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 would want 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.
31. Pyramid
* $10,000 Pyramid (1973-1974) CBS, (1974-1976) ABC
* $20,000 Pyramid (1976-1980) ABC
* $25,000 Pyramid (1974-1979) Weekly Syndication
* $50,000 Pyramid (1981) Daily Syndication
* The (New) $25,000 Pyramid (1982-1988)
* The $100,000 Pyramid (1985-1988, 1991) Daily Syndication
* Pyramid (2002-2004) Daily Syndication
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.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Favorite Game Shows of All Time (40 - 36)
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.
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.
"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.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Favorite Game Shows of All Time (45-41)
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.
Million Dollar Question!
(18 missing lyrics) - REM, 1987. "6 o'clock TV hour ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____."
or maybe
(missing 32 lyics) - Barenaked Ladies, 1998. "Hold it now and watch the hoodwink ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ _____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ ____"
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 :(
"Only the good die young."
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.
Million Dollar Question!
(18 missing lyrics) - REM, 1987. "6 o'clock TV hour ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____."
or maybe
(missing 32 lyics) - Barenaked Ladies, 1998. "Hold it now and watch the hoodwink ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ _____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____ ____"
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 :(
"Only the good die young."
Saturday, February 18, 2012
50 Favorite Game Shows of All Time
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!
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!
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