Syndicated game shows in primetime?

[gamed121683]

So I'm looking up some old commercials on YouTube & I stumbled upon this old WPIX commercial break from 1978 where at 4:40 mark, they're plugging a weeknight two hour game show block...in primetime!



This kind of blew my mind because for someone who grew up not seeing weeknight syndicated game shows past 7:30, this was quite fascinating. I wonder if anyone else here on the panel recall other weeknight syndicated game show blocks from yesteryear similar to the PIX example I gave?

[BrandonFG]

Just a few years ago, WGNT in Norfolk aired the secondary episode of Celebrity Name Game at 10:30 pm.

WFLD in Chicago aired TTD and TTTT from 8-9, as part of a block kicked off by TJW.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=o_TkbcVCqiA

Looking through newspapers.com, I also found LMAD '80 aired at 8 pm on KXTX, and a few years later, TTD at 9:30 pm on KRLD. When I visited Dallas in the early-90s, I noticed several syndicated shows there aired during the prime time hours, usually talk shows.

[MikeK]

Currently in Cleveland/Akron/Canton, WBNX airs Funny You Should Ask and America Says in the 8-9 PM hour.  WUAB also airs an hour of Family Feud from 9-10 PM on Saturday nights.

The long gone WKBF aired Dealer's Choice and What's My Line? in the 8-9 PM hour from late August 1974 through early March 1975.

[Chuck Sutton]

In Lansing in the 70's the Cbs affliate WJIM/WLNS scheduled Don Adams Screen Test in place of Good Times, which was aired on Saturday sfternoons.

[PYLdude]

WOR aired the first season of the syndicated Sale at either 8 or 8:30 PM (I think the latter) or most of that time; toward the end they moved it to the 7:00 hour. Not a block, per se, but still. Right now, the station (with one extra W) airs the daily Family Feud rerun double dip at 10:00.

For a brief period in the 2000s WLNY shuffled the Jeopardy!/Wheel block, which they usually aired before WABC did, into the 9:00 hour and switched the order so Wheel aired first. This didn't last long.

And at the moment their primetime lineup consists of the same stuff that airs on sister station WCBS in the afternoon, just in a different order; Dr. Phil at 8, the news at 9, and Judge Judy at 10.

[Scrabbleship]

WOR aired the first season of the syndicated Sale at either 8 or 8:30 PM (I think the latter) or most of that time; toward the end they moved it to the 7:00 hour.

If memory serves me right, when syndicated $ale was on at 8:30 (8:00 was a newscast), it was preempted more than it was seen given the sports commitments WOR had. 7:00 lessened the preemptions a bit given how none of the six teams they had the rights to started before 7:30 at that time. The 1978-79 WPIX block probably fell victim to this early on and come the next Spring with the Yankees which might have played a role in Tic-Tac-Dough going to WOR.

Game shows in primetime in NYC weren't that rare at that time. For most of the 70's, WNEW aired a game show at 8:00 (first Moore TTTT, then later [Dealer's Choice then The Cross-Wits) leading into Merv Griffin at 8:30.

To add to modern examples, Feud is partially primetime in at least two other markets (WDCA Washington, 8:30 PM and WHDH Boston, 8:00/8:30 PM) and in Phoenix the WoF/J! combo is in actual primetime (KTVK, 7:00/7:30) which made things interesting during the GOAT tournament.

[splinkynip]

Also on WOR, Million Dollar Chance of a Lifetime aired at 7:30 in its first season, then moved to 8:30 for  its second season.

I believe for the entire 1985-1986 season, WOR aired the Best of Family Feud syndicated package in the 8:30 timeslot, and somewhere another time (I guess part of the 1984-1985 season), Tic Tac Dough reruns from a few seasons back aired in that timeslot.

[Scrabbleship]

Also on WOR, Million Dollar Chance of a Lifetime aired at 7:30 in its first season, then moved to 8:30 for  its second season.

I believe for the entire 1985-1986 season, WOR aired the Best of Family Feud syndicated package in the 8:30 timeslot, and somewhere another time (I guess part of the 1984-1985 season), Tic Tac Dough reruns from a few seasons back aired in that timeslot.

You would be correct about WOR and Best of Family Feud.

[calliaume]

If memory serves me right, when syndicated $ale was on at 8:30 (8:00 was a newscast), it was preempted more than it was seen given the sports commitments WOR had. 7:00 lessened the preemptions a bit given how none of the six teams they had the rights to started before 7:30 at that time. The 1978-79 WPIX block probably fell victim to this early on and come the next Spring with the Yankees which might have played a role in Tic-Tac-Dough going to WOR.

WPIX had Yankees games at the time (and 1978 was a great year for the Yankees), but I don't think they had anything else. Knicks, Nets, Rangers, and Islanders were all on WOR Channel 9.

If memory serves, the game show block was gone before the spring of 1979, although I don't have listings available to confirm. You Don't Say was an early casualty, and wound up being used as filler programming.

[PYLdude]

I'm almost positive TTD stayed on WPIX for at least a couple years, moving to the 6 PM hour by 1981. In fact, now that I think about it, WOR might not have even had TTD until 1984, when it migrated there from WCBS.

[Ian Wallis]

WOKR Rochester NY aired syndicated Name That Tune at 8:30 PM Thursdays, in place of Paper Moon in the fall of 1974.

[splinkynip]

TTD moved to WOR foe second season in fall 1979 paired with TJW. TJW moved to WCBS in fall 1981, TTD followed in April 1982. Both moved back to WOR in fall 1984.

[PYLdude]

TTD moved to WOR foe second season in fall 1979 paired with TJW. TJW moved to WCBS in fall 1981, TTD followed in April 1982. Both moved back to WOR in fall 1984.

I need a confirmation on this from a more local source. I'm not sure this is right.

[Scrabbleship]

TTD moved to WOR foe second season in fall 1979 paired with TJW. TJW moved to WCBS in fall 1981, TTD followed in April 1982. Both moved back to WOR in fall 1984.

I need a confirmation on this from a more local source. I'm not sure this is right.

Confirmation that TTD went to WOR for Season 2.

Back on the WPIX tangent, it appears that they held onto the block until Summer 1979, eventually dumping the LMAD reruns for Make Me Laugh!.

[mmb5]

A fair amount of major market independents in the 70s would air something like Dealer's Choice or Liar's Club at 8 pm as a lead in to Merv Griffin at 8:30 pm.  Detroit's did for sure.