It seems as though the past few years have brought a resurgence of game shows, which were once a staple of both daytime and primetime television viewing. As a kid, I relished snow days and sick days when I could miss school and curl up on the sofa to watch all my favorites – “Pyramid,” “Family Feud” and “Password” were just a few. Every day after school I rushed through my homework so that I’d have time to watch “Tattletales” and “Tic Tac Dough.”
Game shows go all the way back to the days of radio, with one such program becoming the first game show to air on broadcast television – “Truth or Consequences” debuted on July 1, 1941, and before long the genre became a popular form of entertainment. All “Big Three” networks carried a variety of game shows on both daytime and primetime schedules until their popularity began to fizzle in the ’80s and ’90s. During this time, cable TV began to offer a few novel game shows, most notably “Double Dare” and “Supermarket Sweep.” The more popular “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy” are a couple that have survived through syndication, and CBS has held onto “The Price Is Right” – these shows have retained a steady viewership decades after their premiere episodes. In the past few years, there have been reboots of many classic game shows, including “Match Game,” “Card Sharks” and “To Tell the Truth.”
Specialty networks and streaming services such as Game Show Network, Buzzr and YouTube have preserved many of the older game shows, which are just as funny today as they were decades ago. Watching hosts and celebrity panelists banter and deftly skirt around the strict censors with innuendos, double entendres and euphemisms (“Hollywood Squares,” “The Newlywed Game,” “The Dating Game”) is just plain fun. Especially on programs like “What’s My Line?” where they’re dressed in black tie and evening dresses and are addressing each other formally, but the zingers are still flying around!
Even most people who don’t like TV in general have at least one game show that brings back fond memories and has been a source of enjoyment. Tour our photo gallery and see where your favorites rank.
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25. Supermarket Sweep
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC This game is just pure fun, and the sweaters are epic. Three teams of two compete, answering questions about grocery store products to earn time in which they “shop” for certain items, while racing against the clock and the other teams. The original version aired in the 1960s, but it was the revival on Lifetime network in the early 1990s, hosted by David Ruprecht, that gained a following. A current revival on ABC is hosted by former “SNL” comic Leslie Jones.
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24. You Bet Your Life
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Groucho Marx of Marx brothers fame hosted this gem of a show, first on radio before moving to television. The basic game involves pairs of contestants answering questions worth various amounts of money, with an added bonus if someone utters the secret word – at which time a toy duck resembling Groucho descends from the ceiling with $100 in prize money. With his gift of improvisation, the real draw of the program was Groucho’s still-hilarious banter with the contestants- which is likely why a couple of revivals didn’t last very long. However, Jay Leno is taking up the mantle later this year – time will tell if the magic was Groucho’s alone.
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23. Concentration
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC One of the longest-running game shows ever, “Concentration” was based on the children’s memory game. Contestants call out numbers on a board that would reveal prizes that could be matched up and won by the player. In addition, the squares reveal a rebus puzzle – whoever guesses the puzzle, wins all his accumulated prizes. There were various incarnations between 1958 and 1991, with hosts that included Hugh Downs, Ed McMahon and Alex Trebek.
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22. Win Ben Stein’s Money
Image Credit: Courtesy of Comedy Central Three contestants competed to win host Ben Stein’s money by answering questions from various categories. Running on Comedy Central from 1997-2003, the show was infused with humor, including “punny” category titles, Stein’s dry commentary and a dunce cap for anyone who accidentally answered in the form of a question (a wink at “Jeopardy”). Jimmy Kimmel co-hosted for the first three years, and the two shared a Daytime Emmy win in 1999. The show itself was nominated each year except the last, winning in 1999.
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21. Name That Tune
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS Originating on radio in 1952, this lively game show has seen many reincarnations. Contestants vying for cash prizes compete to see who can identify the songs being played by the on-stage band in the fewest notes possible. At times, a vocalist has been used, with Kathie Lee (Johnson) Gifford holding this position from 1977-78. A modern-day version premiered on Fox on January 6, 2021, with Jane Krakowski as host and former “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson as the bandleader.
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20. Tic Tac Dough
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Two contestants take turns picking a category and answering a question; a correct answer earns that player an “X” or “O,” with the goal being a winning “tic-tac-toe” formation. That player would then go on to a bonus round, with the hope of avoiding the “dragon” in an attempt to win bigger prizes. The original version ran in the 1950s, and there was a short-lived reboot in 1990, but the most memorable is the one hosted by Wink Martindale from 1978-85.
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19. The Newlywed Game
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC If we were making a list of the FUNNIEST game shows ever, this one would certainly be near the top. Newly married couples compete with each other by answering a series of revealing questions about their spouses. From 1966-2013, there were different versions of this show with various hosts, but inaugural and longest-serving host Bob Eubanks is an icon – if for no other reason than gifting us with the phrase “making whoopee!”
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18. The Dating Game
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC A bachelor or (more often) bachelorette poses a series of questions to three potential dates hidden from his or her view, and pick one for a date paid by the show. There were various incarnations between 1965 and 1999, but the original with Jim Lange that ran until 1980 is the best – with several before-they-were-stars making appearances, including Tom Selleck and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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17. Cash Cab
Image Credit: Courtesy of Discovery Channel Comedian and licensed taxi driver Ben Bailey hosts this unique show, in which potential contestants enter his cab, lights and music go off, and they are given the option to play the game as they proceed to their destination. Players must correctly answer trivia questions, increasing in difficulty and dollar value; if they receive “three strikes” they must exit the cab wherever they are. If they make it all the way, they can keep the money earned, or attempt to double it by risking it all with a video bonus question. During its original run from 2005-12, the show won three Daytime Emmys, and Bailey won three for hosting.
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16. Double Dare
Image Credit: Courtesy of Nickelodeon Premiering on Nickelodeon in 1986, this show features obstacle courses, physical challenges and, most memorably, slime. It’s messy, it’s wacky, and it’s a ton of fun for families. Marc Summers hosted the original from 1986 until it ended in 1993. There have been two revival series, in 2000 and 2018-19, but neither could match the original.
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15. Tattletales
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS It was the “game of celebrity gossip!” The audience was divided into three sections, and three celebrity couples competed to win money for their section by matching answers about their personal lives. Hosted by Bert Convey, the show ran from 1974-1984, with dozens of celebrity couples participating over the years, including Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Allen Ludden and Betty White and George Hamilton and Alana Stewart.
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14. What’s My Line?
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS This classic not only won three Primetime Emmy Awards, but also won a Golden Globe for Best TV Show in 1962. Four celebrity panelists tried to guess a contestant’s (usually odd) occupation by asking “yes or no” questions. For the last segment, the panelists were blindfolded and tried to guess the identity of a famous “mystery guest.” With the top prize being $50, the show was really pure entertainment as opposed to intense competition. Harlan Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame was a guest before he became well known. There have been a couple of revivals, but the original show hosted by John Charles Daly from 1950-67, with regular panelists that included Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen and Bennett Cerf is the most memorable – and still fun to watch half a century later.
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13. Card Sharks
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC “We asked 100 housewives. Does your husband help with the dishes? How many say they have?” One contestant tries to accurately guess the answer to such a survey question, and the other guesses higher or lower. The winning player then tries to correctly guess if their next playing card on the game board is of higher or lower value than the previous one. There have been four different incarnations of this show since 1978, with hosts including Jim Perry and Bob Eubanks. It came back to primetime in 2019, with Joel McHale as host.
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12. Press Your Luck
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS Contestants answer questions to earn spins on a board full of cash and prizes – but they have to avoid the “Whammy”! That little cartoon devil takes all that contestant’s loot, and taunts him, too, in a high-pitched voice. The show gained game-show infamy when, in 1984, contestant Michael Larson realized the seemingly random patterns on the board actually followed a pattern, which he memorized. He went on the spin 45 times in a row without hitting a Whammy, and ended up winning a record amount of game prize money and prizes. Peter Tomarken hosted the original version from 1983-86, and Elizabeth Banks has been host of the revival since 2019.
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11. To Tell the Truth
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS Four celebrity panelists try to uncover the two imposters out of three contestants by asking questions relating to the bio given at the beginning of the episode. Prize money is based on how well the panelists are “fooled” by the players. This has been an extremely popular game show, with the original version hosted by Bud Collyer lasting from 1956-68, and featuring recurring panelists Kitty Carlisle, Tom Poston, Peggy Cass and Orson Bean. There have been several reboots over the years, with the most current premiering in 2016 with host Anthony Anderson.
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10. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC Answer 15 questions, and win a millionaire dollars – who wouldn’t want to try that? But these questions get increasingly difficult, and even with “lifelines” very few make it to the very top – but, boy, do they leave us on the edge of our seats! There’s been several reboots since the original premiered in 1999, with a variety of hosts, the most notable being Regis Philbin and Meredith Viera, both of whom won Daytime Emmys. The show itself has won two Emmys for Best Game Show, and, as the first U.S. network game show with a potential million-dollar payout, was one of the highest-rated game shows of all time. Jimmy Kimmel is the current host.
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9. Wheel of Fortune
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS Add a wheel filled with cash and prizes, and the simple game of “Hangman” has become America’s longest-running American syndicated game show, one of the highest-rated syndicated series of all time and a Daytime Emmy winner. The daytime version ran from 1975-1991 and the current nighttime version premiered in 1983, with the two running co-currently for eight years. Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford were the original hosts, but Pat Sajak and Vanna White took over hosting duties in 1981 and 1982 respectively, and have remained with the series since. With its series premiere in September 2020, three-time-Emmy-winner Sajak became the longest-running host of any game show.
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8. Let’s Make a Deal
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC “Let’s Make a Deal” may be the most fun show on the list, as proven by the fact that it has been rebooted several times since its premiere 1963. Audience members dress up in outlandish outfits to attract the attention of the host, who offers trades for cash and prizes – but look out! You can end up with a goat as easily as you can a car. Original host Monty Hall stayed with the program for almost 30 years, and comedian Wayne Brady has hosted the current incarnation since 2009, winning an Emmy for Best Game Show Host in 2018.
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7. Hollywood Squares
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC Two contestants each try to make a “tic-tac-toe” pattern by playing trivia with nine celebrities, and agreeing or disagreeing with the (sometimes risqué) answers given. With celebrities like Paul Lynde, Rose Marie and Rich Little often in the lineup, “zingers” flew all around the TV censors, with Lynde’s jokes earning him three daytime Emmy nominations. Both the original show, which aired from 1965-1980, and host Peter Marshall won four daytime Emmys each (he was also the first ever win in this category), and Tom Bergeron, who hosted from 1998-2004, won one Emmy.
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6. Password
Image Credit: Courtesy of NBC There have been several variations of this game, which premiered in 1961 with Emmy-winning host Allen Ludden. Two teams, each composed of one contestant paired with a celebrity, try to get their partner to say the secret word by giving one-word clues. Bert Convy hosted the equally successful “Super Password” in the 1980s, while original “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” host Regis Philbin hosted 12 episodes of “Million Dollar Password” in 2008. In 1974, “Password” won the first Daytime Emmy given for Best Game Show.
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5. Pyramid
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS It began as “The $10,000 Pyramid” in 1973, and the top dollar amounts have increased in the seven reboots over the nearly 50 years since, with the collective series winning a total of nine Daytime Emmys for Best Game Show – second only to “Jeopardy.” Dick Clark is the host best remembered, earning three Daytime Emmys during his 15-year tenure; other hosts include John Davidson, Donny Osmond and current host Michael Strahan.
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4. Match Game
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS Perhaps the most irreverent game show of all time, “Match Game” has been delighting audiences for the better part of 60 years. Gene Rayburn hosted the first two versions, brilliantly bouncing double entendres in a time of strict censorship and memorably bantering with celebrity panelists like Richard Dawson, Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers and Betty White. Alec Baldwin has been hosting the current version since 2016.
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3. Family Feud
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC “And the survey says. . .” One of the most recognizable phrases in the history of game shows was first uttered by host Richard Dawson (that lovable “kissing bandit”) in 1976. The two-time Emmy-winning game show has run in some form or another with various hosts for most of the past 45 years, with original host Dawson and current host Steve Harvey each winning an Emmy (Harvey twice). Some of the most memorable moments in game show history have occurred on this program, with Dawson even having to stop the timer during the bonus round because he starts laughing so hard at some of the off-beat answers.
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2. The Price Is Right
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS “Coooooome on down!” For almost 50 years, thousands of contestants have done exactly this after hearing their names called, excitedly rushing to their podiums with hopes that their bid will best the other three contestants and they’ll earn a chance to play the carnival-style games and win big prizes. Bob Barker became an icon of the industry, hosting for an unprecedented 35 years (a record recently surpassed by Pat Sajak), and winning a record 14 Emmys. Drew Carey took over hosting duties in 2007, and although he’s never been nominated as host, the show itself has won three of its eight Emmys since he took over.
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1. Jeopardy!
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sony Answer: “Greatest game show of all time.” Question: “What is ‘Jeopardy!’?” Art Fleming hosted the original version beginning in 1964, but it’s the current version that premiered in 1984 that has become one of the most popular series on American television, winning a record 39 Daytime Emmy Awards as well as the prestigious Peabody Award. “Jeopardy!” also holds the records for most Emmys wins (17) and nominations (37) for Best Game Show, and beloved host Alex Trebek holds the record for Best Host nominations at an outstanding 31, with seven wins. The show has become so ingrained in popular culture, that contestants on other quiz shows have answered in the form of a question, at which time the host usually humorously points out that they aren’t playing “Jeopardy!”
