GSF 50 Greatest List - RESULTS THREAD

[Ian Wallis]

I'd say the same for The Joker's Wild-- the quiz show with the easiest questions of all time-- but in the end I voted for it just on the strength of the slot machine gimmick. Slot machines = fun.

I always liked Joker's Wild much better than Tic Tac Dough.  Joker was in my top 10, where TTD was in the 40s for me.  I even had Bullseye between them!

It's true that the questions were pretty easy in the syndicated years, but it didn't start out that way.  I'm slowly starting to convert my collection to DVD, and in watching some CBS episodes recently the questions were really quite difficult on those early episodes.  I'd love to have seen more of the CBS run to see if they were noticably easier by the end of it.

[tpirfan28]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'130657\' date=\'Sep 7 2006, 07:00 PM\']
[quote name=\'cweaver\' post=\'130650\' date=\'Sep 7 2006, 06:49 PM\']
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'130649\' date=\'Sep 7 2006, 05:41 PM\']
Prepare to be astonished, then.  NO show appeared on all 80 ballots.  
[/quote]

Will it give too much away to tell us the largest number of ballots backing up one show, without giving away the show?[/quote]
I'm away from my stuff, but I'm pretty sure several shows had 79 and several more had 78.  Like I said, just a few oddities.
[/quote]

So that means AT LEAST one person didn't vote for TPiR.  Incredible.   But I kinda figured coming out of this group for some odd reason.

But reflecting on the list...as someone who did NOT submit an entry...

I'm impressed.  Very good cross-section of games.   Here's to Supermarket Sweep making the list.  Loved the show...still do!

/still don't get why STYD made GSN's Top 50, and not Supermarket Sweep
//STYD "sucks" in comparison in my book

[Fedya]

[quote name=\'JasonA1\' post=\'130642\' date=\'Sep 7 2006, 05:38 PM\']
Wow. Peter Sarrett, we are of similar thought, sir. Only I found myself having to put TTD on my list, lest it be usurped by shows that really didn't have much to say as a "Greatest Game Show of All Time." Basically, I fall into the same camp as the others who responded to you in that TTD had to be on the list someplace because of its success.[/quote]
When I compiled my list, I put down about 15 shows, and then made a list of a bunch of other shows to get to more then 50, and then started ranking the rest.  I found as I was trying to rank them, I kept moving a few of them down the list -- with TTD being one of those.

Not only were the questions easy; tic-tac-toe just isn't as exciting due to optimal game play leading to a tie every time, and (for TV) either the monotony of multiple tie games (no, I didn't feel the tension), or the artificiality of a five-square win in Hollywood Squares.  Hex is rather more exciting, since the game has to have a winner, which is one of the things that led me to put Blockbusters much higher in my list.

[DrBear]

[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'130673\' date=\'Sep 7 2006, 08:38 PM\']

So that means AT LEAST one person didn't vote for TPiR.  Incredible.   But I kinda figured coming out of this group for some odd reason.

[/quote]
Well, I would've, but, you know, had to leave room for Freakin' Studs...

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'130669\' date=\'Sep 7 2006, 09:01 PM\']
I'm slowly starting to convert my collection to DVD, and in watching some CBS episodes recently the questions were really quite difficult on those early episodes.  I'd love to have seen more of the CBS run to see if they were noticably easier by the end of it.
[/quote]
For the record, I did have TJW in the high teens, and TTD (I think) in the top 20. I know the shows were laughably easy, but there was something that gave the shows an unusual charm, which was missed in the early-90s revivals. I think it might've been the faux drama that both Jack and Wink tried to build, that gave it this over-the-top charm. Someone brought up an interesting theory that by 1977 and '78, most of the game shows didn't involve trivia (lots of word games, tho), so it could explain why Joker and Tic Tac were so simple.

That being said, I agree with the CBS run being extremely difficult. When it was on GSN weekdays, I watched an early ep. with my grandfather, and someone got a weird World War II question. My grandfather's response: "Who in the Hell is gonna know that?" :-)

[Matt Ottinger]

[color=\"#009900\"]15 The Joker's Wild (1972-75, 1977-86, 1990-91)[/color]
(2478 76/80)(GSN: 23)(TVG: 32)

September 4, 1972 was a good day to be a game show fan.

[color=\"#009900\"]14 What's My Line? (1950-67, 1968-75)[/color]
(2492 69/80 including one first place vote)(GSN: 14)(TVG: 5)

A pretty good showing for a show that hasn't been in production in over thirty years.  What gave the original its classy rep?  Part of it was that everybody, even the host, held down other jobs.  The show made them household names, but without stigmatizing them as "game show celebrities".

[color=\"#009900\"]13 Card Sharks (1978-81, 1986-89, 2000)[/color]
(2511 75/80)(GSN: 30)(TVG: 37)

An engaging show which tied together all its elements seamlessly.  Such a simple and effective format that nobody could possibly screw it up.  Well, almost nobody.

[color=\"#009900\"]12 Press Your Luck/Whammy! (1983-86, 2002-04)[/color]
(2523 73/80 including three first place votes)(GSN: 13)

Most underrated part?  Rod Roddy's open. It's the only time from Television City in Hollywood sounded exciting. Coolest trivia?  The guy who made the Whammys went on to direct one of the best comedies of the eighties, Better Off Dead. I want my two dollars.

[color=\"#009900\"]11 Who Wants to Be A Millionaire (1999-present)[/color]
(2701 73/80 including one first place vote)(GSN: 5)(TVG: 7)

It's the one that changed television and caused the networks to rethink game shows, and still we don't put it as high as either of the other lists.  Either we haven't forgiven ABC for the primetime flameout, or our collective jury is still out on the show's historical context.

[tpirfan28]

Joker's Wild: good show.  September 4th was a good day...except I've never seen Gambit.

What's My Line:  Unfortunately (for me), I've always paired this show with To Tell The Truth, as my tapes from GSN always have those two together.  But...this is the far superior in my mind.

Card Sharks:  Deserving show, especially for it's ranking.  Who would have thought that a game of questions and hi-lo would be such a good concept?  And don't count out that bonus round...one of the best.

PYL:  Agreed with Matt.  One of the best introductions EVER.

Millionaire:  Gotta go with the "historical context" here.  Maybe in 20 some years we'll see that this show gave CPR to an almost dead genre and really revitalized game shows for years to come.  Maybe.

[beatlefreak84]

15 The Joker's Wild (1972-75, 1977-86, 1990-91)
(2478 76/80)(GSN: 23)(TVG: 32)

Well, I'm glad to see that TJW got a nice, high showing; it's actually exactly where I had it on my list!  It's certainly a favorite of mine, and I always looked forward to watching it on GSN, or, now, watching the episodes I taped over the years....

One thing I do have to say, though:  I notice that a good number of you seem to kind of just brush off Tic Tac Dough as just a long-running show with not too much of a redeeming game.  Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I had Tic Tac ranked higher than TJW at #12 on my list...granted, I definitely enjoy both shows tremendously, but, given a choice, I'd rather watch Tic Tac.

Say what you will about the "easy" questions (so, if I play along and miss half of them, am I all of a sudden an idiot?), but I thought that Tic Tac had a much better base game than TJW.  After all, while both, at their hearts, were quiz shows, Tic Tac forced you to know your stuff to win, and you had to beat your opponent on the questions in order to win.  With TJW, on the other hand, no matter how smart you were, you had to have the wheels working in your favor in order to win, which makes the show, especially if you're playing against an equally intelligent opponent, more dependent on luck than anything.  On Tic Tac, equally challenged opponents led to tie games, and it was the person who cracked first, NOT the one who got the lucky spin, that ended up winning.

Not only that, but, even though the bonus games on both were entirely luck-based, at least you had something more to do on Tic Tac than just say "Go" or "Stop" and pull a lever like on TJW.  Sitting at home, you could pick your own numbers and play along, which is kind of hard to do with the Face the Devil round.

Finally, for Tic Tac, the rules were extremely easy to pick up; after all, if you know how to play Tic Tac Toe, you've got most of the rules down!  

I'm sure there are many who disagree with me, but that's my opinion, and I'm sticking by it...

Anthony

P.S.  Notice I conveniently left out the '90s versions...take your definitions and rapping dragon and, uh, go away?  Yeah; I got nothin'!  

[Peter Sarrett]

I ranked Millionaire a little higher, but then, I'm biased.  =)

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'130682\' date=\'Sep 7 2006, 09:53 PM\']
[color=\"#009900\"]12 Press Your Luck/Whammy! (1983-86, 2002-04)[/color]
(2523 73/80 including three first place votes)(GSN: 13)
[/quote]
What, no one said Second Chance?

[Brig Bother]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'130682\' date=\'Sep 8 2006, 03:53 AM\']
[color=\"#009900\"]11 Who Wants to Be A Millionaire (1999-present)[/color]
(2701 73/80 including one first place vote)(GSN: 5)(TVG: 7)

It's the one that changed television and caused the networks to rethink game shows, and still we don't put it as high as either of the other lists.  Either we haven't forgiven ABC for the primetime flameout, or our collective jury is still out on the show's historical context.
[/quote]

Oh now that's quite interesting. It certainly is a hugely important show in terms of TV history (in my opinion, it's single-handedly responsible for British TV not being nearly as good as it used to be - not because of the quality of the show (which is high), but the because of what other shows have done to attempt to ape its success (but without the money) has rather bought the standard down I think).

Personally, I was getting cold feet about eleven episodes in of our original twelve episode daily run. I could never rate it as the (UK's, certainly) best gameshow, but there's no doubt in my mind that it's probably the most important.

[JasonA1]

I think the reason "Millionaire" trumped the other lists is because they looked at it as the culutural phenomenon it was, and we look at it as a game. And ranked purely on its qualities as a game show, there are definitely a number of others that beat it. Hosts are definitely a factor, and many here criticized Regis for phoning it in very early into his tenure.

-Jason

[Ian Wallis]

11 Who Wants to Be A Millionaire (1999-present)
(2701 73/80 including one first place vote)(GSN: 5)(TVG: 7)

It's the one that changed television and caused the networks to rethink game shows, and still we don't put it as high as either of the other lists. Either we haven't forgiven ABC for the primetime flameout, or our collective jury is still out on the show's historical context.

This is one show I'm a tad disappointed to see miss the top 10.  I thought it would rank a bit higher.  For me, it was easily a top 5 show.  I was hooked right from the first episode and made it a habit to watch it every time it was on.  I did grow a bit tired of it by the third year when celebrity episodes were on too often, but I watch the Merideth Viera version every single night.  It's a must-see for me - and I never get tired of playing along!

[Chuck Sutton]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'130682\' date=\'Sep 7 2006, 10:53 PM\']
[color=\"#009900\"]15 The Joker's Wild (1972-75, 1977-86, 1990-91)[/color]
(2478 76/80)(GSN: 23)(TVG: 32)

September 4, 1972 was a good day to be a game show fan.

[[/quote]

Especially when you think about that before that day CBS had no daytime game shows.  They launched 3 on our list that day and witin 18 months their schedule looked like.

10:00 The Joker's Wild
10:30 $10,000 Pyramid
11:00 Gambit

3:00 The Price is Right
3:30 Match Game
4:00 Tattletales

[cweaver]

[quote name=\'JasonA1\' post=\'130698\' date=\'Sep 8 2006, 07:45 AM\']
I think the reason "Millionaire" trumped the other lists is because they looked at it as the culutural phenomenon it was, and we look at it as a game. And ranked purely on its qualities as a game show, there are definitely a number of others that beat it. Hosts are definitely a factor, and many here criticized Regis for phoning it in very early into his tenure.[/quote]

I ranked it in my top 5 (number 5, in fact).  Just the fact that a quiz show was able to become a water cooler show was by itself enough to push it up the list for me.  I heard people who didn't normally like game shows talking about it the next day in great detail, it was so obviously they hung on every word the night before.  (I once covered a civil service hearing where the police chief was in trouble for something, and every other officer in the room, down to the man, was heavily discussing the last two questions from the previous night.  "How far is the sun from the earth?" "Who was on the cover of the very first People magazine?") That's how you know a game show is really special, when people who don't normally like them are suddenly drawn to one like paper clips to a magnet.

But there were other factors, like the simple yet challenging format and the innovative atmosphere (the concert lighting, etc).  I tried not to let ABC's heavy-handed tinkering with the show result in points being counted off, even though it did result in ratings points being counted off (they should never have lost that phone game and should've gone easy on the celebrity versions), but I think that may have counted against it in this poll.