Entire formats you don't like

[Unrealtor]

Part of the lightning in a bottle aspect of MG 7x was the era. Standards had loosened up to the point where you could make obvious double-entendres, but you couldn't actually acknowledge the second meaning. Humor today is all about crossing boundaries, so everyone goes for the obvious dirty joke.

On topic, I've never been a fan of dating or "guess your partner's answer" couples shows in any form.

[J.R.]

On topic, I've never been a fan of dating or "guess your partner's answer" couples shows in any form.

I've always wondered if there was ever a couple who ever "gamed" the game?

You know like "If they ask for a color, we'll say Green" or "If they ask for a woman's name, we'll say Judy", etc.

[Twentington]

Furthermore, nearly every TNG and TDG I've ever seen had multiple instances of answers so off-the-mark st00pid that I wondered how they managed to successfully operate the door leading into the studio. ("What's your husband's favorite condiment?" "Pool table.")

A Group of Pill-Pushers. Strawberry Lip Girls. Miners & Hoes. An Ugly Child. Geronimo Horse. Superman and Spider Woman.

For one, answers like that on Wheel only come around every few months or so. On TNG, they feel like they come around every episode.

Second of all, maybe it's just that I don't like the format and am transferring the blame to the dopey answers. As I already said, I generally don't like dating or relationship shows, so maybe I just need to stop there.

[Adam Nedeff]

I've always wondered if there was ever a couple who ever "gamed" the game?

You know like "If they ask for a color, we'll say Green" or "If they ask for a woman's name, we'll say Judy", etc.

In Bob Eubanks' autobiography, he says it happened once on "The Newlywed Game." The couple got caught and the episode didn't air.

[Matt Ottinger]

I've always wondered if there was ever a couple who ever "gamed" the game?
You know like "If they ask for a color, we'll say Green" or "If they ask for a woman's name, we'll say Judy", etc.

In Bob Eubanks' autobiography, he says it happened once on "The Newlywed Game." The couple got caught and the episode didn't air.

I would think that would be a nearly impossible thing to catch, much less prove, without going into a ridiculous amount of investigation.  And all over a new refrigerator?  

I remember noting that on multiple choice questions, whatever they asked the wives they'd ask the husbands in a different order.  So they made some effort to prevent "gaming".  Still, I have to think that couples employed 'cheat' strategies a lot more than Bob's letting on.

[Bob Zager]

Although I occassionally enjoy special "Celebrity," or "All-Star," editions of game shows, I haven't liked when they over-do-it, and sometimes permanently make that transition.

One of my biggest disappointments was "Celebrity Bullseye."  What made it even more disappointing was how the local TV Book, which came with the Sunday Detroit News/Free Press, would mention ALL the celebrity guests to appear on the program each night!  This made it easy to tell who was gonna win a match, and go on to meet another celebrity.  Of course, I could've just avoided reading the listings!

Bob, did the Detroit News/Free Press list celebs for other games, too? It seems like a lot of newspapers stopped listing game-show celebs sometime around 1978, so to hear about one from the '80s that still did piques my interest!

To keep the post on-topic, I was never much for Q&A shows, but a lot of that has to do with the fact that I'm not really that bright.


Brendan

That is a good question, and I don't recall there being any celebrity listings for other game shows at that time.  One thing for sure, network game shows were fading away almost entirely around that time (FF on ABC; TPIR and TT on CBS; and four others on NBC, until just WOF in spring of 1982).  Come to think of it, they may not have always listed the celebrities for "Celebrity Bullseye," in the weekly book, but the daily paper TV listings usually did, and that's how you could usually determine who was going to win or lose, if you watched the show loyally.

More recently, USA Today and other publications used to mention the names/winnings for "Celebrity Jeopardy!" participants.

[TLEberle]

I'm also pretty burned out, frankly, on anything that's a straight-ahead Q&A quiz.  Once you've had Jeopardy!, why bother any more?  I only like Q&A games if there's a really good twist ... such as the Blockbusters board.

What do you term a straight-ahead Q&A quiz? Does Sale of the Century fall in there? How about Who/What/Where? History IQ is probably as dry as they come (except for the little video clips, I guess) but I sure did enjoy playing along when I could and learning something when I didn't.

[BrandonFG]

I think many of the "classics" used a clever twist to a trivia contest (With Sale, you build up your bank to buy discounted gifts, Jeopardy you give the questions, TTD was just that...tic-tac-toe). But, the hook was making a pedestrian trivia game engaging, and those shows did that. Millionaire and The Challengers are really simple on paper (and honestly on TV too), but added their own twists that made them engaging.

On the other hand Free 4 All was the probably straightest Q & A I saw, and it made watching paint dry seem like a nailbiter.

[Jimmy Owen]

Any of the Charades-based shows.

I can only think of Showoffs and Body language, and the latter's puzzle portion actually made the show interesting to watch.

I'm also including "Stump the Stars" and "Celebrity Charades."  I'm too young to have seen "Pantomime Quiz."

[carlisle96]

Any of the Charades-based shows.

I can only think of Showoffs and Body language, and the latter's puzzle portion actually made the show interesting to watch.

I'm also including "Stump the Stars" and "Celebrity Charades."  I'm too young to have seen "Pantomime Quiz."

If you saw Stump the Stars, you saw Pantomine Quiz. It was the same show, but with a much more stylish set and the panelists wore evening clothes.

[JakeT]

On topic, I've never been a fan of dating or "guess your partner's answer" couples shows in any form.

While I tend to agree with you on that, I still love to watch the Pat & Charlie episode of "The Newlywed Game" over and over and goofy me chokes up with Pat every time at that winning moment...

JakeT

[cyclone45]

Furthermore, nearly every TNG and TDG I've ever seen had multiple instances of answers so off-the-mark st00pid that I wondered how they managed to successfully operate the door leading into the studio. ("What's your husband's favorite condiment?" "Pool table.")

A Group of Pill-Pushers. Strawberry Lip Girls. Miners & Hoes. An Ugly Child. Geronimo Horse. Superman and Spider Woman.  

Those are just a small selection of the moronic guesses on Wheel. Nevermind the nonsensical letter calls and general abject stupidity.  Hell, those examples were just from the first page of search results for dumbassery from the show. There are a LOT more. If moronic answers on the part of contestants is a disqualifying criteria for you, one of your personal favorites fails rather vividly.

Also: Not the biggest fan of stunt shows (ranging from Beat the Clock to Fear Factor).  Just not particularly enjoyable television to me.

Total opposite for me.. I LOVE stunt shows! Then again, I'd like the way Pat or Bud had a reading tone in their voice as they read the directions.

[Game Show Man]

On topic, I've never been a fan of dating or "guess your partner's answer" couples shows in any form.

While I tend to agree with you on that, I still love to watch the Pat & Charlie episode of "The Newlywed Game" over and over and goofy me chokes up with Pat every time at that winning moment...

JakeT

Throw me on the pile of folks who don't care for those shows, especially The Newlywed Game, despite being a mark for Bob Eubanks.  I still think Eubanks's best work was his stint on Card Sharks, but YMMV.

[geno57]

I'm also pretty burned out, frankly, on anything that's a straight-ahead Q&A quiz.  Once you've had Jeopardy!, why bother any more?  I only like Q&A games if there's a really good twist ... such as the Blockbusters board.

What do you term a straight-ahead Q&A quiz? Does Sale of the Century fall in there? How about Who/What/Where?

Sorry I missed this earlier.  I don't recall enough about Sale to answer that.  But The Three W's?  Definitely a great twist, with the wagering system.

[BillCullen1]

Formats I hated were the Pat Finn version of The Joker's Wild   and the "all-star" versions of games. The novelty wears thin after a while. Password, Bullseye,  and to some extent,  Millionaire  and  Weakest Link  prove this.

I was never a huge fan of dating shows, but I can tolerate an ep of TNG or TDG on occasion.