC television network began airing it on April 3, 1961. SK was hosted by Jack Narz, who had just resigned from his hosting duties on Video Village due to personal hangups. (Narz had been with SK when it was local; but VV was still originating in New York)
Seven Keys ran for almost three years on ABC (one of the network's few successful daytime efforts at the time) before ending its run on March 27, 1964. The show returned to KTLA, where it played out until January 15, 1965. SK would be Jack Narz' first REAL game show success after the 'Dotto debacle' back in 1958. He would continue hosting (Beat the Clock, Now You See It, Concentration) well into the late 1970s. In 2005, Narz and his brother, Tom Kennedy, were honored with the Bill Cullen Career Acheivement Award at the Game Show Congress. BTW, Narz was Cullen's brother-in-law at one time. Narz passed away on October 15, 2008 at the age of 85. He will always be missed.
48)Shoot for the Stars
Host Geoff Edwards
Announcers Bob Clayton
Taped At Studio 8H, NBC, New York
Air Dates (NBC) 3-January-77 / 30-September-77
Although it was another BSP word-communication game, Shoot for the Stars was a different sort of game. Two teams consisting of a celebrity and a contestant partner attempted to guess two-part phrases based on clues. Each team began with $100, and one team would pick a box from one of the twenty-four next to the emcee. Each clue would be worth a dollar amount between $100 and $500, a star, or a Double Your Score box. A clue, such as 'A Feline/Slumber' would be read, and the contestant would have to decipher the first part (in this case, 'Cat') and the celebrity would have to decipher the second part ('Nap'). If the team answered the phrase correctly, they would win that amount of money. There was no penalty for incorrect answers.
49)Shop 'Til You Drop
Shop 'til You Drop was an American game show that aired on various broadcast television networks from 1991-2006. Two teams of two contestants (almost always male-female; married, engaged, dating, siblings, or best friends) competed. Nearly all of the stunts were one-minute mini-games, which tested popular culture and consumer knowledge.
Premiered: 1991
Normal Runtime: 30 min
50)Starcade
In the 80’s when the masses were really getting into video games and the arcades were packed with classic games such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders and Centipede, Starcade began its run. Starcade was the video game show where contestants competed against each other for prices by answering questions and playing video games.
The game began with two players or teams who first hand to answer a video game related question. Whoever answered the question correctly first would be able to choose from five arcade games that were setup in the studio. Once the player selected the game they would have 60 seconds to get the highest score they could. If the player got the game over screen their turn would end and the points they gained would be added to their overall score.
51)Studs
Studs follows a somewhat similar format to that of The Dating Game and Love Connection. Two men go on dates with three women; afterward, the men would have to match answers with the women regarding the date. Each correct answer would win the man a stuffed heart. At the end of each episode, each woman would decide which man they chose as a 'stud' and wanted to go out with again. If the men could correctly guess which woman chose them, both received an all-expense paid date to a location of their choice. In the event that two couples chose correctly, the man with the most stuffed hearts won the date.
52)Tattletales
Airing: 4-4:30 p.m. Monday- Friday from January 1-June 13 and December 1 on, 11-11:30 a.m. June 16-August 15, 3:30-4 p.m. August 18-November 28, CBS.
Personnel: Bert Convy, host; Jack Clark, Gene Wood, announcers. A Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production. Taped in Los Angeles.
Description: How well do your favorite celebrity couples know each other?
Played in four rounds, with three celebrity couples competing. At the start of the show, the husbands were backstage and unable to hear their wives’ responses to a question posed by Convy, generally in multiple-choice form. The wives would give their answer, and then the husband would reappear via a monitor in front of the wife. Correct answers would result in a share of $150 ($150 if one couple answered correctly, $75 each if two couples answered correctly, and $50 each if all three responded correctly). Two rounds were played in this manner, then the couples would switch places and play additional two more rounds, with the final round worth $300. If none of the couples’ answers matched in any round, the cash available for the round would be added to the subsequent one. The couple with the highest score at the end of the game was awarded an additional $1,000. The money was divided among the couples’ rooting sections – i.e., the studio audience, which was divided into red, yellow (or 'Banana'), and blue sections.
53)Three's A Crowd
Broadcast History: September 1979 to January 1980, Five-a-Week Syndication
Host: Jim Peck
Announcer: Johnny Jacobs
Executive Producer: Chuck Barris
Producer/Writer: Mike Metzger
Director: John 'The Fox' Dorsey
Packager: Chuck Barris Productions
Studios: The Chuck Barris Stages, Hollywood, California
Main Game: At the beginning of the show, only the husbands are on stage. They are each asked four questions. Then the secretaries are brought back. Their objective is to try to match their boss' answers. Later on, the wives appear and try to match their husband's answer. Whichever group, the wives or the secretaries, matched the most times, they split $1000. If the score is tied, all six women divide $1000, which amounts to about $166.67 apiece.
54)Three on a Match
Three on a Match was an American television game show created by Bob Stewart that ran on NBC from August 2, 1971 to June 28, 1974 on its daytime schedule. The host was Bill Cullen and Don Pardo served as announcer on most episodes, with Bob Clayton and NBC staffers Wayne Howell and Roger Tuttle substituting at times. The series was produced at NBC's Rockefeller Center in New York City. The program's title is wordplay on the superstition of the same name. In the game, three contestants competed to determine who could answer the most true-or-false questions in one of three categories. After Cullen announced the categories, each contestant bid a number between one and four based on how many questions he or she could answer on that turn. A player could win the bidding in two ways: either by having the highest bid or by having his or her opponents bid the same number, which canceled out their bids. If all three players chose the same number, another round of bidding was conducted to break the deadlock. The pot for the round was calculated by totaling the number of questions bid by all three contestants and then multiplying by $10 (for example: 4, 3, and 2 totals 9, which becomes $90),
55)To Say the Least
AIRDATES October 3, 1977- April 21, 1978
NETWORK(S) NBC Daytime
ANNOUNCER(S) Kenny Williams
PRODUCED BY Merrill Heatter-Bob Quigley Productions
Two teams consisting of two celebrities and one contestant, always all men vs. all women, compete. Two members of each team are sent into isolation and the remaining players are shown a sentence of six to ten words, and the subject the sentence is describing. The players alternate eliminating words, one at a time, until either (A) a player challenges, forcing the opposing teams to guess, or (B) only one word remains, which is an automatic challenge to whomever eliminated the previous word.
56)To Tell The Truth
To Tell The Truth is a game show that has been on for a very long time. It is one of those game shows that had a radio format, where the stages weren't that big, and most of the gameplay can be completed in seated positions. This game show has been able to do this over the years while new technologies enabled game shows to have different formats.
It has an announcer, a host, and 4 panel members including long time regulars and recurring people that were hosting (or would become hosts) of other game shows. There would be 3 guests that would say the things to the panel and each of them would claim to be the same person. Of course only one of them would match that profile, but all 3 of them lead very interesting lives.
57)The New Treasure Hunt
'The New Treasure Hunt' was a revival of the classic 1950s Jan Murray-hosted game show, this time produced by Chuck Barris ('The Newlywed Game,' 'The Dating Game'). Hosted by Geoff Edwards, this show offered a lucky female contestant the opportunity to win valuable prizes contained within mystery boxes placed onstage.
The series premiered in once-a-week syndication in September 1973, and ran until 1977. The show returned in 1981 (this time simply as 'Treasure Hunt') in daily syndication, running one year.
1973-1977 run During the 1970s run, the top prize was a check for $25,000; the 1981-1982 run featured an accuring jackpot, which began at $20,000 and increased by $1,000 per day until reaching $50,000.
58)Twenty One
Albert Freedman Producer
1956-1958
30 minutes
Black and White
Jack Barry, host
Twenty-One broke the game show scandals wide open. Contestants were placed in isolation booths, given a category and asked how many points they wished to risk.
Producer Freedman approached a young attractive English instructor at Columbia University, Charles Van Doren, about becoming a player on Twenty-One. Assistance would be provided to augment the 'entertainment value' of the show. As Van Doren kept winning, his popularity grew until he became a recognized celebrity. His acting ability didn't suffer either as America watched him 'agonize' over each question. Ultimately, he won $129,000 -
a hefty sum at any time, but a huge amount in the 50's.
One opponent, Herbert Stempel, didn't like being passed over for greatness by the producers. Bitter, he talked to investigators about Twenty-One and the practice of supplying some players with answers. Van Doren, now a broken and humiliated man, gave one last public performance - testifying before the Congress about his complicity in the deception.
59)Video Village
This early audience participation quiz show was telecast during 1960. The edition of the game pictured on the left was donated to the Museum in 1991. It was licensed by Milton Bradley Company, and produced in Canada by Somerville Industries.
The television show was a 'living board game'. The set was designed like a giant board game, and the contestants were the playing pieces. The night time version was replaced with a daytime version in 1961-62, and also with a Saturday morning children's version.
60)Break the Bank
Couples on two teams answered trivia questions to earn one-word clues to solve a puzzle, and time for the bonus round. The first couple to solve two of the puzzles went on to the bonus round. Using the time they earned answering questions, they played a variety of mini-games to earn bank cards. At the end of the bonus round, the couple used the bank cards to try to open a vault. If one of the bank cards opened the vault, they won whatever was inside. Halfway through the season, Joe Farago took over as host, and the format changed slightly. Teams could win up to ten bank cards, but forfeited a bank card if they needed a hint to solve the puzzle. Each card was revealed in the end to be worth cash and prizes, bankrupting the couple, or 'breaking the bank.'
Break the Bank Premiered: September 1985
Break the Bank Hosts: Gene Rayburn, Joe Farago
Break the Bank Announcers: Michael Hanks
61)Battlestars
Six celebrity guests were seated in a triangular lit wall a la 'Hollywood Squares.' Two contestants randomly selected a celebrity by pressing a button. The celebrity answered a question, and the contestant could agree or disagree with the answer. If the contestant was correct, one of the points of the triangle surrounding the celebrity was put out. If the lights at all three corners of a celebrity triangle were put out, the contestant 'captured' that celebrity. The goal was to be the first person to capture three celebrities.
Battlestars Premiered: October 1981
Battlestars Host: Alex Trebek
Battlestars Announcer: Rod Roddy
62)What's My Line
Mark Goodson - Bill Todman Production
30 minutes
1950 - 1967
Black and White 1950- 1966
John Daly, host
Panelists included Arlene Francis, Steve Allen, Bennett Cerf, Fred Allen, Tony Randall and Dorothy Kilgallen.
A panel of four celebrities tried to guess the occupation of the guest by asking a series of yes or no questions. The guest got $5 for each 'no' answer. Panelists were blindfolded for the weekly mystery guest who was a celebrity. Some famous folks who dropped by: Warren Beatty, James Cagney, Bette Davis, Ty Cobb,Walt Disney, Ronald Reagan, Alfred Hitchock and Elizabeth Taylor.
63)Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? began airing in the fall of 1991. It lasted until the fall of 1996 when Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego? took its place. The series was produced by WQED Pittsburgh and WGBH Boston and featured Greg Lee as the host and Lynne Thigpen as the Chief. During the course of the show, the 3 contestants would engage in a general question round about geography. Sometimes, clues for the questions would be delivered by guest stars or by the group, Rockapella (who also performed the show's theme song).
The game would open with the Chief telling the contestants about the crime and the crook. Then the questions would begin. The first round had multiple choice questions- each having three choices for answers.
64)Whew
A Game Show created by former Jeopardy! contestant Jay Wolpert, and one of his first works after leaving Mark Goodson-Bill Todman productions. Tom Kennedy was the host, and the show lasted for one season on CBS between 1979 and 1980.
The rules..oh, boy. Stay with us here. There were two contestants, one as the Blocker, one as the Charger. The Blocker would place six Blocks on the game board, which had five Levels of five boxes each (valued from $10-$50), plus a sixth Level with only three boxes ($200, $350, and $500). No more than three Blocks could be placed on any of the first five Levels, and no more than one on the Level 6. After the Blocks were placed, the Charger took control of the board, with a 60-second time limit to get to the top by answering 'bloopers' — clues with an intentionally wrong word (e.g., 'Bob Barker is the host of The Price Is Too Damn High', with the correct answer being The Price Is Right). A correct answer advanced to the next level, and picking a blocked box imposed a five-second penalty. In addition, if the Charger wanted, s/he could call 'Longshot!' and advance immediately to Level 6, where the Blocker would place another Block. The Blocker and Charger then traded places. Games were played best-of-three, and the winner advanced to the Bonus Round.
65)Who Do You Trust?
From 1957 to 1962 a popular game show called 'Who Do You Trust?' aired on television. Edgar Bergen and then Johnny Carson hosted, so it was also a funny show. People participated as pairs, usually married couples. The premise of the show was that contestants had to choose who would answer the questions in order to win prizes. The challenge to them was, 'Which of you feels confident with this category? Who do you trust?'
Married couples, chosen for their unusual backgrounds, compete after being interviewed by the host. The host askseach couple four sets of questions for a total of $1200. The husband may answer himself or trust his wife to do so. The couple who answers the most questions correctly wins the game, whatever money they have accumulated, and the added bonus of $100 a week for one year.
66)Win Ben Stein's Money
Win Ben Stein's Money was a 'Jeopardy' style game show where contestants get a chance to win $5,000 of Ben Steins'money.It starts out with three contestants answering questions to try to get as much money as they can. In round two,the player with the lowest amount of money has to give it back to Ben, and Ben takes their place for the rest of the round, where questions' values rise to $200 to $500 of Ben's money. At the end of round two,again the player with the lowest winnings gets canned, and the money goes back to Ben. In round three,the player with the most winnings will face Ben in a 'lightning round' where they have one minute to get ten questions correct, and if they get more right than Ben, they get all $5,000 of Ben's money. If they tie with Ben, they get the money they won in rounds' one and two, plus an extra $1,000. If they get less than Ben, all they get is the money that they won in round's one and two. The sad and dismal truth to this show is, Ben Stein's Money is given to him by Comedy Central, and whatever the player's don't win, he gets to keep. Thus, he nets anywhere from 15 to 18 thousand dollars a week!
67)Tic Tac Dough
The children's game of tic-tac-toe was turned into the question-and-answer 'Tic Tac Dough.' The object of the game was for a player to be the first to put his or her mark, 'X' or 'O,' in three boxes, either across, up, down, or diagonally. Two players alternated selecting a box and answering a question from the category indicated on the box in order to be able to place their mark in the box. Each correct answer added to the games jackpot, which was won by the player making tic-tac-toe. After each round of questions, the nine categories were rotated to different boxes.
After a nineteen-year absence from television, Tic Tac Dough returned with Wink Martindale as host. The game remained the same except for the addition of a bonus game were six boxes contained cash amounts, one said 'tic,' another said 'tac,' and in the last was the face of a dragon. The object was to accumulate $1000, before hitting the dragon, which stopped the bonus round. If the player found both the tic and tac boxes, he or she automatically won the game.
68)Stump the Schwab
Welcome to the Stump the Schwab guide at TV Tome. Basketball had Michael. Hockey had The Great One. Baseball had The Babe. Sports trivia has ¦ The Schwab. For years The Schwab has toiled in the bowels of our Bristol campus, as ESPN's first, and best, fact researcher. His wealth of sports knowledge is unmatched, his handle on sports stats unparalleled. Almost any stat you hear dropped by Vitale, Berman, Joe Morgan or any other ESPN personality almost certainly came from the The Schwab. No one knows more sports trivia than The Schwab. Or do they? With ESPN's new game show, Stump the Schwab, hosted by Stuart Scott, that's what we intend to find out. This summer, we went to New York City to test hundreds of applicants, grilling them on their sports knowledge. Some were in way over their heads, others could hold their own, but we only found 12 contestants that we thought could possibly hang with The Schwab.
69)Win, Lose Or Draw
Aired: 1987 – 1990
Show Type: Live Action
Country of Origin: US
'Win, Lose or Draw' was created by actor Burt Reynolds ('Smokey And the Bandit', 'The Cannonball Run', etc.) and long-time game show host Bert Convy ('Tattletales' and 'Super Password'). The series was basically an adaption of the old party game Charades, and had two teams of three players each, with two celebrities and a contestant on each team. The players had one minute (60 seconds) to give clues to a secret phrase by sketching on a large tablet, without using letters, numbers or verbal clues. If the other team member guessed correctly, the contestant received a cash prize. If not, the other team was allowed to guess.
70)You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life began its run as a radio program in 1947, recorded live as an hour-long program but edited down to half an hour for radio broadcast—a technique used to cut out both the dull parts and the most off-color Groucho lines.The same technique was used for the television broadcasts, which ran simultaneously with the radio program for several years.
The televised You Bet Your Life went the way of most prime time game shows in 1961, the victim of quiz scandals and dwindling audience interest in the game show format. But since every episode of You Bet Your Life was filmed, the show has survived in syndication and in packaged video compilations. Two brief revivals were mounted in 1980 and 1992—starring Buddy Hackett and Bill Cosby, respectively—but the show still belongs to Groucho. More than 100 “lost” episodes were discovered in July 2000, ready to introduce a new generation of fans to the quick-witted comedy of the funniest game show (and game show host) of television’s golden age
71)You Don't Say!
Network(s) NBC Daytime and Primetime
Airdates DAYTIME: April 1, 1963-September 26, 1969
PRIMETIME: January 7-May 12, 1964
Announcer(s) John Harlan
Produced by Ralph Andrews-Bill Yagemann Productions for Desilu
A nifty word game that had less to do with words and more to do with other words that they sort of resembled; 'You Don't Say!' was Tom's third network series and first national hit.
72)Give-n-Take
Airing: 10-10:30 a.m., Monday-Friday September 8-October 31; 4:00-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday November 3-November 26, CBS.
Personnel: Jim Lange, host; Jane Nelson, hostess, Johnny Jacobs, announcer. A Carruthers Company/Warner Brothers Production. Taped in Los Angeles.
Description: Um, CBS needed to air something until the hour-long Price Is Right was ready?
Game Play: Four players competed, seemingly always women, seated around a large spinner. Each one was awarded a prize at the beginning of the program. Another one was revealed and Lange would read a question. The first to ring in correctly was awarded the four blankspaces on the eight-space spinning board up for grabs, giving that player control of five spaces (counting her own) The other three spaces belonged to the other three players. The spinner was then set in motion, and the player with the correct answer pressed her signaling button to slow the spinner to a stop. She could then keep the prize or pass it to an opponent. The objective was to keep as close to $5,000 in prizes as possible without going over. If a player was over $5,000, she was 'frozen,' and couldn't receive any additional prizes. Players were unaware of the actual retail price of their prizes until the final prize had been awarded -- I believe four or five in all were spun for, in addition to the original four prizes awarded. The one closest to $5,000 at game's end was the winner and kept all the prizes she had accumulated. (The other three contestants did not keep their prizes.)
73)Winning Streak
Airing: 10:30-11 a.m. Thursday and Friday, January 2 and 3, NBC.
Personnel: Bill Cullen, host; Don Pardo, announcer. A Bob Stewart Production. Taped in New York City.
Description: Obviously short-lived word game.
Game Play: Two players competed, and appears there were several adjustments in format. In one version, they faced a board of sixteen letters with a category attached at the bottom. Contestants then formed a word of two to ten letters using the letters on the board. They won letters answers questions posed by Cullen. The answer to a question posed by Cullen would start with the letter the contestant chose of the 16 letters on the board. The first contestant to ring in with the correct answer could keep the letter for the word they had in mind or refuse it; if the first contestant answered incorrectly, this option went to their opponent. The first player to form a word in the given category moved on to the end game.
74)Three for the Money
Airing: 12:30-12:55 p.m. Monday-Friday, September 29-November 28, NBC.
Personnel: Dick Enberg, host; Jack Clark, announcer. A Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Production. Taped in Los
Angeles.
Description: Rapid-fire Q&A (given the amount of time NBC invested in the show, it had to be).
Game Play: Two teams competed, with one celebrity guest and two contestants per team, identfied by wearing red and yellow shirts over their street clothes. All six players stayed on for the full week. Each team chose the number of opponents they wanted to challenge trying to identify answers in three different categories (state capitals, birds, and movie stars, for example). The team in control of the category decided whether to have one person on their team challenge one, two, or all three players on the opposing team, with correct answers worth $100, $200, or $300 accordingly. If the challenged team got the correct answer first, they won $100. The identities sought were posed as a series of three clues. The challenges went back and forth, with the trailing team given a final chance to catch up. The team with the most cash at the end of the game was declared the winner, although their scores accumulated over the course of the week (in other words, the score could be $1,300 to $900 Yellow team after Monday, $2,200 to $1,900 Red team after Tuesday, etc.)
75)Split Second
Airing: 12:30-1 p.m. Monday-Friday, January 1-June 30, ABC.
Personnel: Tom Kennedy, host; Jack Clark, announcer. A Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Production. Taped in Los Angeles.
Description: Breathlessly fast-paced three-contestant Q&A.
Game Play: Three players competed. Kennedy read a clue leading into a question with three different parts; contestants then rang in to try to answer any one of the parts of the question. The first contestant had their choice of any part of the question they chose; the second had two choices if the first contestant was right previously or all three if the first contestant was incorrect; the third contestant, thusly, could choose from one, two, or all three parts. Correct answers were worth $5 if all three contestants answered correctly, $10 if two contestants answered correctly, or $25 if only one contestant answered correctly. The game was played in two rounds, with the round two cash values jumping to $10, $25, and $50. Later in the run, the first contestant in each round to be the only one to answer a question correctly of a given three won an additional merchandise prize.
76)Blockbusters
Hosts: Bill Cullen, Bill Rafferty
One of the last great original games put out by the Goodson-Todman company. Yet another game that makes the Q-and-A format interesting by implenting the 'Alphabetics' of revealing the first letter of the answer. The game was fast-paced and visually entertaining. The show had two unique things going for it: 1) the clever hexagon board where no ties are possible; 2) the concept of finding out whether 'two heads are better than one.' Bill Cullen, as always, does a marvelous job of hosting. Bob Cobert also churns out a great theme song. The Gold Run was a nifty bonus round and the later rule of allowing players to play twenty matches led to some memorable champions and big payoffs.
The short-lived 1987 revival was o.k. featuring a passable hosting performance by Bill Rafferty and then-high-tech computer graphics.
77)Hollywood Squares
Hosts: Peter Marshall, John Davidson, Tom Bergeron Next to 'Match Game,' this was the best comedy game show. The original helmed by game show great Peter Marshall is by far the best with classic panelists Rose Marie, George Gobel, and of course, Paul Lynde providing the funny quips. The Davidson version was decent, but the current revival with Whoopi as the center square is one of the few game show revivals that has come close to matching the feel and fun of the classic version. Tom Bergeron does a superb job of hosting and has really emerged as one of TV's best new hosts.
78)Jackpot
Hosts: Geoff Edwards, Mike Darrow
Unique riddle game show in which sixteen contestants vied for thousands of dollars in the entire week. Geoff Edwards proved that he could do the Q-and-A format here. The NBC version was best of the three runs boasting a dramatic Bob Cobert theme and really big Super Jackpots. While most of the riddles weren't brain-busters, there were a few cleverly-written ones especially in the 70s version.
79)Scrabble
Host: Chuck Woolery
This Reg Grundy show had nothing to do with board game except that they used the game board, the term 'tiles,' and the name. Despite this, the creators of the show came up with a nice twist on hangman. The big hook for me were the clever clues devised by the writers. Getting a good grasp of those clues really could buy contestant those important extra seconds needed to get ahead in the Sprint rounds. Chuck Woolery fit in perfectly with this show (his second traditional gamer) which seemed like a natural progression from his 'Wheel' days.
80)The Cross-Wits
Two teams of three players (one studio contestant and two guest celebrities) played one at a time and tried to guess a crossword from a clue. Teams scored ten points for each letter on the crossword. Each crossword was also a clue to the identity of a person, place, or thing. The first team to solve the master puzzle earned extra points.The top-scoring team at the end of the day played the 'cross fire' round and they had sixty seconds to guess ten crosswords from clues, for a bonus prize.
December 15, 1975 - September 1980
Host: Jack Clark
Assistant: Jerri Fiala
Announcers: Jay Stewart, Jerry Bishop, John Harlan
81)Debt
HOST: Wink Martindale
ANNOUNCER: Julie Claire
AIRDATES: June 3rd, 1996 - August 14th, 1998
CHANNEL: Lifetime
PACKAGER: Faded Denim Productions
Debt was a game show that won a CableACE award for best game show, and was a show that helped real people get themselves out of debt. Contestants brought in their debts ranging between $6,000 to $10,000. Here's how it all worked.Three contestants are shown with their debts, and they are averagedto the same amount. They are then shown a 5x5 board, each with a category, ranging from -$50 to -$250. The contestant with the lowest debt chooses a category with a value, and they are asked a question, which usually began with 'I am..'. The contestants would then buzz-in with a response, starting with, 'You are..'. If they are right, they are subtracted from the amount, according to the chosen total. If not, the amount is added to the debt and the other players get a chance to answer.
82)Lingo
Lingo is a game of trying to guess a five letter word in which you are given a five letter word. Your goal is to try and guess the word that they are giving. You have five tries. They also give you clues. If there is a letter in a yellow circle, it is in the word, but in the wrong place. If it is in a red square, it is in the word in the right place. After finishing the puzzle, teams try to pull Lingo balls in hopes of completingalmost a Bingo, or five filled in circles in a row. But they have to be carefull, because there are red stoppers in which they stop pulling balls, and the other team has control. Lingo is hosted by the famed Chuck Woolery. Formerly hosting Love Connection, Greed, Wheel of Fortune, and more, he then moved to GSN to host Lingo. The judge of Lingo and also co-host is Shandi Finnessey. Shandi was Miss USA, 2004. She joined Lingo in 2005, and is still on the show today.
83)Winner Take All
'Winner Take All` was an American television game show that ran from 1948 through 1952 on CBS. It is notable as the first game show produced by the Mark Goodson and Bill Todman partnership, who would go on to create many more. The program first began in 1946, on CBS radio.
The original host of Winner Takes All was comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, who hosted the show from 1975 until 1986. For series 13, Geoffrey Wheeler replaced Jimmy Tarbuck as the host and the show went into a 5 day a week daytime show (twice a week for the 1987 series). Geoffrey also devised the format for Winner Takes All and was the voiceover reading the questions in the Jimmy Tarbuck era. The Challenge version (Series 15) was hosted by Bobby Davro with Yorkshire Television news journalist Gaynor Barnes as the voiceover reading the questions and was produced by Yorkshire Television for Challenge.
84)Truth or Consequences
Based on the parlor games 'Forfeits' and 'Fine or Superfine,' the show was a combination trivia game and stunt show. Contestants were asked silly questions and had to answer correctly before 'Beulah the Buzzer' sounded. If they failed to give the 'Truth,' they had to face the 'Consequences'-- usually a funny and embarrassing stunt. Often contestants were reunited with long-lost family or friends on the air.
Tv Guide Top 50 Game Shows
Truth or Consequences' made its first appearance as a television special on the very day of commercial television broadcasting (July 1, 1941).
'Truth or Consequences' is the only game show with an entire town named after it. After a request from Ralph Edwards in 1950, Hot Springs, New Mexico volunteered to be renamed in honor of the show. In return, the show's 10th anniversary special was taped there. Every year on the first weekend in May, the 'Truth or Consequences Fiesta' draws thousands of people.
The show started on radio with host Ralph Edwards in 1940. It ran on radio for seventeen years.
The radio version of the show won the Eisenhower award during World War II for selling the most war bonds.
Bob Barker made his television debut as host of ' Truth or Consequences.' Previously, he was a radio announcer.
85)The Big Payoff
Contestants were selected from men who mailed in letters explaining why the women in their lives deserved prizes. The men were asked four questions (delivered on a silver tray by Question Girl Susan Sayers) in order to win prizes like a mink coat or a vacation. The show also incorporated a fashion show narrated by Bess Meyerson.
The Big Payoff Premiered: December, 1951
Hosts: Randy Merriman, Robert Paige, Bert Parks
Substitute Hosts: Bobby Sherwood, Warren Hull, Ralph Paul, Bob Haymes, Jimmy Blaine
Hostess:Bess Myerson , Substitute Hostesses: Hollis Burke,Sydney Smith.
Announcers: Ralph Paul, Mort Laurence, Question Girl: Susan Sayers
Models: Pat Conlon, Nancy Walters, Marion James, Pat Conway, Fran Miller
Singers: Betty Ann Grove, Denise Lor, Judy Lynn
Top 10 Game Shows
http://www.gameshowfame.com/shows/big_payoff.htm
86)3rd Degree
A pair of male celebrities competed against a pair of femal celebrities. The celebrities had to interview a pair of guests and determine what their (sometimes bizarre) relationship to each other was. If the guests could stump the celebs as to their relationship, they won a couple of thousand dollars.
Three of the original Little Rascals, including Spanky McFarland
The voices behind Fred and Wilma Flintstone
3rd Degree Premiered: September, 1989
Hosts: Peter Marshall (pilot only) Bert Convy 1989-1990
Announcers: Bob Hilton 1973-1990
87)Let's Play Post Office3
Three contestants were read letters from celebrities one line at a time. They tried to guess the identity of the letter's author. As more lines of the letter were revealed, the value of the letter decreased. The game included a 'zip round' where telegraphed messages appeared briefly on the screen, and they had to guess the identity of the celebrity sender.
Premiered: September 27, 1965 on NBC
Host: Don Morrow
Announcers: Bill Wendell, Wayne Howell
88)Queen for a Day
Four women were selected from the audience. Their task: to convince everyone that they are the most pathetic. The audience judged their sob stories with the applause-o-meter, and awarded the 'loser' with her wishes, plus a crown and roses.
'My mother was Queen For The Day back in 1957 - I think. The reason I don't know the exact date as I was around two years old. Her name was Marietta McNeal. She was a registered nurse in Toledo, Ohio and was stricken down with polio in 1957. She was sent to Ann Arbor, Michigan and placed in an 'iron lung.' It was there that someone wrote into the show and told her story. Jack Baily and Ms. Cagney crowned her in the hospital. I have an old photo of the two, but it does not show the actual crowning. She requested an 'iron lung' so she could come back home to Toledo, but I think she only received a washing machine. All of us (4 children) were taken away, by the State, and placed in an orphanage soon after. We eventually got back home only to have her die shortly thereafter. If there ever was someone deserving to be 'Queen For The Day,' it was this brave and lovely lady.' -- Cheryl
Premiered: January 3, 1956
Catch phrase: 'Would you like to be queen for a day?'
Hosts: Dick Curtis 1969-1970 ,Jack Bailey 1956-1964, Ben Alexander Steve Dunne
Jack Smith Dennis Day Don DeFore Walter O'Keefe
Announcers:Carl King 1969-1970 Gene Baker John Harlan 1956-1964
89)Come Dine with Me
Five contestants (four in the primetime version) compete to throw the best dinner party. They each give a dinner party over the course of a week, and mark each other out of ten. The host(ess) with the most(est) at the end of the week wins a thousand pounds.
The first half of each show follows the preparation for the party, and the second half is the event itself. There are frequent cutaways to pre- and post-game interviews with the contestants. It's a surprisingly entertaining format, with Dave Lamb's voiceover striking just the right tone, taking the mickey but not to the extent of stitching up the participants. Let's face it, these people know very well what they're letting themselves in for, and their follies and foibles are bound to get an airing - especially if those foibles include inviting a group of friends round to sing hymns in four-part harmony at the guests. Really - it happened.
Broadcast Granada London (LWT) for Channel 4, 10 January 2005 to present.
90)Double Your Money
Monday night quiz, based on Green's popular Radio Luxembourg format. Contestants were given a free choice from different categories of questions which were the same for each series but evolved in variety and number (anything from 42 to 92) over time. For the first correct answer they won £1, and thereafter the could double their money with further correct answers up to a maximum of £32. A wrong answer would mean they lose everything. The most successful contestants came back to play for the Treasure Trail of up to £1000.
Host Hughie Green
91)Bank On The Stars
The Bank on the Stars was a game show that aired 1954. The show was aired on the television station CBS. Jack Paar was the original host until the games show later moved to NBC and was then hosted by Bill Cullen. Cullen only hosted the show for a few years, then Jimmy Nelson contined the hosting duties until the show ended. The premise of the game show was movie triva. 3 couples were picked out from the studio audience and we asked a seris of question regarding a classic or current movie of the time. They were shown a clip of the movie as were asked three two-part questions regarding the movie. The team that had the most points at the end would return for the final round called Bank Night Bonus. In this round the contests were to listen, not watch, a clip and were then again asked questions. If they answered the questions correctly, they would win 500 dollars.
92)Born Lucky
A game show in which contestants selected at random from crowds in various shopping centers compete against each other in a series of stunts for a chance to win cash to spend in the mall. The show aired on Lifetime Television from October 5, 1992 to April 2, 1993, and again on the same network from July 5 to December 31, 1993. For a brief period in 2000, PAX aired reruns of this series.
Director Bob Loudin , Host Bob Goen , Co-Host Jonathan Coleman , Creator TonyMcLaren
Executive Producer Scott A. Stone, Executive Producer David GStanley , Producer StephenBrown
93)Dotto
Dotto was an American television quiz show which aired on CBS from January 6 to August 15, 1958. Although it quickly became the highest-rated daytime game show on television, its end came when it became the unexpected first casualty---and ignition---of the quiz show scandals that rocked American broadcasting as the 1950s closed.Hosted by Jack Narz, who achieved a popularity equal to that of Hal March on The $64,000 Question, Dotto was based on the children's connect-the-dots game: contestants answered general-knowledge questions to connect dots that made a portrait of a famous or historical personage.
Within the first six months of its run, Dotto became the highest-rated quiz program of 1958, and on July 1 a weekly nighttime version began on NBC. One of the nighttime contestants, a young actress and model named Connie Hines, later became famous as Carol Post on the popular comedy Mister Ed.
94)Double Talk
Double Talk was a game show airing on ABC daytime. It was a revival of the 1977 game show Shoot For The Stars.Two teams, each of a celebrity and a civilian, compete. They face a board of 4 monitors. A team is shown two synonyms that compose a phrase when translated (example: 'sacred/bovine' would translate into 'holy cow'). One team member takes the first half and the other teammate translates the other half. Doing so scores ten points. An incorrect translation turns the board to the other team and is worth five points. A team scoring on all four monitors wins a $1000 bonus. A fifth box, in the middle, is worth double points. Four boards are played with the team with the highest score the winner.
That team plays a bonus round in translating as many as 10 incomplete phrases in 60 seconds as possible. Each phrase is worth $100 with all ten winning $10,000.
95)Down You Go
Down You Go is an American television game show originally broadcast on the DuMont Television Network. The Emmy award-nominated series ran from 1951-1956 as a prime time series hosted by Dr. Bergen Evans. The program aired in eleven different timeslots during its five year run. It would also be one of the few series eventually shown on all four major television networks of the Golden Age of Television ABC, NBC, CBS, and DuMont.
Down You Go was similar to 'Hangman', with a group of four celebrity panelists who were asked to guess a word or phrase submitted by a home viewer. The phrase 'down you go' came about when a panelist would be eliminated from play for making an incorrect guess, which would be signified by the eliminated panelist pulling a handle to switch their name to 'DOWN YOU GO'.
96)Haggis Baggis
Top 50 Game Show Fails
The games show Haggis Baggis was an American based game sow that aired from 1958 until 1959. The primetime host of the show was Jack Linkletter while Fred Robbins and Dennis James hosted the daytime version of the show. The premise of the game was to have 2 contestants, almost always female, to identify a celebrity's face what was concealed in a 5x5 grid. One contestant is asked to pick a category while the other contestant is asked to pick a letter. The contestant that has chosen the letter must name something that begins with the letter and must also fit the category that was chosen by the other contestant. If she does this correctly, she will be revealed a portion of the image. If she is wrong the other contestant will get a free chance to guess. The first contestant to guess the image correctly gets to move on to the bonus round. This bonus round consists of a contestant picking between 2 prizes, Haggis or Baggis.
97)Hot Potato
Two teams of three players, all with something in common (for example, being dentists, mothers-to-be, etc.), tried to name the most popular response to a question that had been asked of a group of people. A team tried to come up with seven of the ten possible answers to win the round. A team lost control of the question on a wrong guess and the first team to win two rounds became champions and received $1,000. The winners could try to earn as much as $5,000 in the bonus round by answering another series of questions.
January 23, 1984 - June 29, 1984
NBC Daytime Game Show - 115 Episodes
Host: Bill Cullen
Announcer:Charlie O'Donnell
98)It's Your Bet
It's Your Bet: This is the remake of the 1965 NBC-TV Game Show 'I'LL BET'. 'IT'S YOUR BET' features 2 star couples were married, engaged & dating (family pairs included) will face each other to answer questions that had been asked by the host. The Questions are General Knowledge, Personal, Educational, et al are used to bet on the points what they play for their own total (Starting at 100 Points and bet between 25 and 100 points). The 1st star couple reach 300 points wins the game and play the 'Preference Round' to win prizes for their audience member and each spouse, fiance/fiancee, dating partner or member of the family pair will read 1 question and was shown 3 answers on the board that determined to the spouse (and other martial partners) will predict the actual answer to one of the loving mates. If their right, The audience member win prizes or If their wrong, The audience member will lose the prizes giving the consolation prize of $100.
99)Minute to Win It
Minute to Win It: In each one-hour episode competitors face 10 challenges that escalate in level of difficulty using everyday household items. Each game has a one minute time limit and failure to finish the task on time results in elimination. At various points throughout the game, the competitor can walk away with the money earned up to that point - but it'll take nerves of steel to complete all 10 tasks to win $1 million.
Released: March 14, 2010
Genres: Reality-TV
100)The Apprentice
Reality show which originally began with would-be moguls braving a simulated corporate environment as Donald Trump pitted two teams against each other for the single grand prize of landing a $250,000 a year job with the Trump organization. The teams of contestants competed to complete specific assigments and one member of the losing team was fired after each defeat. Beginning with season 7, the show introduced its celebrity version, with Donald Trump bringing 16 celebrities to New York City. Dividing into teams, they compete in business tasks. Each week, the leader of the winning team takes home tens of thousands of dollars for their favorite charity while the losing team faces Trump in his boardroom. In the end, the last celebrity standing is crowned the Celebrity Apprentice and earns a $250,000 jackpot for their charity of choice.
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