Author Topic: Easy shows that lasted a long time.... (Read 12325 times)

aaron sica · « **on:** December 12, 2003, 08:28:54 AM »

I will admit, one of my favorite pastimes is to see someone post an idea about a new game show only to have Chris Lemon shoot it down

So with that, I thought I would try to start another discussion that I can see going places.

What, in your opinion, was the game show with the simplest rules that ran a long time?

And on the flip side...What was one game show that you would attribute its short life to hard-to-understand rules?

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 12, 2003, 08:41:49 AM »

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 08:28 AM\'] I will admit, one of my favorite pastimes is to see someone post an idea about a new game show only to have Chris Lemon shoot it down

So with that, I thought I would try to start another discussion that I can see going places.

What, in your opinion, was the game show with the simplest rules that ran a long time?

And on the flip side...What was one game show that you would attribute its short life to hard-to-understand rules? [/quote]
I consider 3 years to be a nice run, so Press Your Luck. Also, Wheel of Fortune. On the opposite side of the coin, I'd have to nominate Whew! (the average Joe probably wouldn't understand).

Steve_Bier · « **Reply #2 on:** December 12, 2003, 08:56:03 AM »

Well, if you combine the two runs together, Tattletales had a nice, simple format that lasted for close to 7 years. Ditto for Jeopardy, Match Game, and Password (with the exception of Password All-Stars). On the flip side of the coin, Hit Man comes to mind.....and to a lesser degree, Mindreaders.

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2003, 08:58:55 AM »

Quote

What, in your opinion, was the game show with the simplest rules that ran a long time?

Simple rules with long runs: "Wheel of Fortune", "Password", "Match Game", "Family Feud" and even "Newlywed Game" all come to mind.

Quote

And on the flip side...What was one game show that you would attribute its short life to hard-to-understand rules?

I'd have to agree with "Whew". Although I understood it perfectly, it would probably take the "average" viewer a while to figure it out. Still, it had a nice run of just over a year, so it was on for a while. (It's still my hope that we'll see this whole run again eventually -- I wonder if GSN would ever consider picking this one up?)

A couple of others that come to mind that would probably confuse the "average" veiwer: "Blankety Blanks" (because it was never clear who's turn it was going to be until Bill picked the next card); and "Winning Streak".

DrBear · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2003, 09:10:10 AM »

Add to complicated ones both "Who, What or Where Game" and "Celebrity Sweepstakes," because let's face it, a lot of us can't do math.

Simple? The original TPIR. Most early panel shows.

zachhoran · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2003, 09:13:54 AM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 08:58 AM\']

I'd have to agree with "Whew". Although I understood it perfectly, it would probably take the "average" viewer a while to figure it out. Still, it had a nice run of just over a year, so it was on for a while. (It's still my hope that we'll see this whole run again eventually -- I wonder if GSN would ever consider picking this one up?)
[/quote]
"twould be nice to see Whew! again(a certain anniversary we unfortunately are commemorating today, besides the 80th anniversary of Bob Barker's birth, makes me think of that show).

As for more recent shows, Winning Lines and Paranoia had a bit more rules than most shows.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2003, 09:16:55 AM »

Easiest-"What's My Line?" Most complicated, much as I liked it-"Now You See It." (1974-75)

Mike Tennant · « **Reply #7 on:** December 12, 2003, 09:35:37 AM »

Simple: Hollywood Squares, either Rayburn-hosted version of Match Game, Concentration, Jeopardy!, WOF (though they've made it more complicated over the years with all the special puzzles, toss-up rounds, etc.), Tic Tac Dough, Card Sharks, . . .heck, practically every successful game show. If the rules are complicated, the average channel-surfing viewer just isn't going to follow the game.

Complicated: Trebek Double Dare, Whew!.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 12, 2003, 09:37:47 AM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 08:58 AM\']

Quote

What, in your opinion, was the game show with the simplest rules that ran a long time?

Simple rules with long runs: "Wheel of Fortune", "Password", "Match Game", "Family Feud" and even "Newlywed Game" all come to mind.

Quote

And on the flip side...What was one game show that you would attribute its short life to hard-to-understand rules?

I'd have to agree with "Whew". Although I understood it perfectly, it would probably take the "average" viewer a while to figure it out. Still, it had a nice run of just over a year, so it was on for a while. (It's still my hope that we'll see this whole run again eventually -- I wonder if GSN would ever consider picking this one up?)

A couple of others that come to mind that would probably confuse the "average" veiwer: "Blankety Blanks" (because it was never clear who's turn it was going to be until Bill picked the next card); and "Winning Streak". [/quote]
I seem to recall reading that early in GSN's life, they wanted to pick up Whew, but Burt Sugarman wanted too much money; as if he had many other properties that could earn him some income.

zachhoran · « **Reply #9 on:** December 12, 2003, 09:40:28 AM »

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 09:37 AM\']
I seem to recall reading that early in GSN's life, they wanted to pick up Whew, but Burt Sugarman wanted too much money; as if he had many other properties that could earn him some income. [/quote]
C. 1996-97, VH1 aired reruns of Sugarman's 70s weekly rock and roll performance show Midnight Special. Sugarman is still sitting on whatever episodes of Whew! and Celebrity Sweepstakes and Wizard of Odds he might still have(GSN has the Wizard pilot as it was done in association with Columbia Pictures)

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2003, 09:50:44 AM »

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 09:40 AM\'] [quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 09:37 AM\']
I seem to recall reading that early in GSN's life, they wanted to pick up Whew, but Burt Sugarman wanted too much money; as if he had many other properties that could earn him some income. [/quote]
C. 1996-97, VH1 aired reruns of Sugarman's 70s weekly rock and roll performance show Midnight Special. Sugarman is still sitting on whatever episodes of Whew! and Celebrity Sweepstakes and Wizard of Odds he might still have(GSN has the Wizard pilot as it was done in association with Columbia Pictures) [/quote]
I can just imagine life at the Sugarman home. "Mary, I'm not coming to bed. I'll be in the vault watching my old game shows. (rubbing hands together) Bwahahha."

aaron sica · « **Reply #11 on:** December 12, 2003, 09:59:59 AM »

Wow! 10 replies already....

Anyway, let me answer my own questions.

The game show with the simplest format that lasted a long time - Concentration. Concept is very simple - find a match, win the prize, solve the rebus.

The game show with the most complicated format that didn't last long at all - Maybe it's just me, but I never fully understood the rules to the 1976 version of "Break the Bank"...

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #12 on:** December 12, 2003, 11:26:58 AM »

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 10:37 AM\'] I seem to recall reading that early in GSN's life, they wanted to pick up Whew, but Burt Sugarman wanted too much money; as if he had many other properties that could earn him some income. [/quote]
I think it's safe to say that GSN would have been happy to pick up ANY game show product for the right price in the early days. "Too much money" is an extremely relative concept. "More than GSN wanted to pay" would be more accurate.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #13 on:** December 12, 2003, 11:35:27 AM »

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 10:59 AM\'] The game show with the simplest format that lasted a long time - Concentration. Concept is very simple - find a match, win the prize, solve the rebus. [/quote]
Sorry to diasagree with the originator of this interesting thread, but a LOT of the other examples that have been given were much less complicated games than Concentration. Takes and Forfeits and "still your turn" and Wild Card matches and even understanding how rebuses work? There was just a lot more to Concentration than there was to the early panel shows, The Newlywed Game or especially The Dating Game.

Not to say Concentration was complex. The best shows usually are fairly simple at their core. It just wasn't the simplest.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2003, 11:41:12 AM »

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Dec 12 2003, 08:28 AM\'] I will admit, one of my favorite pastimes is to see someone post an idea about a new game show only to have Chris Lemon shoot it down

So with that, I thought I would try to start another discussion that I can see going places.

What, in your opinion, was the game show with the simplest rules that ran a long time?

And on the flip side...What was one game show that you would attribute its short life to hard-to-understand rules? [/quote]
Jeopardy, Tic Tac Dough, Hollywood Squares, Joker's Wild.

They all have relativelyt easy ideas, it's just the questions that make them tough. I'd say that, and the strategy involved, but that's all on the contestant.

Cross-Wits is pretty simple, as is Family Feud

Complicated, I'd say "Go." It would be a fun party game, but it just looks like it's too much going on.