They are hard to stop watching, fun to play along, and a part of our culture like Hollywood and baseball. The television Game Show is about as old as television itself.
The first game show recorded in history was a program called Spelling Bee which existed in 1938. Truth or Consequences followed in 1941 and was the first game show on commercially-licensed television.
These early shows would become eclipsed in the 1950s by programs like The $64,000 Question and Twenty One. But scandal surrounding the legitimacy of these shows saw their decline.
Next came shows like The Match Game, Let’s Make a Deal, Hollywood Squares, The Dating Game, and The Newlywed Game.
I remember growing up watching everything from Password to The $10,000 Pyramid, Card Sharks and Jeopardy, The Family Feud, The Joker’s Wild and Press Your Luck (remember, “No Whammy No Whammy… STOP!”?) and everything in between.
When Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? debuted with Regis Philbin in his swanky wardrobe I was watching. I’ve even stopped to watch Meredith Viera’s daytime take on the program.
Jeopardy gets watched all summer long while my parents are visiting from Florida, but I don’t get to watch many game shows anymore.
What were/are your favorite game shows on television?
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ReplyDeleteHey does anyone remember the old WHEEL OF FORTUNE format? I'll buy the ceramic dalmation for 900 dollars! (thats when $900 was a lot!).
then LET'S MAKE A DEAL! Well time to go I gotta BEAT THE CLOCK! Have a great day everybody!
Rob, I was just reminiscing about the old Wheel of Fortune format with Racer 187 and he didn't recall it. Thank goodness you posted this as I thought I was going crazy! Ah, the old days of game shows when "stuff" was what you won, not $$$$!
ReplyDeleteI recall a washer and dryer set as prizes on the Newlywed game! Does the show Supermarket Sweep count as a real gameshow and does Bowling for Dollars? I seemingly have a penchant for this form of tv show my memory is reeling. The one which stands out as the daytime icon of gameshows to me is The Price is Right.Loads of fun!
DeleteMy mother and I rock at Family Feud! I also remember enjoying Press Your Luck, Hollywood Squares, Win Lose or Draw, Pyramid, Wheel of Fortune, Supermarket Sweep and Card Sharks. I liked Name That Tune, but was really bad at it.
ReplyDeleteRemember the MTV game Remote Control with a young Adam Sandler and Colin Quinn? or Nickelodeon's Double Dare?
I loved Who Wants to Be a Millionaire when Regis was on, and did pretty well. I only watch Jeopardy when Anderson Cooper is on, or "Watson".
I generally enjoy trivia games.