25. What Would You Do? (1991-1993) NICK - What Would You Do? is the only show on the countdown that I was unsure if I should include on the countdown due to the fact that it is more of a variety show than a game show. After much deliberation, I decided that the kids on the show did, in fact, play games, so I allowed myself to include the classic Nickelodeon show that I adored so much. I have no idea why I was so addicted to it, but all I could think about while watching it was somehow getting a chance to be in the audience or on the show. I believe that my family and I went to Disney World two times while the show was airing, and since 11 year old Ryan had the attention span of a monkey, I completely forgot to hound my parents to take me to Universal Studios to fulfill my life dream.
24. Twenty-One (1956-1958, 2000) CBS/NBC - No, Twenty-One did not make the countdown just because it is my favorite number. I obviously never watched the 1950's version of the show, but the 2000 version was a huge hit with college Ryan. I obviously did not watch much TV during my college years, but I distinctly remember many of us piling into my tiny bedroom and finished off a few 30 packs while watching the hour long Twenty-One. Twenty-One (the 1950's version) is responsible for one of, if not THE, most notorious controversy in the history of American television. It turns out that the game show was rigged and the incident nearly ruined the idea of American Game Shows. The movie Quiz Show is about the events of the 1950's Twenty-One bombshell.
I am not too sure why, but I find this terrifying.
23. Shop Til' You Drop (1991-1994, Lifetime 1996-1998, Family Channel 2000-2005 PAX)
Who doesn't love a great episode of Shop Til' You Drop? This is one of those shows that is so completely mindless that if you are lucky to be a contestant on the show and LOSE then you should be humiliated to show your face in public for at least a few years. How bad do you have to be at shopping and running up and down stairs to lose at Shop Til You Drop? Also, Shop Til' You Drop is responsible for what I consider to be the most humiliating contestant of all time. Once the couple beat their opponents by knowing that Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz was played by Judy Garland, they went on to the bonus round. Here, it was the HUSBAND that opened up the gift boxes and suggested to the wife if they should keep the gift or return. Then the WIFE had to run up and down the stairs and carry all the heavy boxes. Seriously, has anyone ever seen an episode of Shop Til' You Drop where the husband opens the boxes? Well, I have, and let me tell you, it was unbelievable.
This is not the husband opening the boxes episode, but they are quite possibly the most excited Drop contestants ever. And they are not a married or dating couple? In fact, she is married and he has a girlfriend. I had no idea that was even legal on Shop Til' You Drop.
22. STUDS (1991-1993) STUDS was The Dating Game for cool people. I remember it used to come on real late at night and it was probably a little inappropriate for me to be watching, but I suppose I turned out just fine, so whatever. The show featured two guys (The Studs) that each got to go on a blind date with the same three women (the studettes.) At the end of the game the girls picked a Stud, and each Stud picked a studette. I was always so embarrassed for the girl that nobody choose, but I am sure it was just because she was either annoying, obnoxious, or maybe even disgusting.
Not only was Tami from the The Real World: LA on the show (WHILE SHE WAS ON THE REAL WORLD) seriously, she was on a reality show and a game show at the same time, but also Ron Goldman was a Stud three years before some random man murdered him and OJ Simpson's Ex wife.
21. Tic Tac Dough (1956-1959 NBC, 1978-1986 CBS, 1990-1991) About 28 years ago my brother and I (then ages 4 and 7) were obsessed with Tic Tac Dough..... Let me rephrase that, we were obsessed with a contestant on Tic Tac Dough. At the ages of 4 and 7 we knew that this guy was something special. He is still, to this day, without question, one of the greatest contestants on any game show in the history of television; Kit Salisbury. Below is a clip of Kit and his final moment on Tic Tac Dough
This was, by far, the saddest moment in 4 year old Ryan's life up until this time. I had to say goodbye to my dear friend, Kit.
30. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (1991-1995) PBS - On air for a whopping five seasons, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is the second longest running children's game show in U.S. television history (only Double Dare has it beat.) Not only did kids find the show entertaining, but tired, over-worked parents, could feel justified for plopping their children in front of a television and consider watching Sandiego learning (which reminds me, I need to go to ebay and buy every season of this show on DVD so I no longer have to teach Social Studies.)
I would be great at this show today seeing as I have a degree in Social Studies, and have taught Middle School Geography for years, but I'm pretty sure 11 year old Ryan would not have answered one question correctly unless it was "This is the home of Mickey Mouse."
29. Fear Factor (2001-2006, 2011) NBC - Much like Wipeout, Fear Factor is a show that gets pretty old after a while. Fear Factor, however, was the very first show of its kind and deserves recognition for that. How many times though, are we expected to watch someone eat a scorpion or drive a car over a ramp and have the car land upside down? I have to admit after the show had been off the air for almost 6 years I was a tiny bit excited for its return in December of last year. I successfully watched one episode and the same feeling of "been there done that" returned as if the show never left. I am now fairly confident that I will never watch another episode of Fear Factor for the rest of my life unless someone I know is on the show or one of the tasks revolves around physically injuring Joe Rogan.
You have to be in some deep credit card dept to do something like this for $25,000
28. Legends of the Hidden Temple (1993-1995) OK, I will now admit that I am actually a tiny bit embarrassed about having this show so high on my list. Looking back at the days when I use to literally run to the television to tune in, I imagine me being a hell of a lot younger than 13-15 years old. Apparently I was taking drivers ed while still loving Legends of the Hidden Temple. What in the world is wrong with me? Seriously?
Whatever. I never claimed to be perfect. Everyone has their guilty pleasure and apparently mine was being half way through high school and watching 11 year olds compete on a Nickelodeon game show. I often get mad at myself for how pathetic I was as a kid, and this is one of those times. I think I may need to start thinking about quitting this blog.
Since I have had an unhealthy and (to be quite honest) abnormal obsession with the color blue for just about my entire life, I obviously rooted for the Blue Barracudas to win every single episode, and more often then not, they were eliminated on the very first event. In that instance, the Orange Iguanas were my trusty backup, and if they got eliminated I just cheered on whoever was up against the Red Jaguars because I hate the color red. I know, I was as strange as a child (well, apparently teenager) as I am today.
So, I suppose I am just as mature as ten percent of the high school students in Springfield, IL. I'll take it.
An uncharacteristically good "Blue Barracuda" team. And let me just say if my child was on the "Silver Snakes" in the trivia round I would be humiliated by them, and punish them severely.
27.Deal or No Deal (2005-2009) NBC - For most of this countdown I have had extreme opinions on how successful I would be if I were to be a contestant on any given game show. I am fairly confident that Deal or No Deal would be my least successful attempt on any game show. There is not a chance that I would ever take the deal. I would be the least interesting contestant the show has ever seen because I would more than likely wear a shirt that had a "21" on it (my favorite number) and would not even care what case I opened because I would never not take whatever was in case 21. I may even just open box 1-26 in order, or simply tell Howie that I am going to take case 21 no matter what you offer me, just open the box now.
I have had the pleasure of playing Deal or No Deal at various casinos, and let's just say, that I am a pretty good case picker. There is one major issue on the gambling machines, however, and that is that the games usually only go up to 20 and I am forced to choose either case 5 or case 18 (my second and third favorite numbers respectively.) Talk about stress. So much for my favorite numbers of all time countdown:(
Deal or No Deal.
26. Finders Keepers (1987-1989) NICK - No, I am not embarrassed about placing Finders Keepers at number 26, and the reason is that I was 7-9 years of age when it was on, and that is quite age appropriate if you ask me. I do have to admit that I would probably still tune in every now and then if Finders Keepers was still available for our viewing pleasure.
The game show pitted teams of 2 children against each other and they had to find things. I suppose I didn't care too much for the beginning of the game, but let me tell you, nine year old Ryan would do some awful things if he had to in order to participate in the final round; the "Room to Room Romp." Some kids have all the luck.
I am actually laughing out loud right now because I just got an imagine of myself, as a grown man, playing Finders Keepers and completely destroying the house. A man can dream, can't he?
35. Chain Reaction (1980, 1986-1991 - NBC / 2006-2007 - GSN) Chain Reaction may be one of the most underrated shows on the countdown. The concept is simple; so simple that it is almost insulting, but, as easy as the show seems, I could never get enough of it. Here is an example of a particularly simple "puzzle" on Chain Reaction.
FINAL
FOUR
SQUARE
DANCE
PARTY
TIME
TRAVEL
GUIDE
Even if the puzzle looked like this (below) I am still confident that I would be able to solve the entire round in one guess.
Final
F
S
D
P
T
T
Guide
There. How difficult was that, stupid Chain Reaction contestants.
I remember how mad I use to get when contestants screwed up the simple puzzles with totally ridiculous guesses. Chain Reaction pitted teams of 3 guys against 3 girls, and this is yet another example of a game in which I would not allow myself to play, even if the casting directors begged me to participate on the show. If one of my teammates could not figure out Final FO_ _ then I don't think I would have the self control to not flip out on him live on camera. It always blew my mind when contestants would laugh it off when their trusty teammate lost the game (or even one round) for the team. NO! No, it is not OK that you couldn't solve the "puzzle" Tooth Bru__. I don't care how many cameras were in my face or how many thousands (let's be honest, its the game show network) of people were watching me at home, Helen Keller would even be able to detect the look of utter disgust on my face, and our friendship would surely be all but over thanks to Chain Reaction.
But, I certainly did love watching, and hope, someday, it will return to our television screens with a new batch of foolish men and women.
This puzzle is not as easy as my example, but still, all 6 of these contestants are terrible. What in the world is the casting process like to get on this show? At one point the puzzle was actually solved and all the girl had to do was read it and still got it wrong. I need to move on because I can feel my blood pressure starting to rise.
34. Wipeout (2008-Present) ABC - Now, a game show where having brains is actually frowned upon during the casting process, Wipeout. Now Wipeout is a show that I loved for the first season, enjoyed the second season, and probably will never watch again. I understand that the show has changed some obstacles, and at least tries to stay current, but it is just difficult for me to sit for an hour and watch the same thing over and over again. Also, I despise when any game show contestant seems to be acting, or putting on a show for the cameras, and Wipeout is chuck full of contestants that are way over the top to try to be funny or endearing.
Also, I am not too sure if they still have the big red balls, but how many contestants do you have to watch plummet into the water before you learn that you will not get to the other side by running across them. I must have seen at least 100 Wipeout contestants attempt to run across the big red balls, and I think one successfully got to the other side. One. Doesn't that tell you that you maybe should try something different?
Again, Wipeout is yet another game show that I have no desire to be a part of. My ego has me convinced that there is no way I would not win the $25,000 but the people at Wipeout are much more concerned with making people laugh then they are with finding someone that could potentially win the show. And lets be honest here; it is MUCH more funny to watch a 200lb lady smash their heads on big red balls and tumble into the water than it is to watch a 150lb man do the same. Wipeout wouldwant absolutely nothing to do with me:(
99 epic failures, 1 lucky success. Just jump in the water and swim people, it will be much quicker.
33. Fun House (1988-1991) FOX - Here is a show that is bound to make anybody in their late twenties to mid thirties feel even older than they already feel, JD Roth's classic kids game show, Fun House. I don't believe you if you remember this show and say that you being on it was not one of your dreams. I was so jealous of the Fun House contestants and would have given anything to be able to compete in the final round and run through that fake cardboard house of nothing but pure fun.
Here is a little clip to refresh your pathetic, old, shriveling mind.
I love how the kids were so terrible in the final round that JD Roth was just telling them where to look. What a nice guy JD Roth is. A little known fact about JD Roth is that he is the co-creator of "The Biggest Loser" and also the announcer. On second thought, if you did not know that about JD Roth then you clearly are not as big of a fan of him as I am. JD Roth is now 42 years old. If you will please excuse me, I am now going to throw up and cry myself to sleep because everyone is so old.
32. Dog Eat Dog (2002-2003) NBC - Like almost every game show here in the US, we stole Dog Eat Dog from another country; inm this case, the UK. Dog Eat Dog was hosted by Brook Burns, which means it automatically got a spot on the countdown. Other than Burns, I loved the elimination part of Dog Eat Dog which sent the pathetic losers to the "dog pound." Just when they thought their dream on winning $$$ on Dog Eat Dog was over, they were awarded the opportunity to steal the cash from the sole remaining contestant if said contestant got a stupid trivia question wrong. It seemed awfully unfair to me, but nevertheless, I really dug the show. Get it, dogs dig and I said "I dug the show."
Brooke Burns may be the worst host of all time, but nobody, including NBC cared to notice whatsoever.
Call it what you want. You know it. You loved it. You tried to play along at home and tried not to look at the bottom of the screen, but you always gave in and looked at the answer at the bottom of the screen. Its, Pyramid!!!!!!!!!!!! or $10,000 Pyramid!!!!!!!!!! or $20,000 Pyramid!!!!!!!!! or $25,000 Pyramid!!!!!!!! etc. I was going to write all of the titles, but got real tired of having to hit the italics button every time I wanted to type the name of the show and hit it again every time I needed to type "or."
For some reason I could not wait until this show would come on every day after school. I don't think I ever successfully played the game without cheating, but it was still fun to watch the contestants bond with their partner only to have them compete with their opponents the very next round. It seemed so cruel to have them switch. Imagine having Richard Simmons as your partner and he helped you get to the bonus round. You laughed with him, you cried with him, you trusted him as your only partner in the game. You loved Richard Simmons.
Then, Richard Simmons is pulled away from you and forced to work with your adversary and he is now helping HER get to the bonus round and you are stuck with Loni Anderson, who just so happens to completely SUCK at giving clues AND guessing clues.
What bunch of evil producers came up with this brutal game show?
I am just waiting for next fall when $1,000,000 Pyramid comes to NBC for the fall sweeps.
40. Lingo (2002-2007, 2011-Present) GSN -
"Lingo" is one of my favorite GSN game shows ever and pretty much all I hope to see when I decide to check out the Game Show Network. Not only is "Lingo" a fun game to play, it also can be quite hysterical to watch. Some of the spelling mistakes made by the contestants are jaw-droppingly amazing.
It is very easy to play along with "Lingo" at home; and quite fun too. Even though there is absolutely no need for me to spell the word out loud, I still do, just as if I am a real contestant on the show. If the puzzle looks like this.....
P_ _ _ _
all I have to do is yell out my answer of "Plant." However, just to fit in with the contestants I yell out "Plant. P.L.A.N.T" To be honest, I never really thought that was strange until now. I have been playing "Lingo" that way by myself all these years, and I am pretty sure it would be imnpossible to stop doing it, so I will continue to spell my 5 letter words out loud, all alone, with watching "Lingo."
Finally, I will put the odds at about 2% that 70 year old host Chuck Woolery and 33 year old co-host Shandi Finnessey were not having an affair. There is just about no way those two were not playing a little Lingo of their own after the cameras stopped rolling.
Chuck Woolery is 70. If that isn't the most depressing thing you have heard all day, then I don't know what is.
Some laugh out loud "Lingo" bloopers, and No, Cory, the hilarious episode that you had saved on your DVR for months is not included in this blooper reel. I could not find it. Sorry, I tried.
39. Say What? Karaoke (1998-2003) MTV -
"Say What? Karaoke" was a must watch show for me. Since I have won a few karaoke contests before I kick myself everytime I think of "Say What? Karaoke" and my lack of determination to get on the show when I had a chance. The music was great, the judges were usually well know, current celebrities that I appreciated, and all 4 hosts were fantastic...
* Dave Holmes, MTV VJ, walking encyclopedia for music knowledge and trivia, a true idol of mine.
* Teck Holmes, Real World Hawaii (no relation to Dave Holmes. AT ALL)
* Joey McIntyre, Yes, I get it, he was a New Kid on the Block, but I actually kind of like him and think he is a cool guy.
* Danielle Fishel, Topanga from "Boy Meets World"
I can not begin to count how many times my brother and I have done karaoke to Blink 182's "All the Small Things." It just never gets old.
38. Nick Arcade (1992-1993) Nickelodeon
If you watched this show, I am sure this will bring back major memories for you that I am sure you have not thought about in 20 years. "Nick Arcade" was on from 1992-1993 (I was 12-13 years old.) What more could a 12 year old boy want than to become a part of his favorite video game? Looking back now, "Nick Arcade" was possibly the cheepest game show in the history of game shows. I am pretty sure I could film an episode of "Nick Arcade" in my parents basement if I needed to.
I do not even need to say that the show is about as dated as a game show can possibly be (wait until you watch the clip below, it may literally make you cringe.) This list, however, is a list of my favorite game shows of ALL TIME and for one year in the early 90's I was in awe of this show and thought it was just about the coolest thing television had ever seen.
Check out the video below. Clearly, it did not take much to amuse me as a child.
BY FAR the worst player in the history of game shows. Seriously, this girl is THE worst game show player, on any game show, of all time. Please watch. If you do not laugh, then something is seriously wrong with you.
This was the most painful thing I have seen in a very long time. They must have only casted the dumbest kids they could possibly find. It was so bad that I could not look away. It was actually so bad that I kind of loved it.
37. Trivial Pursuit (1993-1994) Family Channel
There are not many games that I enjoy winning more than a nice game of "Trivial Pursuit." You cannot win "Trivial Pursuit" just by having a lot of knowledge in one particular subject area; you need to have at least some basic trivia knowledge in all subject areas. I do, however, get so jealous of my competitors when they still have "Entertainment" questions that are needed to be answered. I usually am completely finished with my "Entertainment" pie pieces within seconds and am envious that I cannot answer any more music, television, or movie question. It really is not fair sometimes.
Just about every "Trivial Pursuit" game I have ever played the order in which I obtain my pie pieces is as follows...
Pink (Entertainment)
Orange (Sports and Leisure) if there is one thing I am good at besides entertainment trivia, it is leisure, and leisurely activities.
Blue (Geography) I did teach Middle School Geopgraphy for two years, and my shower curtain is a map of the world, so I should know SOMETHING right?
Brown (Art and Literature) I do have 2 degrees in English and have taught English for 7 years, so you would think I would actually be a little bit better in this category, but, sadly, I am not that great.
Yellow (History) I have a degree in Social Studies and I taught Civics for 2 years. Why am I so bad at History?
Green (Science and Nature) - I lose. (Although I have not played "Trivial Pursuit" since I began teaching Elementary School, in which I teach Science daily, so maybe I will be much better at this category now, but I doubt it.)
Regardless of how good or bad you are at "Trivial Pursuit" it is always so much fun to play and playing in teams or with a partner is a great way to spend a night. (With a thirty pack of beers and a few bottles of wine, obviously.)
WARNING - Drinking while playing "Trivial Pursuit" with your friends in teams or pairs will ALWAYS, I repeat, ALWAYS end in a fight. No matter how old you are, how long you have been friends, or how much of a calm, non-confrontational person you are.....
Alcohol + Trivial Pursuit = Major fight which will lead to the end of the night.
There was also a newer version of "Trivial Pursuit" called "Trivial Pursuit: America Plays" hosted by Peter Brady (Christopher Knight.) That show does not take up a spot of its own, it simply falls under the "Trivial Pursuit" umbrella. Here is a clip from the modern day version of the show.
I really want to play Trivial Pursuit now and will challenge anyone to a friendy game or two at any time. And by "friendly game" I mean play for either money or rounds of drinks. Or Itunes, Ebay, or Southwest giftcards.
36. 1 VS. 100 (2006-2008, NBC / 2010-2011, GSN)
I know that "1 Vs. 100" was not as huge of a hit as NBC expected it to be. It was by no means a flop, it just was not the breakout hit that "Millionaire" was. I LOVED the concept of 1 Vs. 100 simply because I am a man that is obsessed with elimination of any type. I loved the idea that the 100 members of the "mob" were eliminated after each question, and found it fascinating to watch the number of contestants in the mob dwindle.
The grand prize was $1,000,000 which was obtained if the single player (the 1) eliminated all 100 players in the mob. This did not happen until NBC ordered a special "Battle of the Sexes" episode of "1 Vs. 100" in which 1 female would take on 100 men (YEAH, good luck with that sweetheart) and 1 man would take on the 100 females in the mob. Not surprisingly, 21 year old Jason Luna (MALE) defeated the entire mob of 100 ladies; single-handedly proving the point I made in my last post about men being much better at trivia than women are., Thanks Jason, you're the man!
PLEASE watch the videos below. It will bring a tear to your eye. The kid is so nice, and so geeky that it is impossible to root against him. Even the ladies in the mob were cheering for the kid.
Part 1 of Jason Luna Vs. 100 Dumb Girls
Part 2 of Jason Luna Vs. 100 Women (only 23 ladies left)
Jason Luna wins $1,000,000
This seriously may be my favorite game show moment of all time. Jason, if you read this, I just want to let you know that you are my idol. Will you be my friend? Hit me up.
45. Win, Lose or Draw (1987 - 1990) Much like "Hollywood Squares", "Win, Lose or Draw" was littered with D list celebrities, whose 15 minutes of fame was just about finished. I remember as a kid I would always try to play along by not looking at the bottom of the screen at the answer and guessing along with the team. I am pretty sure I never got a single answer right before the team, but for some odd reason I still loved watching the show. Come to think of it, I believe there was a kids version of "Win, Lose or Draw" in which I am pretty sure I dominated.
I remember always playing "Win, Lose or Draw" with friends and while I was always a great guesser, I was probably the most useless drawer to ever play the game. A little known fact about me is that I may be the worst artist I know, and the only way I would ever be good as the person that was doing the drawing is if the answer was "house" or "tree." Anything else and my team would be sure to lose.
44. Don't Forget the Lyrics (2007 - 2011) Because of my passion for music, there was a zero percent chance that I was not going to enjoy a show called "Don't Forget the Lyrics." I did, however, think that I would be more into it then I actually was. Even I, who knows all of the lyrics to thousands and thousands of songs, had a difficult time with the show. I suppose I did not like the fact that if you said something like "a" rather than "the" you would lose the game. I suppose that is the only way that the show could work, but it just seemed so difficult to win the game.
Like many game shows the first song (question) was so easy that any human being on Earth (with the possible exception of a few deaf people) would answer correctly.
Example of a first missing lyric - (1 lyric missing) Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as _________.
As the game went on, the next few questions were a little more difficult, but certainly managable.
An example of missing lyric questions 2-4:
(3 lyrics missing) - Britney Spears, 1999. "I must confess, that my lonliness is killing me now, don't you know I still believe that you will be here, just give me a sign, and hit me baby ____ _____ ____."
or
(3 lyrics missing) - Beatles, 1964. "Oh please, say to me, you'll let me be your man. And please, say to me, you'll let me hold you hand. Now let me hold your hand. I want to ____ ____ ____."
The show would build up your confidence until you felt certain that you would soon be a millionaire.
Then, the naive contestant would risk it all to go for the million dollar question, which would go something like this.
Regardless of how difficult the show was, it was very easy to play along at home and those are always the best kinds of game shows. "Don't Forget the Lyrics" was canceled in syndication in 2011 and will be missed. We must, as a nation, never forget, never ever forget, Don't Forget the Lyrics.
43. Debt (1996 - 1998) I am sure not too many people will remember this humiliating show, but I certainly can't forget it. The show not only introduced contestants and the current amount of debt that they owed, but the contestants were forced to give a quick little funny sentences about how they accumilated so much debt. The person that won the game would have all their debt paid for, and the other two losers would go home with all their debt in tact and the embarassment of sharing their money issues with the entire country. Seeing as this show was on Lifetime or some station like that, it did not have the budget to pay for mortgage debt, or college loans or anything like that. It was basically "I am $8,000 in debt because I like to PAAAARRRRRTTTTTTYYYYYY!" or "I am $9,500 in debt because I can't stop going to Target."
Above is a classic episode in which Ryan, the shows winner, is in debt from deciding to purchase a toupee to cover his receeding hair line. A must watch.
42. Minute to Win It (2010 - Present) I am not a HUGE fan of "Minute to Win It" because I kind of got sick of it pretty quickly. I think the reason is because I hate commercials so much. Any game show that is an hour long is just littered with commercials and it is just too much for me to handle sometimes. For the last day of school a few years ago I organized a "Minute to Win It" day for our 90 eighth graders. The students were broken into 4 groups (about 22 in each group.) The morning was the educational part of the game in which they were quizzed on Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. At each stage of the educational part of the game students were eliminated (although they did not know they were eliminated until the educational part of the day was over.) By the end of the morning the top 16 kids moved on to the "Minute to Win It" part of the day and had to complete tasks that they do on the show. Kids were eliminated one by one until there was only one winner and that winner got a huge prize.
To prepare for this I watched many episodes of "Minute to Win It" and since I created a day of pure teaching genius, I will forever be indebted to the game show. It was a teaching high point for me and if the "Teacher of the Year" nominating committee had been anywhere near me that day, then I'm convinced that I would have been flown to Washington DC the very next day to shake hands with the President.
Also, if there is anyone I know that would win a million dollars on the real "Minute to Win It" show, it would be me. I tend to me really good at completely useless, stupid things like balancing a tooth pick on a wire while blindfolded or whatever the hell they do.
41. Couch Potatoes (1989) USA - "Couch Potatoes" is a television game show about television shows. Hosted by the game show legend, Marc Summers. "Couch Potatoes" pitted teams of three (usually three men vs. three women) against each other and about 95% of the time the men would win. Guys tend to have a much better memory when it comes to television trivia than women. Oh, and they are usually better at movie trivia as well. And of course, music trivia.
and general trivia.
Sadly "Couch Potatoes" was only on air for about seven months (September of 1989 - March 1990.)
RIP "Couch Potatoes" - The best seven months of my life :(
As many of you know I got my tonsils ripped out of my throat last week and have not moved from my parents couch in nearly ten days. Besides drinking a gallon of water an hour and urinating every fifteen minutes, I have used this time to compile my next countdown. My next list will indeed countdown my 50 favorite television game shows of all time. My students often ask me, "When you were our age, Mr. J. what did you want to be when you grew up?" I usually give them some lame answer of wanting to have a career in travel or hospitality, but the real answer - what I really wanted to be when I grew up - is a TV Game Show host. As a child I was obsessed with many game shows, and vowed to myself that I would someday be a game show host. Sadly, I no longer have a strong desire to host a game show as a living, but it certainly helps explain why I admire Jeff Probst so much.
While many may consider "Survivor", "Big Brother", etc. to be game shows, I ranked them in my "Favorite Television Shows of All Time" countdown as Reality Shows. Therefore, this countdown will only include any show that has a new set of contestants each episode (with the obvious exception of returning champions defending their crown. The countdown has really brought back some tender memories of my childhood and I am sure you will say "I totally forgot about that show" (and ultimately waste hours watching old youtube videos of said show) at some point while enjoying the blog.
(On a side note, I have officially decided that my next countdown will be my 100 Favorite Female Songs of All Time.) Yes, I have been watching VH1 all week.
Without further adieu, my 50 Favorite Game Shows of All Time.....
50. Hollywood Squares (1966 - 1981, 1983 - 1984, 1986 - 1989, 1998 - 2004) NBC, Let me start off my saying this.... If today, in 2012, I had to choose between sitting down for thirty minutes and watching a 1980's episode of "Hollywood Squares" or being punched in the face repeatedly for 30 straight minutes, I would choose being punched in the face. When I think of "Hollywood Squares" I think of two people; Jim J. Bullock and Whoppi Goldberg. I would be hard pressed to find two people in the world that creep me out more than Jim J Bullock and Whoppi Goldberg. First of all, who the hell is Jim J Bullock and how did he manage to snag the spot of center square? Is that all he is known for? Being the center square? And I'm not even going to get myself started on Whoppi, but I seriously do not think I could ever be friends with a person that is not completely repulsed by her.***
I think I did a pretty good job at growing up. I was always a somewhat "cool" kid, and don't have many circumstances in which I look back with regret. With that being said, as a grown man, if I could somehow travel back in time to the mid eighties and slap little Ryan in the face every time he watched (and kind of loved) "Hollywood Squares" Old Ryan would smack Baby Ryan so hard that I would be seeing X's and O's for weeks.
No, the following is not a list of my least favorite people of all time (although it very well could be), it is simply a list of more nauseating celebrities that would report to the set of "Hollywood Squares" on a more than regular basis.
* Joan Rivers
* Richard Simmons
* Gilbert Gottfried
* Caroline Rhea
Seriously, how awful can you get?
*** I did however love her as Oda Mae Brown in the classic flick "Ghost."****
Jim J Bullock Whoppi Goldberg
Tom Bergeron (Favorite Host)
49. The Newlywed Game (1966 - Present) I remember going through a very brief phase in which I watched "The Newlywed Game" religiously. I enjoy the overall concept of the game, but have always had a few issues with the way the show is operated. Apparently the show is still on, but, keep in mind, I have not seen an episode in probably twenty years, so the operation may have since changed. I can only judge the show based on what I remember from it.
The first issue I have with the answering part of the game is that the judges/host can be a little inconsistent at times. There can be a very fine line between a right answer and a wrong answer. I am someone that likes the answers to be either yes or no, black or white. I hate when there needs to be deliberation to determine if an answer is correct or incorrect (we'll delve deeper into this issues when I discuss "Family Feud.")
Example: Host - Husbands, where is your wife's favorite place to make Whopee?
Husband #1 - Wal*Mart
Husband #2 - Home
Husband #3 - Kitchen
Host: Wives, we asked your husbands, where is your favorite place to make Whopee...
Wife #1 - Family Dollar (XXXXXXXXXXX Wrong)
Wife #2 - Home (CORRECT!)
Wife #3 - Home? (Sorry, that's wrong, your husband said "The Kitchen.")
What? Isn't the kitchen home? I suppose it is the couples fault for not cheating and discussing any and all possible answers before appearing on the show. For example, "We are ALWAYS going to say "Home" for every even question, and "Casino" for every odd question. And if there is a question revolving numbers, we always say 21. No matter what the question is, the answer is 21.
That is my second issue with the show. What don't the couples cheat???? Even if they were too dumb to come up with some sort of clever system to answer all the questions alike, just whisper to each other for God's sake. Or do one of those fake coughs.......
COUGH COUGH COUGH BananaCreamPie COUGH COUGH COUGH
Even as a child I feel as though I would have been able to outsmart the awful producers of this classic game show. Seriously, this is money we're playing for folks, we're not here to just tell a few jokes and look pretty on camera. If I was on "The Newleywed Game" I don't think I would smile one time. It would be all business. And don't even get me started on the lecture my wife would get in the car on the way home if she lost the game for us.
Bottom Line: This show is just way too stressful for me to truly enjoy.
Bob Eubanks is a handsome little devil isn't he?
The most unbelievable answer in the history of game shows. I wonder if Olga has a Facebook page?
48. Sale of the Century (1969 - 1989) NBC, There are not many game shows that I can think of that I wouldn't do really well, and more than likely win. I have a lot of useless information stored in my brain, I am not scared to take on any challenge or adventure, and there is not much I wouldn't do just to win a game. I, however, would probably be the worst "Sale of the Century" player of all time. Sure, I would be able to answer the questions and get the cash, but on "Sale of the Century" you are tempted throughout the show to buy certain sale items with your winnings. I can't say no to a bargain, even if it is a completely useless purchase, so I would end up losing all my hard earned dough on a flower print furniture set or a pasta maker just because I can't pass up a deal.
I love everything about this show and am really thinking about starting a petition to get it back on the air. I had completely forgotten about "Sale of the Century", and almost started crying when I viewed the clip below. I miss it. Life has simply not been the same without "Sale of the Century."
47. Next (2005 - 2008) MTV - "Next" may be the cruelest game show ever devised. It sent one lucky guy or girl on a blind date with a bus full of members of the opposite sex (except for a few very special episodes.) The lucky guy or gal would enjoy the date with a hopeful until the hopeful did something that the "chosen one" disliked. He or she would swiftly end the date by screaming "NEXT" in the face of the hopeful. Sometimes, the NEXT was really bad and you couldn't help but feel awful for the person getting Next'd. There were many times when a girl (thinking she was hot stuff) would walk off the bus as she was putting the finishing touches on her hair or make-up to be sure she would woo over her man; confident that she was "all that" and humbly yelling to the other girls that they didn't stand a chance because she is hotter than all of them. The second the girls foot touched the ground and the male suitor saw what a mess she was he would yell NNNEEEXXXTTTT!
I am typically one that doesn't care much for what others think of me, but I find it nearly impossible to believe that that does not do a significant amount of damage to ones confidence for the rest of their lives. If I were to ever go on a blind date with a girl and upon seeing me she yelled "NEXT!" it may be a little more than I could handle.
As mean as the show is, I loved it and think of it often. I am pretty sure I try to say "Oh HELLLLLLLLLLLLL NOOOOOOOO, NEXT!" at least a few times a year, just to keep the show alive in my heart.
46. Power of 10 (2007-2008) CBS - I have only seen this show a few times, but this is a show for gamblers. It is probably the game show that is the quickest to get to $1,000,000. I believe you only had to get 4 questions right and you were at the million. The first kid that ever played the game, in the very first episode, won the million. Basically, the show was a crap shoot and nothing but a gamble. You had to predict what percentage of Americans would answer a question a certain way. It is all ridiculous and a complete guess, but I watched it one summer and remember it fondly.
This may be the most relaxed kid of all time. He just won a million dollars on a stupid game show where he had to guess a number. I would be a complete mess and ripping the hair out of my head if I was him; and more than likely crying.
Here was a very special crossover episode in which Big Brother 8's Amber and Daniele got to leave the Big Bro house to be contestants on the "Power of 10." I would also like to thank the "Power of 10" for reminding me how much I hated Amber.
The walk down game show memory lane has begun. There are some real gems coming up soon!
There are a lot of firsts in this years Top Songs countdown. I have never allowed a band to have more than one song in the top ten, but this year, not only one, but two bands have multiple songs in the top ten.
More records that have been broken this year:
* The first Christmas song has made my ten favorite songs of the year.
* The first country song has made the top ten.
* The most songs by any artist, on any yearly countdown ever (Chase Rice, 5 songs)
* One band has done the unheard of, any landed the one AND two spot on the countdown.
* That same band has had the number one spot TWO YEARS IN A ROW.
Without further adieu, my top ten songs of 2011.....
10. The Cowboys' Christmas Ball by The Killers - There is no way of telling whether I love this Christmas song because it is The Killers, or because I simply love the song for what it is. I admire Brandon Flowers and The Killers so much that I am pretty sure they will never release a song again that will not make my top ten songs of the year. "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" is The Killers sixth annual Christmas song in which ALL PROCEEDS go directly to Project Red, which helps the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Not only are these guys talented musicians (massive understatement), but they are also great guys who use their popularity to help a great cause. I am pretty sure I was one of the first people in the entire world to buy this song on Itunes because I knew the release date and kept refreshing my Itunes until I saw the song. I then put it on repeat and when I woke up in the morning I somehow knew every word to the song. The video was released a few days later and made a great song even better.
9. These Days by Foo Fighters - "These Days" is the second of three Foo Fighters songs to make this years list, but I am very confident that if they released any other song from their latest album, Wasting Light, it would have made the countdown as well. But, this is not about how epic Wasting Light is, it is about how incredibly awesome "These Days" is. Just by reading the lyrics you can tell how brilliant Dave Grohl is.
These Days Lyrics One of these days the ground
will drop out from beneath
your feet
One of these days your heart
will stop and play its final
beat
One of these days the clocks
will stop and time won't
mean a thing
One of these days their bombs
will drop and silence
everything
But it's alright
Yet it's alright
I said it's alright
Easy for you to say
Your heart has never been
broken Your pride has never been stolen
Not yet not yet
One of these days
I bet your heart'll be broken
I bet your pride'll be stolen I'll bet I'll bet I'll bet I'll bet
One of these days
One of these days
One of these days your eyes
will close and pain will
disappear
One of these days you will
forget to hope and learn to
fear
But it's alright
Yet it's alright
I said it's alright
Easy for you to say
Your heart has never been
broken
Your pride has never been
stolen
Not yet not yet
One of these days
I bet your heart'll be broken
I bet your pride'll be stolen
I'll bet I'll bet I'll bet I'll bet
One of these days One of these days
But it's alright
Yet it's alright
I said it's alright
Yes it's alright
Don't say it's alright
Don't say it's alright
Don't say it's alright
One of these days your heart
will stop and play it's final
beat
But it's alright
Easy for you to say
Your heart has never been
broken
Your pride has never been
stolen
Not yet not yet
One of these days
I bet your heart will be
broken
I bet your pride will be stolen
I'll bet I'll bet I'll bet I'll bet
One of these days
One of these days
One of these days
Dave Grohl has made the VERY bold statement that "These Days" is his favorite song he has ever written. Ever. I have to admit, I almost agree with him. If you have never heard this song, please give it a listen below. If you are not blown away by how amazing it is, I will refund 100% of your money.
This is seriously one of the coolest/best performances I have ever seen. If you watch this and still do not think Dave Grohl is one of the greatest musicians of all time, then you are a complete F^*@^&@ moron.
8. Roll Away Your Stone by Mumford & Sons - In the past year and a half Mumford & Sons have made millions of Americans fall in love with not only them, but an entire genre of music. Folk Rock has never been bigger and Mumford & Sons are the leaders of the pack. "Roll Away Your Stone" picks up right where Mumford & Sons left us in 2010 (with "Little Lion Man" and "The Cave".) It is a perfect blend of folk rock with a dash of alternative rock mixed in. That combination is clearly a key to success. Because of the wildly popular album Sigh No More Mumford & Son's next album is one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2012.
The amount of energy that Mumford & Sons puts into every performance is uncanny. Watch this performance of "Roll Away Your Stone" and tell me you would not have fainted half way through the song if you were any of the band mates.
McGraw's 1994 Not a Moment Too Soon released in 1994 was one of the first CD's I ever owned. The past few years, however, I have only been to one or two country music concerts, and stopped watching CMT altogether. Chase Rice has single handedly revived my love for country music and, even though he has not yet released a full studio album, has landed 5 songs on my yearly countdown. Chase Rice is not only my favorite artist of 2011, but quite possibly my favorite country artist of all time. "Buzz Back" is a song that can be appreciated by anyone, regardless if you are a country music fan. If you have ever lived in a college dorm, or been to Cancun Mexico, or simply had a crazy weekend, you will be able to relate to "Buzz Back." Who hasn't woken up with a hangover and realized that the best way to alleviate your symptoms would be to start drinking again? It doesn't matter if you are a rock fan or a country fan, a guy or a girl, a college kid, or a Wall St. businessman, "Buzz Back" will be blaring inside your pounding head the next time you are hungover and obligated to have a few drinks again the very next day.
6. Heaven by O.A.R. - As much as I love "Heaven" I always feel bad about signing along. I always have to say "Just kidding, God" after the song ends because I don't want him to think that I don't care if I go to Heaven or not.
"Everybody's got a problem with the way I live, I don't wanna go to Heaven if I can't get in." Those are the lyrics that make me feel like a terrible person every time I sing along. The song is just too damn catchy to not sing along with though, and it is just about impossible for me to not agree with the "whatever happens, happens" mentality of O.A.R. while the song is playing. Maybe I should make a playlist in which every time "Heaven" is on, and I inevitably sing along, the next song either "How Great is Our God" or "Amazing Grace." That way I will not have to apologize to God every time I sing along with this incredible track.
"I do want to go to Heaven, God, and I would like it if O.A.R. could get in as well. They seem like really fun and nice guys and I would love to be able to spend eternity with them. Thanks. Love, Ryan"
That is pretty much what I say out loud every time this song ends, which is quite often because I usually listen to it on repeat about 20 times in a row.
5. Walk by Foo Fighters - Let me start off by saying this; the top 14 or 15 songs are so close that they are almost interchangeable. Do I REALLY like "Walk" better than "These Days"? A VERY little bit. My point is, that once the countdown gets to the end I love every song so much that it is not extremely important where it ends up on the countdown. With that being said, "Walk" is perfect and could very well have been even higher on the list. I am sure you are sick of hearing how much I love Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters, but if you don't agree with me by now about how incredible the latest Foo Fighters album is, then we simply have extremely different musical taste.
After really thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that Foo Fighters actually beat out themselves. I had SO much love for the Foo Fighters this year with their 3 released songs that I think I may have spread out that love equally between the three songs. If "Rope", "Walk", or "These Days" were the only song released by Foo Fighters this year, then I am pretty confident that it would have been my number one song of the year. I was not even over "Walk" yet when they released "These Days" and shifted by focus on that.
Regardless, I have never loved Foo Fighters more than I do right now and, even though they were already VERY high on my "Favorite Bands of All Time" list, this year has pushed them up even higher. You will find out exactly how high they have been pushed up sometime in the very near future.
4. Colours by Grouplove - I have already stated in my "Top Albums of 2011" countdown that Grouplove's "Never Trust a Happy Song" was my favorite album of 2011. "Colours" is the song that made me buy the album, therefore, I owe the song a tremendous amount of gratitude. This is a song that you can fall in love with instantly. Many people find it difficult to sing along with the "I am a man, man, man, man, up, up, in the air. And I run around round round round this town town and act like I don't care" part because it is fast and kind of a tongue twister. I have perfected the entire song, so I love signing it in front of people because they often get jealous that I can sign along and they cannot. Even my students get amazed when I sing along to the song when it comes on the radio in class. This usually ends up amazing me. I teach them everything they need to know about Math (division, multiplication, fractions, etc.), Science (earth science, physical science, life science), Social Studies (history, geography, economics, world cultures), Reading and Writing, and they are most impressed that I can sing along with a silly rock song. That is precisely why I love them as much as I do.
3. Cough Syrup by Young. the Giant - If I was not so obsessed with the band that has the number one and two songs on this years countdown then this would have been my favorite song of the year. Nobody really knows for sure what the song is about. It could simply be about cough syrup, of course, but it could also be a metaphor for another drug, or even for something totally unrelated to drugs, such as a coping with a difficult situation.
I like to pretend that Young the Giant is talking about a specific "cough syrup" that I enjoy myself, Nyquil. After I take my nightly dosage of Nyquil I usually sing this song while I wait for the effects to hit my body. "Cough Syrup" is a perfect example of why I love modern rock and could not be happier with the music that is on Alternative Rock stations today. How can you not love this song?
2. Everybody Talks by Neon Trees - I started making this countdown on December 21st and "Everybody Talks" was released on Itunes on December 20th. It was a very difficult decision to place this on the 2011 countdown, but I am extremely hopeful that Neon Trees will release a new album in 2012 and they will once again have a single or two for the 2012 countdown. I listened to "Everybody Talks" roughly 100 times in just three days so there was no way I could not place it at the very top of the countdown. The only single I liked "better" in 2011 was another Neon Trees song. It was "Everybody Talks" though, that solidified Neon Trees as a top 5 favorite band of all time, and quite possibly higher than number 5. You'll find out when I release my Favorite Bands of All Time list in the coming weeks.
Animated Video
Learn the "Everybody Talks" dance. All the cool kids are doing it.
Besides my two nephews, this is my favorite kid of all time. Plus, I have that same shirt. Hahahahahhahaha. I love him.
Will you be my best friend?
1. Your Surrender by Neon Trees - I have gone against everything I have ever known and/or believed and I placed Neon Trees at number one AND two this year. For most of you (that may not know Neon Trees) I can imagine this is as bad as playing 3 songs in a row by the same artist on a jukebox in a bar. I decided, however, that the countdown would not be accurate if I did not do this. I have loved "Your Surrender" before it was even released as a single. If I placed this, or "Everybody Talks" any lower than 1 & 2 I would have been flat out lying. "Your Surrender" could quite possibly be not only my favorite song of the year, but has a very decent chance at being very, very high on my Top 1000 Songs of all time. The last minute of the song literally gives me chills every single time I hear it. I DVR'd an episode of Jay Leno in which Neon Trees were the musical guests and they performed "Your Surrender." The performance blew me away, and I watch it just about every day. I even have the occasional nightmare that I accidentally delete it from my DVR when I have taken a little too much Nyquil and do not know what I am doing.
I have only truly even been obsessed with 2 bands in my life (Third Eye Blind and The Killers) and I am here to officially announce that I am 100% obsessed with Neon Trees.
I just stumbled upon this video from 2010 of Neon Trees in a restaurant in Detroit MI. I have never hated people more in my entire life as much as I hate the people in the background of this video carrying about their lives as if one of the greatest rock bands in modern day rock are not belting out this epic unforgettable performance. Tyler Glenn's voice is impeccable and this proves Neon Trees do not need any studio to make them sound good. Watch out Brandon Flowers, it looks like you have some real stiff competition for my favorite person of all time. (mortal person, God, favorite MORTAL person of all time.)
It looks like all the stars in the universe may align this year and we may get new albums from Neon Trees, The Killers, Third Eye Blind, and Mumford & Sons. Combine that with the possibility of some more tracks from Foo Fighter's Wasting Light, and 2012 is sure to be my favorite year in music of all time, and my "Top Songs of 2012" countdown will be more anticipated than finding out if the Mayan's prediction is true.
