Most obscure game shows

[LA the DJ]

How about the short lived syndicated Double Dare and Finders Keepers knock-offs Slime Time (not to be confused with Nickelodeon's Slime Time Live), and Treasure Mall. I remember watching a few episodes as a kid, and liked Treasure Mall better than slime Time. According to Wikipedia, they lasted for thirteen weeks back in 1988, possibly because DD and FK were themselves going into syndication that fall.

[PYLdude]

What about Think Twice? Short-lived, weekly, and I don't even think it was carried nationally.

Well, only in the sense that PBS shows aren't "carried nationally" the way other network shows are.  PBS tries to get its member stations behind a common prime time schedule, and Think Twice was part of that schedule for its brief run.  

Would figure. Sometimes you'll see one program on our major PBS station (WNET) one night, and maybe you'll see it again on one of the other two (which are now both ALSO owned by WNET as of a week ago) later in the week. Honestly, I don't remember what the deal was with Think Twice here (I think it was only on one of the stations) but I think Antiques Roadshow makes the rounds on the other stations at least twice a week. (Our PBS station drastically changed its schedule to what appears now to be a close carbon copy of WNET- kid stuff most of the day, Tavis Smiley and Charlie Rose, and a couple other programs it never aired before.)

[thewhammy_2000]

Jamey Greek mentioned it already, but I'm going to say ANY game show that aired on BET. I remembered watching a game show called "Tell Me Something Good" that may have used the actual Rufus song as their theme song. At the age of 4 or 5, I remember three telephones behind the players (kinda like that big phone board on Your Number's Up). That's all I remembered from that show. Another BET show was some show (could be Family Figures) that was hosted by Mario and Melvin van Peebles. It was a good show because it aired before The Price is Right would air. I only saw a few episodes of On the Beat (I may put an episode up), and tried to look at Pay it Off, but missed it.

How about Pressure 1/2? Pressure 1 was slightly better than Peer Pressure 2.

Pretty much any game show that was short-lived and never discussed much after that.

[clemon79]

It was a good show because it aired before The Price is Right would air.

Imagine how different the TV landscape would look if programming executives actually applied this logic.

[CarbonCpy]

Clash! was as awesome as it was short-lived.  Came in right at the time of the Comedy Channel/Ha! merger.

[ActualRetailMike]

My choice would be: Joe Garagiola's Memory Game

Also, an episode of The Movie Game with the alternate opening (i.e., film clips and different music).  Ditto for The handful of Who, What, or Where Game episodes that had a different music package (i.e., the think music consisted of light acoustic guitar riffs)

[Steve Gavazzi]

Pretty much any game show that was short-lived and never discussed much after that.

Well, golly gee, guys, I guess we can just close the thread now -- he's posted the catch-all answer!

[Bobby B.]

I was going to suggest The Pennsylvania Game, but Penn State's PBS station still has videos of it and it apparently ran for 10 years, so maybe that's not all that obscure.

I remember that my first taste of Joe Fowler was when he did the hosting for the Family Channel's kids competition series Maximum Drive.  It was mostly offroad racing (watersports popped up on occasion), and the teams involved competed throughout the series.  Good to know that the ARGO still exists.

Maximum Drive was one of my favorites as a kid, and for the longest time there was little to no information about it online.  Now there are several full episodes on YouTube.

Speaking of Joe Fowler, I remember another show he did called Wild West Showdown.  It was set in an old West town and the contestants competed in Wild West-themed physical challenges.  I only ever remember seeing it once, but I remember recognizing Fowler's voice (he was the announcer).

[MikeK]

Speaking of Joe Fowler, I remember another show he did called Wild West Showdown.  It was set in an old West town and the contestants competed in Wild West-themed physical challenges.  I only ever remember seeing it once, but I remember recognizing Fowler's voice (he was the announcer).

I recall several short-lived theme competitions like that, which I think were trying to capitalize off of American Gladiators' success.  Another obscure one from about 20 years ago was Knights and Warriors, with a medieval setting.  I remember watching the first half of this as I was getting ready for work on Sunday mornings in '92-'93.

[rockinricky]

How's this for obscure: Back in the 70s, my local PBS station showed a business-themed quiz show. All of the questions were of a business/finance nature. At the end of each episode, the winner got the grand prize - a four-function calculator (this was back when a basic four-banger calc went for about $400, so early 70s). I don't remember the show's name, just that it was business oriented and the winner got a calculator.

[PYLdude]

I recall several short-lived theme competitions like that, which I think were trying to capitalize off of American Gladiators' success.  Another obscure one from about 20 years ago was Knights and Warriors, with a medieval setting.  I remember watching the first half of this as I was getting ready for work on Sunday mornings in '92-'93.

I remember Knights and Warriors too. Aired on Sunday afternoons after WWF Wrestling Challenge on our Fox affiliate (which also carried AG- quite the power combo on Saturday afternoons, with WWF Superstars and American Gladiators comprising a two hour weekend lunchtime block for about six years).

What I seem to remember the most about Knights and Warriors was this really weird and nonsensical final round that had the Warriors zipline across the ceiling and then I think target shooting. Anybody else remember this one?

Another two that come to mind for me in the same vein are Blade Warriors and Beach Clash- one was AG on rollerblades and the other had this really odd format that all I can remember of it was the last event (a half assed in ocean tug of war) and the race event that closed each show.

[The Ol' Guy]

RockinRicky - could the PBS show have been You Owe It To Yourself with Allen Ludden? It sure would fit the realm of obscurities.

[MTCesquire]

One that popped into my head earlier today was a show called "Kwik Witz".  It was pretty much "Whose Line is It Anyway?" except there were two teams of improv actors competing against each other and the audience voted after each game who was better.  No prizes were awarded to the winning team though, it was all for fun.  The show was memorable for me because it was my first exposure to Wayne Brady before he got famous a few years later on "Whose Line".  It also had a guy named Jay Leggett who would occasionally show up that I recognized from the final season of "In Living Color".  I think even Ryan Stiles played the game a couple times but I would have to double check that.

It was definitely syndicated fare that ran two seasons from '94 to '96 on my (I think) local NBC affiliate airing late Saturday night/early Sunday morning somewhere between 2 and 4am, can't remember the exact time.  I do know that it aired closer to 4am in the second season and I would be too tired to stay up for it most of the time.  Couldn't tell you who hosted it but I do remember them switching hosts in season 2.

[BrandonFG]

One that popped into my head earlier today was a show called "Kwik Witz".........

It was definitely syndicated fare that ran two seasons from '94 to '96 on my (I think) local NBC affiliate airing late Saturday night/early Sunday morning somewhere between 2 and 4am, can't remember the exact time.  I do know that it aired closer to 4am in the second season and I would be too tired to stay up for it most of the time.  Couldn't tell you who hosted it but I do remember them switching hosts in season 2.

1996-98...it was a pretty cheesy show. Here, it aired every Sunday at midnight, also on the NBC affiliate. Somewhere at home I have an early episode on tape.

The first season host was comedienne Andi Matheny, but I can't remember the second season host. I also remember Wayne Brady, and I believe Jm J. Bullock made an appearance or two.

A few more from cable:

-The Family Channel introduced an afternoon block of new games in 1996. There was "The New Shop Til You Drop" (!!!), "Shopping Spree", and a few obscurities by the name of "Small Talk", and "Wait Til You Have Kids". The following spring, a new version of "It Takes Two" with Dick Clark premiered.

-"No Relation", a dull TTTT imitator from FX, c. 1996. Snoozefest.

-And finally, one that I recalled yesterday, and racked my brain to remember: "Bobcat's Big-Ass Show", also on FX, summer 1998. It was heavily promoted, and starred Bobcat Goldthwait. He did quite a few promos with famous game show hosts (Gene Rayburn, Peter Marshall, Wink Martindale). I can't remember much other than it had audience games, a nightclub feel, and two lovely models named "Wing" and "Ding".

[MTCesquire]

1996-98...it was a pretty cheesy show. Here, it aired every Sunday at midnight, also on the NBC affiliate. Somewhere at home I have an early episode on tape.

I stand corrected.  I knew it aired while I was in middle school, guess I got my dates mixed up.

-And finally, one that I recalled yesterday, and racked my brain to remember: "Bobcat's Big-Ass Show", also on FX, summer 1998. It was heavily promoted, and starred Bobcat Goldthwait. He did quite a few promos with famous game show hosts (Gene Rayburn, Peter Marshall, Wink Martindale). I can't remember much other than it had audience games, a nightclub feel, and two lovely models named "Wing" and "Ding".

I saw one episode of this.  It came off more variety show than game show to me...and a terrible one at that.  Never looked back after that one ep.