Author Topic: Most obscure game shows (Read 72926 times)

PYLdude · « **Reply #15 on:** June 30, 2011, 10:36:05 PM »

I also look toward "Grandstand", the short lived Curt Chaplin-hosted sports trivia game from '89. Largely because it seemed to be in such a limited run that it almost seemed like filler (at least, that's how the NYC station that carried it aired it).

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #16 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:01:47 PM »

Quote from: RMF on June 30, 2011, 09:37:06 PM

An episode of Information Please from a run that I've found no sources for: http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=information+please&p=2&item=B:27161

Well, I can help you here. It's from the version the EOTVGS references, a 1952 summer series. The Encyclopedia just isn't quite as accurate for that listing is all. The episode hosted by Russel (one 'l') Crouse aired live on August 10, 1952.

William_S. · « **Reply #17 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:08:26 PM »

New Jersey Bowl On NJN but that was more Cable/PBS based. Oh wait!! Disney's College Bowl with Dick Cavvet is one. It aired late at night and I think I saw atleast two episodes. hmm what else... The Dream League and Sports on Tap both on ESPN. ( I guess Chris Berman's Boardwalk basball would fit the list).

TLEberle · « **Reply #18 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:11:21 PM »

The problem for me is that I missed out on about four-sevenths of game show history on account of not being old enough. The most obscure game show I can think of doesn't even peg on the meter for some of the people who have been around twice as long as I have. Plus now there's the internet and all, so stuff I had only heard of, or never remembered, can be seen by all who want to.

Toheckwiththis · « **Reply #19 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:16:56 PM »

"Fantasy Park" is another obscure one.

MikeK · « **Reply #20 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:22:01 PM »

Quote from: William_S. on June 30, 2011, 11:08:26 PM

New Jersey Bowl On NJN but that was more Cable/PBS based. Oh wait!! Disney's College Bowl with Dick Cavvet is one. It aired late at night and I think I saw atleast two episodes. hmm what else... The Dream League and Sports on Tap both on ESPN. ( I guess Chris Berman's Boardwalk basball would fit the list).

If we're going with ESPN game shows, Designated Hitter is on the top of my list. ISTR it never had a consistent time slot and that ESPN aired it at the weirdest hours. The Dream League had a couple of seasons and a decent time slot (4:30 PM Eastern or thereabout), while Sports on Tap was on at 6 PM, back when SportsCenter was half an hour. And it didn't feel like it was trying too hard to be cool. And it had good personalities like Charley Steiner.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #21 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:29:09 PM »

Quote from: MikeK on June 30, 2011, 11:22:01 PM

If we're going with ESPN game shows, Designated Hitter is on the top of my list. ISTR it never had a consistent time slot and that ESPN aired it at the weirdest hours. The Dream League had a couple of seasons and a decent time slot (4:30 PM Eastern or thereabout), while Sports on Tap was on at 6 PM, back when SportsCenter was half an hour. And it didn't feel like it was trying too hard to be cool. And it had good personalities like Charley Steiner.

I liked Dream League, and I remember the 4:30 timeslot, but I also remember it airing on an irregular basis (if it wasn't interrupted by live sports). There was another one from fall-1994 called Perfect Match. It had a pretty convoluted format IIRC, but I wanna say it was similar to Tomarken's Wipeout.

The annoying thing about so many of ESPN's game shows is that they air for a very short period of time, then they just fade off into...well, obscurity. I think 2-Minute Drill and Stump the Schwab may be the few exceptions.

/Apparently there were more game shows in the mid-90s then I remember
//Mostly on cable

TLEberle · « **Reply #22 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:31:01 PM »

Quote from: fostergray82 on June 30, 2011, 11:29:09 PM

I liked Dream League, and I remember the 4:30 timeslot, but I also remember it airing on an irregular basis (if it wasn't interrupted by live sports). There was another one from fall-1994 called Perfect Match. It had a pretty convoluted format IIRC, but I wanna say it was similar to Tomarken's Wipeout.

Not really. There was a board of twelve answers and the contestant had 30 seconds to match the questions asked by Ken Ober to the answers on the board. Two men played, two women played and the winner of each played a final board where a clean sweep won a prize of some note.

Vahan_Nisanian · « **Reply #23 on:** June 30, 2011, 11:32:04 PM »

Interesting fact about Designated Hitter: It was produced by The William Carruthers Company (of Press Your Luck fame). Even the buzz-in sound reminded me of PYL.

RMF · « **Reply #24 on:** July 01, 2011, 12:30:11 AM »

Quote from: Matt Ottinger on June 30, 2011, 11:01:47 PM

Quote from: RMF on June 30, 2011, 09:37:06 PM
An episode of Information Please from a run that I've found no sources for: http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=information+please&p=2&item=B:27161
Well, I can help you here. It's from the version the EOTVGS references, a 1952 summer series. The Encyclopedia just isn't quite as accurate for that listing is all. The episode hosted by Russel (one 'l') Crouse aired live on August 10, 1952.

Except, based on content, it doesn't seem like it could have been from the 1952 version

JasonA1 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 01, 2011, 12:30:42 AM »

Quote from: MikeK on June 30, 2011, 11:22:01 PM

If we're going with ESPN game shows, Designated Hitter is on the top of my list.

I remember seeing the format in EOTVGS when I first got the book, and really dug it. It's certainly up there in obscurity because it ran for only a short time (and as you said, in odd time slots) plus, there's virtually no episodes around. The best I've done is a clip of it in a montage from a guy on YouTube who's been on many shows (including the aforementioned Perfect Match with Ken Ober).

-Jason

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #26 on:** July 01, 2011, 01:04:29 AM »

Quote from: RMF on July 01, 2011, 12:30:11 AM

Quote from: Matt Ottinger on June 30, 2011, 11:01:47 PM
Quote from: RMF on June 30, 2011, 09:37:06 PM
An episode of Information Please from a run that I've found no sources for: http://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=information+please&p=2&item=B:27161
Well, I can help you here. It's from the version the EOTVGS references, a 1952 summer series. The Encyclopedia just isn't quite as accurate for that listing is all. The episode hosted by Russel (one 'l') Crouse aired live on August 10, 1952.

Except, based on content, it doesn't seem like it could have been from the 1952 version

Cool. I have no memory of my detailed response from 2007, but I was using the same book to identify the Crouse episode. The August 10 episode (number 7 of 13) features the same panelists and host mentioned on the Paley link, so I just figured that had to be it. Without having seen it, some of the things you mention (1951 date, no viewer submissions) would strongly suggest it was a pilot or some other sort of test, though no mention of such a thing appears in the book.

tyshaun1 · « **Reply #27 on:** July 01, 2011, 08:43:55 AM »

Quote from: gameshowlover87 on June 30, 2011, 11:32:04 PM

Interesting fact about Designated Hitter: It was produced by The William Carruthers Company (of Press Your Luck fame). Even the buzz-in sound reminded me of PYL.

Yep, the announcer was Rick Stern, the AD on both DH and PYL.

Tyshaun

toetyper · « **Reply #28 on:** July 01, 2011, 08:50:36 AM »

is fandango obscure enough?

jmangin · « **Reply #29 on:** July 01, 2011, 08:52:33 AM »

I remember catching Inspiration, Please! on a religious channel in the early 1990s. Not being a religious person I didn't watch it more than once or twice, but I think the bonus prize was a trip to a holy site.