A trivia question about this retro revival

[Matt Ottinger]

OK, so once the ABC prime time stuff gets going this summer, it will be possible to watch current incarnations of all of the following shows:

Wheel of Fortune
Jeopardy
The Price Is Right
Let's Make a Deal
Family Feud
Pyramid
To Tell the Truth
Match Game

What was the FIRST year in which it would have been possible to see all eight shows at the same time, not counting rerun packages?  If I've done my research right (using EOTVGS, of course) the answer may surprise you!

[colonial]

Just throwing out a guess ... 1991?

Pretty sure NBC Deal, NBC TTTT and Davidson Pyramid fit in that time frame, along with Shafer MG.


JD

[Matt Ottinger]

Just throwing out a guess ... 1991?

Pretty sure NBC Deal, NBC TTTT and Davidson Pyramid fit in that time frame, along with Shafer MG.

Well, THAT didn't take long.

That's what I have, by the narrowest of margins.  NBC's Deal ended on Friday, January 11th, and Davidson's Pyramid started in syndication Monday the 7th.

It just struck me as interesting that all eight shows could firmly be associated with the 1970s, but never all at the same time.

[Bob Zager]

I almost guessed 1975, since Jeopardy! continued to have a weekly nighttime syndicated show, until I realized that Feud didn't start until 1976!

[TimK2003]

My first thought was 1978,, when Jeopardy's first revival was on the air. But I think LMAD was already out of Vegas by then. 

[aaron sica]

My first thought was 1978,, when Jeopardy's first revival was on the air. But I think LMAD was already out of Vegas by then. 

This was a GREAT trivia question and kudos to Matt, as this easily was a question that, on the surface, looked debatable, but it really isn't - LMAD ended its syndication run in 1977 (and, as far as ABC daytime, "Feud" premiered the Monday after LMAD was cancelled).

[BrandonFG]

Unfortunately, I saw the answer on Facebook first, but I agree that this was a great trivia question. It's really hard to believe that, in most years, only six or seven of those shows aired new episodes concurrently.

[Matt Ottinger]

When I came up with it, I was certain that the answer was going to be 1978 because of that misbegotten Jeopardy revival.  And then I was afraid there wasn't going to be a correct answer at all!  I'm sure I would not have been able to answer my own question if not for the research.

[arrowood20]

My first thought was 1978, as well. It's funny how 1991 was the answer, given that game shows were in a pretty significant decline on TV at that point. If my figuring is correct, had the cases of LMAD or Pyramid been different (LMAD ending a week earlier or Pyramid starting a week later), then this year would be the very first time all of these shows aired in new episodes at the same time. Is that right, or did I miss something along the way?

[BrandonFG]

Nope, this would've been the first time, had your scenario played out. At most, only six have aired concurrently since TTTT and MG were canceled in 1991 (the first six, in spring 2003).

[jage]

Nice question. My first thought was 2016, thinking that the '91 Pyramid started after LMAD.

[Matt Ottinger]

Nice question. My first thought was 2016

That would have been a neat trick to the question!

[thomas_meighan]

Similarly, I was surprised once when I figured out that three of the longest-lived word games, Password, Pyramid and You Don't Say!, aired concurrently only from January to March 1979 (or whenever local stations gave up on the Peck YDS!).

During 1972-73, there was a generous selection of Q&A games on the networks' daytime lineups: Jeopardy!; Sale of the Century; The Who, What or Where Game; Three on a Match; Split Second and The Joker's Wild. All were canceled by 1975 and (since Three on a Match hasn't been revived) that combination has never reappeared.