Game shows that have never done pilots

[megamanj1986]

I though about something...

Did the original versions of Password ever even do a pilot?

[TwoInchQuad]

The show had a number of office run-throughs, evidently-- Tom Poston & Kitty Carlisle took part in some of them-- but I've never even seen **reports** of an actual pilot episode.  Since the show started off in the CBS daytime schedule, however, it may be that any pilot that was shot was utilized as part of the initial run of eps that are now presumed lost.

I still marvel at the IGAS episode where G-T cross-promoted the recently-debuted "Password" by having Vivian Vance come out and show everyone how it was played...

-Kevin

[Matt Ottinger]

A GSN insider with an Encyclopedic knowledge of game shows shared the following with me:

There was no pilot to the original Match Game in 1962 nor one for the original Concentration.  In both cases the hosts were announced after the series had been picked up.

There was at least one test show of Match Game that exists.

The pilot for Twenty One was done at CBS in March 1956 and the show wound up on NBC in September.