TV Guide's 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time
This list is a list of the greatest game shows in television history based on critical reception, diversity and cultural impact. Including both retro, (pre-1960s,) and modern, (1970s-present.) Excluding those with mixed, negative and panned reception. No specific ranking.
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- CreatorChris BeardeStarsChuck BarrisTrixie DejongeGary OwensAmateur talent contest judged by three celebrities.
- CreatorMerv GriffinStarsAlex TrebekJohnny GilbertJimmy McGuireA returning champion and two challengers test their buzzer skills and their knowledge in a wide range of academic and popular categories.
- StarsJack BarryJohnny JacobsBill CullenA long-running quiz show hosted by TV veteran Jack Barry, and later by Bill Cullen. In this show, contestants would have to answer questions on a wide variety of topics, with the prize money determined by a slot machine-style device. The winning contestant could then move on to a bonus round, where they would play a slot machine for a chance at even bigger prizes, but with the risk of losing everything.
- CreatorMerv GriffinStarsPat SajakVanna WhiteCharlie O'DonnellHosted by Pat Sajak, this game show features 3 contestants who try to solve a puzzle by spinning the wheel and guessing letters in a word or phrase.
- CreatorMark GoodsonStarsRichard DawsonGene WoodJohnny GilbertTwo families compete by trying to outguess the opponents about survey results.
- StarsAllen LuddenTom KennedyBill CullenRevised version of the verenable Goodson-Todman game show, where celebrity-contestant teams try to convey passwords.
- StarsBob BarkerJanice PenningtonDian ParkinsonContestants compete for prizes and cash, including cars and vacations, in games that test their knowledge of consumer goods pricing.
- CreatorSteven KnightStarsChris TarrantJeremy ClarksonJudith KeppelThe original British version of the popular quiz show, that became a worldwide phenomenon.
- StarsGene RayburnJohnny OlsonBrett SomersA group of celebrities would be given a sentence with a missing word, which they would then have to fill in. The contestants would then give their own answer, and scored points according to how many celebrities gave the same answer.
- StarsGene RayburnJohnny OlsonBrett SomersThe five-day-a-week syndicated successor to the popular CBS game show, where two could compete to match fill-in-the-blank phrases with those of the celebrities.
- StarsBert ConvyGene WoodJamie FarrSecond revised version of the classic Mark Goodson game show, where celebrity-contestant teams conveyed passwords using one-word clues.
- StarsBob HolnessLiza TarbuckDaniel StraussGeneral knowledge quiz for 16-18-year-olds.
- StarsJim PerryJanice BakerGene WoodHosted by Jim Perry, were contestants are asked questions about how 100 people answered a poll question then played a card game where they tried to guess whether the next card drawn from a deck in a sequence would be higher or lower.
- StarsMarc SummersJohn HarveyRobin MarrellaOne in a long-running series of game shows, where two-member teams of children compete to answer questions and complete stunts.
- CreatorBill CarruthersJan McCormickStarsPeter TomarkenRod RoddyCharlie O'DonnellA game show where contestents answer trivia questions and then have to gamble their winnings on a randomly flashing game board.
- StarsDonny OsmondJohn CramerMelissa PetermanRevival of the classic word association game show, where teams attempt to convey a category of words and/or phrases within a time limit.
- StarsVicki LawrenceBert ConvyLinda BlairSyndicated show which debuted in the USA in September 1987, and ran until 1989. Two teams of three men and three women competed, one person from a team was given the name of a famous person and had to communicate the name to the rest of the team by drawing pictures.
- CreatorMatt KunitzStarsJohn HensonJohn AndersonJill WagnerContestants make their way through a giant obstacle course to win a cash prize.
- StarsBen SteinJimmy KimmelNancy M. PimentalContestants compete against each other and host Ben Stein for a chance to win money from Stein himself.
- CreatorMark LevesonDan PattersonStarsDrew CareyColin MochrieRyan StilesImprovisational comedy competition show in which four members of the regular cast as comedians and often with guest appearances with other comedians and celebrities and members of the audience perform various comic games and sketches.
- CreatorIra SkutchStarsBert ConvyGene WoodJack ClarkCelebrities & their spouses, playing for sections of the studio audience, try to match answers to questions about their personal lives.
- StarsChuck WooleryCharlie TunaJay StewartFor years, one of America's favorite board games was Scrabble, the Selchow & Righter-marketed game introduced in the 1930s. The game was revised and brought to television in 1984 by Reg Grundy Productions. Two contestants competed in the "crossword" round, played on a giant Scrabble board. Host Woolery announces a letter to build on, announces the number of letters in the word and reads a clue to said word (e.g., a seven letter word; "Experts really know how to pick them"; answer: "pockets"). The contestant chosen to go first draws two numbered tiles from the rack; the rack (positioned between the contestants) contained all the letters in the word, plus three "stoppers," or letters not in the puzzle. The contestant indicates which letter he wants to place in the word; if the letter fits, he/she may either attempt to guess the word or place another letter in the puzzle (the contestant draws two more tiles if he/she still doesn't attempt a guess). If the letter tried is a "stopper" or the contestant gives an incorrect solution, control passes to the opponent; letters landing on blue or pink squares were worth cash bonuses if they correctly guessed the word (#500 and #1,000 respectively, which the players kept regardless if they won the game). Play on the current word continues until all three "stoppers" are found (at which time a "speedword" format was used) or until one letter remained in the puzzle. The contestant who guesses the word correctly wins one point; all subsequent words were built on a letter in the previous word. The first player to win three points won the game, #500 and played the Sprint Round. In the Sprint Round, the contestant played vs. the returning champion to guess a given number of words in a shorter time period than the opponent. Either way, the "speedword" format was used, with Woolery giving the number of letters in the word and a clue. The contestant was shown two letters at a time; there were no "stoppers" in the Sprint Round, though a 10-second penalty was assessed for incorrect guesses. The winner of the Sprint Round received a cash bonus (usually #1,000), returns as champion and played the Bonus Sprint against the clock. In the Bonus Sprint, the contestant had to guess two words, again under the "speedword" format, within 10 seconds to win #5,000 (plus #1,000 for each day it was not won); an incorrect guess at any point stopped the game. Champions continued until their defeat or until winning 10 Sprint Rounds. The rules o both the crossword and Sprint rounds changed several times during the show's run, most commonly relating to bonuses and the Sprint Round formats and how returning champions were determined; the above plot summary indicates the most enduring format.
- StarsJim PerrySummer BartholomewLou MulfordUpdated version of the 1969-1974 NBC game show. Three contestants competed to answer trivia questions, with scoring in dollars. The game was interrupted at certain intervals for Instant Bargains, which allowed the player in the lead to buy a prize at a discounted prize (e.g., a $795 stereo color TV for $6), always at the risk of later losing the game; and a new feature, the "Fame Game," where the host read first-person clues leading to the identity of a person, place, thing, etc., with the winner having a chance to earn cash, a bonus prize or add to his score with the choice of one of nine numbers. The player with the highest score could elect to use his score money to buy specially-discounted luxury items (e.g., a $4,500 diamond-studded Swiss watch for $120), or accumulate his score money by winning future games and having access to either a luxury car, an escalating jackpot which began at $50,000 and increased by $1,000 per show until won, or everything on stage. Later in the show's run, the endgame's format changed, where champions chose prizes via a matching game; and again later by solving phrases within 30 seconds to win a cash bonus.
- StarsJohn DalyArlene FrancisBennett CerfFour panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.