My Top 10 Favorite Game Shows of All Time
It's human nature to love competition. Come on, don't lie to yourselves. You feel joy and pride whenever you overcome any form of odds, whether it be against someone else or you're competing against yourselves. In recent times, there is still competition even with a lack of sports on television. We are fighting an invisible enemy. Competition is just a part of American culture.
You know what else is a part of American culture? Game shows!
I would be lying if I said I wasn't a game show nut. Whenever I watch *insert game show here*, I always picture myself standing at that podium, making decisions that can make or break me. Even as a kid, game shows fascinated me. I watched ones from all sorts of decades, from the 50s scandals to the modern day ones such as Don't and Million Dollar Mile.
I thought this would make a perfect Top 10. Which game shows do I love the most? Some of these will be programs you might have heard of, others, not so much. Worth noting a couple of things before I start the list though.
- This list is not ranked. It was tough already to narrow it down to 10.
- No reality shows. That's worthy of its own Top 10. And yes, Wipeout is in this category.
- American games only. Too complicated to get into Japanese game shows, but I will say that British ones are pretty awesome.
- I decided not to include game shows designed for kids. No Double Dare, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, or Legends of the Hidden Temple here. Although with the latter, it was ALMOST worthy of an exception. Almost.
Press Your Luck
Have you ever heard the phrase "No Whammies" before? It all came from Press Your Luck.
There's something about Press Your Luck that I just love. It might be the silly Whammy cartoons at the bottom of the screen. It might be the various amounts of prizes on the Big Board. Or it may just be a little bit of both.
The goal of Press Your Luck is simple. Answer trivia questions to earn spins on the Big Board. Hit a Whammy, and you lose everything in your bank account. The person with the most amount of money at the end wins. A relatively simple concept. Prizes could range from trips to accessories to even sailboats and cars. Dollar amounts have varied over the years, going as low as $250 and as high as $10,000.
Perhaps Press Your Luck is known for the Michael Larson scandal. In 1984, Larsen memorized the pattern of the Big Board, winning over $100,000 in cash and prizes. Larson was able to keep his winnings, as he was not cheating by rules, but instead playing the system. Despite this, Larson was not eligible to come back for the next taping for obvious reasons.
The first run of Press Your Luck ended in 1986 after four years on the air. In 2002, GSN rebooted the show under the name "Whammy! The All New Press Your Luck", but it just never caught on with the mainstream media. Finally, in 2019, the series was brought back for the ABC Summer Fun & Games series. During all three incarnations, it was always fun to watch, no matter if it's Peter Tomarken, Todd Newton, or Elizabeth Banks as host.
The Weakest Link
Remember when The Weakest Link was supposed to be the next great American game show? It had everything. It was very easy to follow along, it had the perfect host in Anne Robinson, and it was slotted into primetime on NBC. It was very common to hear people talking about what happened the night before on The Weakest Link.
As NBC's answer to Millionaire, The Weakest Link followed a similar format, to some extent. Eight individuals worked together as a team to climb up the money ladder. When a question was answered correctly, more money was earned, but if a question was answered incorrectly, the chain was broken and the team had to start again. However, if a team member said "bank" before the question, all money was pocketed, but a new chain started. This continued over eight rounds. At the end of each round, the team voted on who they thought was the worst player (the Weakest Link) on the team. Anne Robinson said that they were the Weakest Link, told them goodbye, and then the Walk of Shame took place to the back. A brutally fun game show.
But let's be real. If you've seen an episode, you know why people loved the Weakest Link. It wasn't the format. It was Anne Robinson's comebacks.
Robinson was strict and sarcastic. She would often clap back at the contestants, making fun of whatever personality trait stood out to her, whether it be job or looks or another feature. Here's a clip of her getting into it with one of my Top 10 Wrestlers, Stone Cold Steve Austin:
Never change, Anne Robinson. Never change.
After 83 episodes, ratings dipped, and the show changed hosts to current Price is Right announcer George Gray. Still a decent program, it just wasn't what it once was, and in 2003, NBC told the Weakest Link goodbye. On a more positive note, the show ran up until 2017 in the United Kingdom with Robinson as host during the entire run.
UPDATE: The Weakest Link is coming back on Monday, September 28th on NBC with Jane Lynch as the host and executive producer! I'd like to think this article played a part in it, but who knows. I'm so excited for the show to return and I can almost guarantee you I will watch every single episode.
The Price is Right
This should come as no shock to anyone that The Price is Right makes my Top 10. Out of all the game shows I remember watching with my family, specifically my grandparents, this is the one. They would wake me up, feed me breakfast, and I would sit with them watching Bob Barker welcome contestants onto his program. It was so much fun. To this day, I still watch The Price is Right every morning at 11 AM on CBS.
You probably know what is entailed with the Price is Right. Once someone is called to "Come On Down", the contestants bid on an item. If you win the item, you go on stage and play a pricing game for a larger prize. Each episode culminates in the Showcases, where multiple prizes are eligible to be won by two contestants that appeared on the show.
The various games is what makes The Price is Right so enjoyable. Whether it be Plinko, Cliff Hangers, Punch a Bunch, or Lucky Seven, there is a massive range of games that can be played. Combine that with the numerous prizes that can be won, and you never get the same episode of The Price is Right twice.
The first version of The Price is Right started in 1956 and ended in 1965. This program was very different than the one we know and love today. The show was revived back in 1972, and has stayed in its current format ever since. 48 episodes later, The Price is Right is still a classic, and is must watch television for me.
Family Feud
Family Feud is interesting. There is no game show that has retained its format yet has been able to change with the times as swiftly as The Feud. Two families compete against each other to complete a survey that's been posed to 100 people. Get every answer, and the points are yours. Get 300 points, and you win the game and play Fast Money.
Yet here's the thing. That's not the reason it's on this list. It's on this list because of the hosts' witty comebacks to the players. It could be Steve Harvey, Richard Dawson, Ray Combs, John O'Hurley or even Richard Karn. The hosts make this show absolutely incredible. Allow this clip to demonstrate:
This is just one of many Family Feud clips that can be found on the Internet. If you need to be kept busy during quarantine, just look up "Family Feud funniest moments" and you've hit a gold mine. If Steve Harvey doesn't take over as host, this show is a toss up on whether or not it makes my Top 10. I love Richard Dawson, but Steve Harvey takes it to a new level. I'm laughing at least twice an episode. Family Feud has been on air since 1976 and while keeping true to the original format, it's able to still be a game show loved by today's generation.
Greed
Another network's answer to Millionaire, Greed is probably one of the shows on this list that most of you have never heard of. It was, however, one of the most polarizing and ruthless game shows that was ever conceived.
Greed was not easy to understand at first, but after watching a few episodes, I picked up on how the show went, and I loved it. Chuck Woolery of Love Connection fame was called on to host, and he did a great job. Six studio contestants qualified to play by answering a numeric-based question. The closest became team captain, while the others made up the rest of the team. For the first five questions, there was only one correct answer. After this, the Terminator would choose a random person and they could challenge a teammate and take their winnings. A single question made up the Terminator, and whoever answered correctly first took the winnings of the other, eliminating them from the game. This repeated until the final round, where $2 million was at stake, the highest in American game show history at that point in time.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire never clicked for me. I found the concept too basic to get invested in. Greed, on the other hand, was different. It required more than basic knowledge. It required teamwork and a little bit of chance. Unfortunately, Millionaire won out in the end, and Greed ended its run with only 44 episodes. Fortunately, there are a few airings that have been uploaded in full to YouTube. I highly recommend watching them.
Sale of the Century
This one also fits into the category of "I had to watch it several times before I realized what was going on". I'm going to be honest, the first time I watched Sale of the Century, I never thought it would make my Top 10 Game Show list. But here we are.
A tad bit confusing of a concept, Sale of the Century revolved around a shopping spree. Various questions were asked to a panel of three contestants. Each correct answer was worth $5, but an incorrect answer resulted in a loss of $5. At various points during the game, players would be offered prizes for various discounts, known as Instant Bargains. You could buy a bargain and risk losing points to your score, or pass it and try to win a chance at the shopping spree at the end of the show. The bonus round consisted of ten prizes. Some of which were jewelry, accessories, and trips, while others were cars and amounts of cash. If the champion cleared the board by winning 10 games, they could choose to play again to win an extra $50,000, but they'd lose all their prizes. They could also walk and leave with their 10 prizes.
In its original format, Sale of the Century was hosted by the likes of Jack Kelly and Joe Garagiola. However, the Jim Perry version is by far my favorite. It's also probably the most well known. Perry hosted Sale of the Century from 1983 until 1989, before being replaced in the lineup by Scrabble. There was a rebooted version called Temptation, but the less said about that, the better. Perry took the show over the top due to his work as a salesman and comedian. Coincidentally enough, it's another Jim Perry hosted program that finds itself in the next spot of the Top 10.
Card Sharks
For some reason, Card Sharks has stuck with me. It's not because of the massive prizes to be won, because there really was never that high of a prize catalog until Bob Eubanks took over as host. Maybe it's due to the fact that out of all of these game shows, Card Sharks is probably the easiest to play at home.
Two contestants competed against each other. The host would ask a survey-like question, where the number would range from 1-99. After the first contestant answered, their opponent had to say whether it was higher or lower. If they were right, they got control of the board. If they were wrong, their opponent would. The goal was to guess whether the next card on the board would be higher or lower than the previous one. Clear the board, win the round. Win 2 out of 3 rounds, and the winner played the Money Cards for a chance to win bonus money.
Jim Perry was the first host of Card Sharks, and the show was an instant success. His version ran from 1978 until 1981. Five years later, former Newlywed Game host Bob Eubanks took over. Eubanks' version is actually my favorite because that set was just gorgeous. Arguably the nicest set in game show history.
A less than stellar revival of Card Sharks happened in 2001 with Pat Bullard as host. That version quickly got canceled. In 2019, Joel McHale was called to present the show under the ABC Summer Fun & Games banner. The problem with the later versions is that the contestant could leave the Money Cards round with less money than they won during the main game. Nevertheless, Card Sharks is still a fun game to play along to at home and it is only accentuated by its great hosts.
Match Game
It is a crime that I went this long without talking about Match Game. In 2006, Game Show Network called it the greatest game show of all time. Is it my favorite ever? Probably not. Despite this, I'm not going to lie and say that Game Show Network is wrong. Match Game is probably the greatest game show of all time.
Two contestants competed against each other trying to fill in the blanks to various prompts. Their goal was to try to match as many celebrities as possible. Whoever matches more goes on to play Super Match for a chance to win even more money. One of the simplest game shows ever.
My personal favorite part about the show is that you can tell which episodes were filmed earlier in the day and which ones were filmed later. Back in the 1970s, it was commonplace to drink and smoke on game shows. As the taping went on later and later, several celebrities on the panel became increasingly more intoxicated as the shows went on. To the surprise of no one, these shows were much more entertaining than the ones filmed earlier in the day. It also received more laughs from me.
Gene Rayburn hosted the original version of the show from 1962 until 1984. After several failed reboots and comebacks, Match Game was one of the original shows selected to return for the ABC Summer of Fun & Games. With Alec Baldwin now the host, the show was back for good. To this day, it is the crown jewel of the ABC summer lineup, and it still brings a smile to my face to see the wisecracks from the panel, even if they can't drink as much anymore.
Another game show that has stood the test of time, Match Game can be enjoyed by everyone. No matter who the celebrities are or who the host is, you're sure to find yourself laughing. Match Game is proof that a game show does not have to be complex in order to be beloved by the audience.
Let's Make a Deal (Monty Hall version)
As much as I love the current Wayne Brady version, it doesn't crack the Top 10. Monty Hall's, on the other hand, I could not leave out.
Let's Make a Deal's premise is pretty self explanatory. There are several mini games in which contestants could win prizes. However, the prizes are hidden behind either boxes or doors, and the size of the container could be deceiving (for example, a small box could have car keys hidden in it). However, there were also Zonk prizes, which were unfavorable items that were not practical to be used (such as a donkey or a old broken down car). Monty loved to trick the contestants, continually raising the prices of dollar amounts trying to lure them into backing out of their prize. The top 2 winners of the day participated in the Big Deal of the Day, in which a high valued prize was guaranteed to be won and no Zonks were on the board.
The detail in the old Let's Make a Deal made it so different from the version we have today. The details in how the prizes were revealed is what made me fall in love with the Monty Hall version. After the show stopped production in 1986, the series was brought back twice, each with even less success than the prior incarnation. CBS finally brought the show back with Wayne Brady as host, and he has been proven to be a decent successor to Hall. As late as 2017, Hall was a consultant on the new version of the show. To this day, a new generation has been enthralled by Let's Make a Deal. The 1970s version is still my favorite, but I still watch the CBS Brady version from time to time.
Wheel of Fortune
It's the game that forces you to scream at your TV while watching. It's the game that makes you shake your head while contestants flub the words. Yet, it is one of the greatest game shows of all time.
I'm pretty confident that I don't need to go over the format to Wheel of Fortune, but I will anyway. You spin the wheel and call letters on a board. You can buy vowels for $250 each or you can hit bankrupt and lose everything. If you solve the puzzle, you win the round. The contestant with the most money goes on to the Bonus Round, where they can win even more prize money.
Funnily enough, that's not how Wheel of Fortune started. Yes, you spun the wheel, brought vowels, solved the puzzle, etc. At first, though, after each round, you could spend the money won in a shopping spree akin to Sale of the Century. This lasted until around the time Pat Sajak took over as host, replacing Chuck Woolery.
However, Wheel of Fortune gets on the list for the fails of the contestants. Much like Family Feud, Wheel is a show that is very easy to play at home. On TV, the nerves on the contestants show during the program quite often. More so on Wheel of Fortune, there are more mistakes than in other game shows. Julian from Indiana University knows about this all too well. This is, without a doubt, the greatest clip in American game show history.
Ah, that never gets old.
I can't talk about American game shows without at least bringing up Wheel of Fortune. It is so easy to play at home and it is a show that can cause your heart to skip a beat if a Bankrupt is nearby. Although not my favorite, I still watch Wheel whenever I can and I still laugh at some of the failures of the contestants.
Honorable Mentions:
1 vs 100
Deal or No Deal
Blockbusters
Beat the Geeks
Win Ben Stein's Money
Treasure Hunt
And there you have it, my favorite game shows of all time. Watching game shows is mostly how I have been spending my time inside during the pandemic. There's so much unique content out there. Did I get the list right? Which ones did I miss? Summer is the perfect time to watch some of your favorite game shows. I cannot recommend the ABC Summer of Fun & Games enough.
With that said, please bring back the Weakest Link. I miss Anne Robinson so much.
Image Sources:
All videos used in this article credited to their respective owners
Comments
Post a Comment