I finally got around to watching those Super Sloppy Double Dare clips...

I noticed two things but I'm not sure they are what you were referring to... one being a Freudian slip perhaps by Jim J. Bullock and the other being him slipping while calling the goings on during the obstacle course. I wouldn't consider either to be freaky though so I'm guessing you saw something I didn't catch. It took a long time for the clips to load and they kept getting stuck for me so it's possible all the stops and starts made me miss what you were referring to.

The first flag on the gumball machine obstacle was missed, which I think was the first and only time on the show that it happened. :D

This next episode is one you perhaps never heard of, and I didn't until I had stint watching G4. It's a 1983 episode of Starcade hosted by Geoff Edwards. At its heart, Starcade was a high-score contest against the clock, usually (but not always) with an arcade machine as the prize in the bonus challenge. The show ran for two seasons with a Saturday morning-midday time slot in most markets where it aired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km2myFZWkl0

Oh yeah, I did see that too and I thought, how did he have a flag to hand off if he missed that flag up top? Flags were missed many times over the years on that show though, but usually the poor kids were told they didn't get the prize for that obstacle even if they completed it since they never obtained the flag.

Well, being that Starcade was from 1983, it makes sense I don't remember it seeing how I turned 4 that year...I wasn't watching game shows so much between the ages of 3 and 4. Back then we only had the basic channels too (no cable yet, though our neighbors did have cable - which is where I had my first taste of MTV...but I digress) so depending on what channel it was even on would also have made a difference as to whether I would've had the chance to happen upon it. But back then, Saturday morning cartoons were on for a good chunk of the day which probably ate up my tv allowance those days.

I'm curious if anyone here actually watches any of the current running daytime game shows - not talking about repeats on GSN either; I mean "Let's Make a Deal", "The Price Is Right", and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"...I think they are the only three on air on the basic channels right now 9those are the only ones I can think of so if I'm missing any let me know). I mean, obviously, someone's watching these shows still since they are on tv still in the daytime; but aside form seeing them on in waiting rooms, I don't know too many people that still actively tune in to them. I mean, people still regularly watch "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" but those are pre-primetime hours so they don't count for daytime no matter which version of the Emmys covers the category.

I haven't watched "The Price Is Right" since I was a kid, when it was once a staple during the summer and of course snow days and sick days from school. I've never watched "Let's Make a Deal" though; and the day version of "Millionaire" is something I've only watched when stuck in a waiting room but not something I've purposefully tuned in for.

Does anyone else watch them? I'm curious as to whether it is a genre that maybe should get more airtime again rather than see the daytime landscape continue to be littered with bad talk shows and wannabe Wapners.

The big problem is that it comes down to what people will watch, and my brother's chaos theory that American society is getting dumber by the day seems to be proving itself a bunch of times a week when I either commute to school or work or take a walk.

I'll just give you my take on all three, briefly:

* Don't really know what to tell you about "Price"; the premise in my view cannot be argued by any stretch (who doesn't like shopping?), but it's just a show that I couldn't get hooked on, even when Bob Barker was the host. No shortage of episodes from the Barker era on the Tube (that was just a curiosity look), though.

* The current run of "Deal" I wouldn't call a flop from what I've seen, but I feel that the current hour format really handcuffs host Wayne Brady. The Hall version worked out better because it moved faster and I just feel it's better off being a half-hour show. I also have a problem with just one contestant getting a shot at the Big Deal of the Day on the current version, it just doesn't feel right.

* I've seen some episodes of Millionaire, it definitely works better in the half-hour format and I'll take Meredith Vieira (especially after she mellowed) over Regis Philbin any day of the week. Not really sure if the current format (which effectively uses two different money trees) is better than the "classic" version at all, though.

"Wheel", in my opinion, would be a perfect target for a revival into the daytime slot. Using the format from the early 1990s -- have a choice of five prize cards in the bonus round and have a returning champion -- would work well. I don't think it would be asking too much to use the current configurations of the wheel without all the current gimmicks (seriously, what's with the 1/2 Car and Free Play spaces in the current syndicated runs?), either.

As long as I'm here, we might as well go on an episode hunt:

Here is an episode of the short-lived NBC revival of Crosswits that aired from 1986-1987. I have a soft spot for Crosswits, but you'll notice there are a few problems with this version compared to Jack Clark's version. The most glaring issue is that the scores aren't displayed on the screen during the game, only between rounds, so you have to keep track of it yourself. You might also have a problem with the no-returning-champion format, but this also was true in the Clark version (stalemate).

Interesting factoid: David Sparks, who hosts here, worked double duty while this showed aired; at the time he also worked as a prize model on "Sale of the Century".

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk_j1EKP5so

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFLZsFMz1ws

Journeyman, what IS with the 1/2 car thing on Wheel? It's the crappiest thing you could land on in a given puzzle because if you only wind up with 1/2 then you go home with nothing to show for it. The free play is only good if you get to the prize wheel at the end too so that's only got a partial benefit too.

I recall the old days of Wheel when they used to make people use their prize money to buy things though, and they'd have to use like every last dollar earned so if you had like $50 left and the only thing there for that price was a ceramic lobster, then you were stuck buying the ceramic lobster. Getting rid of that was one of the best format changes ever to happen to that show.

If any network were actually going to put another game show into the daytime lineup though, I wouldn't want it to be Wheel - because it's still on in the evening and let's face it, Bob Goen was no Pat Sajak and no one else will be either...

As for Millionaire's daytime version versus the primetime: I think the primetime one was always more set up to overhype the enormity of the moment with the lights and music and Regis' generally overhyped personality (which every primetime game show after that tried so hard to emulate to much less success). I don't think that sort of approach works in daytime, so they had to adapt it. I sort of like the changes, from what I've seen of it, in terms of having categories of questions and being able to skip questions as lifelines rather than the phone a friend or drop 2 answers ones (the latter of which normally dropped the two that the person already noted they weren't considering so much anyway). But I don't like the question values being jumbled because part of the game was the build up of harder questions for more value each step and getting to certain value points to guarantee you'd take a certain amount home even if you get your next question wrong.

I agree with your assessment about the dumbing down of society, perhaps our dumbing down of tv programming has something to do with it? (Granted it's probably more about having good teachers and school supplies and stronger cirriculums, but I'm not going to politicize this topic by going off on that tangent...) I don't think it's too much to ask though that they maybe consider a smart, funny panel game show or revive a classic game show instead of another court show or chat fest when they are filling holes in the schedules... Something that's both fun and could teach you something perhaps?!

TV Guide posted what they consider the 60 greatest game shows of all time - they numbered the top 10 but then just list the remaining 50 in alphabetical order. Here's their top 10:

1. Jeopardy!
2. Wheel of Fortune
3. Family Feud
4. Match Game
5. The Price Is Right
6. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
7. The Hollywood Squares
8. Password
9. What's My Line?
10. The Newlywed Game

Here are the other random 50 they named:

- Almost Anything Goes
- Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
- Battle of the Network Stars
- Beat the Clock
- Blockbusters
- Card Sharks
- Cash Cab
- Concentration
- The Dating Game
- Deal or No Deal
- Don Adams' Screen Test
- Double Dare
- Gambit
- G.E. College Bowl
- The Gong Show
- High Rollers
- It's Academic
- I've Got a Secret
- The Joker's Wild
- Let's Make a Deal
- Liars Club
- Love Connection
- Make Me Laugh
- Masquerade Party
- Name That Tune
- Pantomime Quiz
- People Are Funny
- Press Your Luck
- Pyramid
- Queen for a Day
- Remote Control
- Sale of the Century
- Scrabble
- The $64,000 Question
- Studs
- Supermarket Sweep
- Tattletales
- Tic Tac Dough
- To Tell the Truth
- Treasure Hunt
- Truth or Consequences
- Twenty One
- Weakest Link
- Who Do You Trust?
- Whose Line Is It Anyway?
- Win Ben Stein's Money
- Wipeout
- Win, Lose or Draw
- You Bet Your Life
- You Don't Say!


What do you guys think? A complete list or did they miss a good one? Agree with the top 10 or no?

I don't necessarily agree with Whose Line Is It Anyway making the list, to me it was more of an improv comedy show than a game show because the "points" never really meant anything.

One very underrated game that I think should have made the list is Three on a Match, the game that gave Bill Cullen the title of Mr. Game Show. Yes, it wasn't quite the best one out there for pace (there were often stints where players had difficulty making matches), but for me it was refreshingly different.

Here's a generic episode of Three on a Match from 1973 for those who have no idea what I'm referring to (and you're forgiven if that's the case):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YMjxdfOfxU

I totally agree about Whose Line Is It Anyway - it is an improv show and not a game show. The points were always arbitrary. And besides, the UK original version is far superior to what Drew Carrey and company did here. I used to love watching the British version on Comedy Central back in the day...

I think you could contend that dating shows like Studs, Love Connection, and The Dating Game aren't really truly game shows either. I mean, if you count them then don't you have to consider shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in the same vein? I wouldn't call either of them a game show either. Nor would I consider Joe Millionaire, Average Joe, Boy Meets Boy, Who Wants To Marry A Millionaire?, Take Me Out, Baggage, Singled Out or any of those other relationship based shows to be game shows. The point of a game show is to have to answer questions, play a game, or compete in a physical activity to win a prize - and they don't qualify unless you count getting a date out of the show as being a prize and dating in and of itself as being a game.

With a bunch of dating shows taking up the list, it seems they didn't have space to mention Supermarket Sweep's companion game show, Shop Til You Drop. And I'm kind of bummed that the short lived but awesome VH1 show The World Series Of Pop Culture did not make the list. I actually looked to find it on Youtube but could only find some promo clips, like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usJWinyGdB4

BBCAmerica posted 5 British game shows they think should be remade in America... what do you guys think of these shows? Could any of them make it on American tv in this day and age?

http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/08/five-british-game-shows-the-u-s-should-remake/

Crystal Maze actually looks and sounds similar to a kids game show Nickelodeon used to air in the '90s. Tipping Point seems so ridiculously easy (and who hasn't played the carnival game it's based of) it should be boring but yet I got into that one for some sad reason (probably because the celebrity contestants included a former Doctor Who actor and a former contestant on UK X Factor). I've only ever watched Countdown when it's been merged with 8 Out Of 10 Cats, which takes what looks like a more lame, older persons game into a raunchy laugh riot. The Cube feels like a mix of other shows we have had. Pointless seems like it could be the best possible show to remake here... though I can't see network tv taking a chance on it.

I would love to see a Countdown revival in the US, but based on what I read in "Word Freak" by Stefan Fatsis, any odds of that happening would be slim if not already none. Apparently, it was judged too cerebral for a US audience (really?).

The Cube would feel like Minute to Win It without the time limit...and I don't think there's a single network out there who would let a presenter keep things moving with that.

I think the problem is usually that US networks find a way to butcher a format that works; GSN taking a chance on a US version of The Chase, choosing to re-up for a second season before the premiere even aired (it airs Tuesdays at 9pm)...but I don't like how they drag it out, choosing to go with three person teams instead of four which would have been perfect.

It's funny because to me "Countdown" is so archaic in it's styling that it almost seems like it would've only possibly fit in the US in the '70s or early '80s at best. Like I said before, I've only really watched it when they do the mash-ups of it with the panel show "8 Out Of 10 Cats" (which is a show I am addicted to) but even with the comedians on as contestants instead they don't exactly dumb it down in the manner that say Jeopardy would when they do a celebrity tournament. I try playing along and I tell ya, that countdown clock can make you into an instant idiot no matter how smart you are!

You're right about "The Cube" - I couldn't think of "Minute To Win It" by name but it was the show I was thinking of - it is very much like it only with a more intense "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" feel.

Well I think we know US networks have a tendency to butcher any great show from another country that they try to retool and rebrand as an American show, game show or otherwise, with very few exceptions. But in this day and age, US networks probably wouldn't even be able to revive our old game shows without screwing up what once worked either.