Author Topic: Game Shows on Christmas Day (Read 30882 times)

gameshowguy2000 · « **on:** December 04, 2003, 11:44:30 PM »

Here are the shows that I know that have aired on Christmas Day, and if you have any others that you know that aired on Christmas, please contribute!

1. The Price Is Right

2. Jeopardy!

3. Wheel Of Fortune

4. Pyramid (2002 version has done this so far. Anyone know if the other versions did this?

5. Family Feud

6. Hollywood Squares

7. Card Sharks

8. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (Syndicated)

9. 2-Minute Drill

10. Scrabble

11. Shop 'Til You Drop

12. Press Your Luck

BrandonFG · « **Reply #1 on:** December 05, 2003, 12:03:32 AM »

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 4 2003, 11:44 PM\'] Here are the shows that I know that have aired on Christmas Day, and if you have any others that you know that aired on Christmas, please contribute!

1. The Price Is Right

2. Jeopardy!

3. Wheel Of Fortune

4. Pyramid (2002 version has done this so far. Anyone know if the other versions did this?

5. Family Feud

6. Hollywood Squares

7. Card Sharks

8. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (Syndicated)

9. 2-Minute Drill

10. Scrabble

11. Shop 'Til You Drop

12. Press Your Luck [/quote]
I know that the first season of CBS $25,000 Pyramid did a Christmas ep. The only thing I saw was a wreath on Dick Clark's podium...how festive. Also add Password Plus and $ale of the Century.

As for Pyramid 2002 and syndie Millionaire, are you saying they actually had special X-mas eps., or just aired on X-mas in your area?

gameshowguy2000 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 05, 2003, 12:10:24 AM »

Both syndie Millionaire and Pyramid aired on Xmas day in my area.

Oh, Password Plus aired on Christmas Day? Was that the one with Carol Burnett and Bert Convy from the "12 Games" Marathon on GSN?

And I don't know about the Super Password show from that same marathon.

What did the set look like on $OTC, fostergray82? What decorations were there, if any?

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #3 on:** December 05, 2003, 12:50:47 AM »

There was a time, long, long ago that the networks would program a regular daytime schedule on Christmas Day, so in the 60's and 70's at least, any game show on the air would have aired on Christmas. I'll mention two from 1974, "The Big Showdown" was elaborately decorated all around the set and "The Money Maze" had a Christmas tree in the middle of the maze on top of a tower.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #4 on:** December 05, 2003, 02:25:37 AM »

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 12:10 AM\'] What did the set look like on $OTC, fostergray82? What decorations were there, if any? [/quote]
IIRC, it was your typical Christmas stuff; garland, wreaths, etc....artificial snow, and some X-mas trees.

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #5 on:** December 05, 2003, 08:49:06 AM »

Quote

I'll mention two from 1974, "The Big Showdown" was elaborately decorated all around the set and "The Money Maze" had a Christmas tree in the middle of the maze on top of a tower.

And what made those shows somewhat unique is that they only went on the air on December 23, 1974 - so the very first week they had to decorate the set for Christmas!

SRIV94 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 05, 2003, 10:17:45 AM »

[quote name=\'gameshowguy2000\' date=\'Dec 4 2003, 11:10 PM\'] Oh, Password Plus aired on Christmas Day? Was that the one with Carol Burnett and Bert Convy from the "12 Games" Marathon on GSN?
[/quote]
Yup. But the Xmas Eve episode from that week was also a treat (Convy walks off the set for the briefest moment when Burnett nails a puzzle off the first word, sending Mother McKenzie into the bales of high-pitched laughter usually reserved for HSq or GONG; also the winning contestant wears fuzzy slippers as a good-luck charm for Alphabetics).

Switching gears, I thought $otC was always pre-empted for NBC's Washington Cathedral Xmas celebration (as was any NBC show that aired in the 10AM and 10:30AM ET slots).

Doug -- soon to celebrate 200 posts

BrandonFG · « **Reply #7 on:** December 05, 2003, 10:50:04 AM »

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 10:17 AM\']Switching gears, I thought $otC was always pre-empted for NBC's Washington Cathedral Xmas celebration (as was any NBC show that aired in the 10AM and 10:30AM ET slots).
[/quote]
You might be right. The X-Mas $ale ep. I saw was on USA about 10 years ago, and it aired in 1988. I remember Jim Perry bringing most, if not, all the staff on stage, and gave a small speech. Looking at my comp's calendar, X-Mas was on a Saturday, so it had to be X-Mas eve that I saw.

zachhoran · « **Reply #8 on:** December 05, 2003, 07:50:59 PM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 10:50 AM\'] [quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Dec 5 2003, 10:17 AM\']Switching gears, I thought $otC was always pre-empted for NBC's Washington Cathedral Xmas celebration (as was any NBC show that aired in the 10AM and 10:30AM ET slots).
[/quote]
You might be right. The X-Mas $ale ep. aired in 1988. Looking at my comp's calendar, X-Mas was on a Saturday, so it had to be X-Mas eve that I saw. [/quote]
It would have been the 12/23/88 episode, as Xmas fell on Sunday in 1988.

ChuckNet · « **Reply #9 on:** December 06, 2003, 07:14:18 PM »

Both daytime Dawson and Combs FF did Christmas eps...during the latter era, Ray would usually bring his family onstage at the end, and during the first year, he actually dressed as Santa for one ep during that wk.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

gameshowguy2000 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 06, 2003, 07:36:54 PM »

And in the Dawson era, the "12 Games" episode featured Richard putting one of the red bows on his ear.

And, the Double-point winning question: Name a character from "The Christmas Carol."

1. Scrooge
2. Jacob Marley
3. Tiny Tim
4. Bob Cratchit

I think these were the answers. Anyone want to confirm this?

zachhoran · « **Reply #11 on:** December 06, 2003, 07:48:02 PM »

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Dec 6 2003, 07:14 PM\'] Both daytime Dawson and Combs FF did Christmas eps...during the latter era, Ray would usually bring his family onstage at the end, and during the first year, he actually dressed as Santa for one ep during that wk.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby") [/quote]
The first three or four Combs Syndie seasons had Xmas episodes IIRC. The last two Combs Syndie seasons and Dawson 1994-95 did not have Xmas episodes(though 1994-95 did have a Halloween show). I suspect the current Feud run will be in reruns at Xmastime.

BrianFTL · « **Reply #12 on:** December 07, 2003, 07:54:39 PM »

I recall watching PYL as a kid on Christmas Day and there being a special opening with Peter at his house and kids, forgetting that he had a show to do, and then rushing into the studio. I never saw this again on the USA repeats and I'm wondering if I'm just making this up. Any one else remember such a thing?

Brian Dominy
pinball@fiendation.com
http://www.oddchange.com

zachhoran · « **Reply #13 on:** December 07, 2003, 08:05:24 PM »

[quote name=\'BrianFTL\' date=\'Dec 7 2003, 07:54 PM\'] I recall watching PYL as a kid on Christmas Day and there being a special opening with Peter at his house and kids, forgetting that he had a show to do, and then rushing into the studio. I never saw this again on the USA repeats and I'm wondering if I'm just making this up. Any one else remember such a thing?

[/quote]
He wears a Christmas red robe that he wears in the opening on this Xmas 1985 episode, which has not been seen since its original broadcast. USA ran the 1983 Xmas shows c. 1992, and GSN aired the XMas 1984 shows this past Summer(first time aired since their original broadcasts)

gameshowguy2000 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 07, 2003, 11:55:01 PM »

In addition, the board read MERRY across, and XMAS up and down. There is a clip of a Christmas PYL opening at gscentral.net, including a picture of it in the PYL Photo Gallery.

On another note, somewhat related, my family and I keep fighting over whether or not game shows airing on Christmas are considered special or regular.

My family says that those episodes airing during on Christmas Day are just regular episodes. They keep telling me, "They're taped. They were just slated/scheduled to air on Christmas Day."

I say that they're special episodes.

Who's right and who's wrong?