Memories of TV Game Shows! by Maxene Fabe?

[Offshored2007]

I can't remember where I bought a copy when it came out back then (perhaps a Caldor location in New York), but it still sits in the collection. How Pro-Fan made the top forty is still a mystery.

[Clay Zambo]

My favorite part was seeing the stage plan for Card Sharks.

Oh, my goodness yes. What a beautiful ground plan.

[JasonA1]

I too was someone who checked this book out over and over and over again from the local library. I don't think any other media on the genre, before or since, has given us such a thorough inside look. Not until "Come On Down" was there something comparable (which itself let us see what the celebrities saw on their Pyramid monitors). My favorite page in the Maxene Fabe book was the one with the fronts and backs of host question cards.

-Jason

[BrandonFG]

My favorite part was seeing the stage plan for Card Sharks.

I couldn’t remember if it was CS or MG that had the blueprint, but I thought that was awesome as well. There was a diagram of the MG set, as seen from overhead. When I thought I’d be a set designer as a child, I drew a ton of similar diagrams.

[Clay Zambo]

My favorite part was seeing the stage plan for Card Sharks.

I couldn’t remember if it was CS or MG that had the blueprint, but I thought that was awesome as well. There was a diagram of the MG set, as seen from overhead. When I thought I’d be a set designer as a child, I drew a ton of similar diagrams.

Definitely CS.  The Match Game one was a much simpler drawing illustrating camera positions.

[BrandonFG]

My favorite part was seeing the stage plan for Card Sharks.

I couldn’t remember if it was CS or MG that had the blueprint, but I thought that was awesome as well. There was a diagram of the MG set, as seen from overhead. When I thought I’d be a set designer as a child, I drew a ton of similar diagrams.

Definitely CS.  The Match Game one was a much simpler drawing illustrating camera positions.

Thanks. I haven't read the book in at least 25 years, give or take. I remember liking the MG diagram more because of the simplicity. Now, I'd love to see the CS blueprints.

[gromit82]

I looked at Wikipedia's "List of American game shows" to find game shows which had had a TV run of at least 5 consecutive years by 1977, on the assumption that running for 5 consecutive years should be considered a success. (So shows such as Pyramid, Wheel of Fortune, and Family Feud would not be counted for this purpose because they had been on for less than 5 years as of 1977.) At least the following shows had achieved a 5-year run by 1977:

Beat the Clock
Break the Bank
College Bowl
Concentration
The Dating Game
Hollywood Squares
I've Got a Secret
Jeopardy!
Juvenile Jury
Let's Make a Deal
Life Begins at Eighty
Masquerade Party
Match Game
Name That Tune
The Newlywed Game
Pantomime Quiz
The Price Is Right
Quiz Kids
Sale of the Century
Stop the Music
To Tell the Truth
Truth or Consequences
Twenty Questions
What's My Line?
The Who, What, or Where Game
You Bet Your Life
You Don't Say!

There may be others which I missed or skipped because they were questionable as being game shows.

[chrisholland03]

Thanks. I haven't read the book in at least 25 years, give or take. I remember liking the MG diagram more because of the simplicity. Now, I'd love to see the CS blueprints.

Glad to share

https://imgur.com/rpsZGz6

[BrandonFG]

Thank you! I have a slightly better understanding, having now seen the show.

[calliaume]

To state the obvious, for anybody who wants to purchase a copy of the book, there are 10 copies available on Amazon, ranging in price from $8.57 to $25.00 (I think somebody here may have already bought the one that was less than seven dollars since this thread began.) I'm tempted to buy a "new" copy, considering the one I have is taped together.

[Card Shark]

I too was someone who checked this book out over and over and over again from the local library. I don't think any other media on the genre, before or since, has given us such a thorough inside look. Not until "Come On Down" was there something comparable (which itself let us see what the celebrities saw on their Pyramid monitors). My favorite page in the Maxene Fabe book was the one with the fronts and backs of host question cards.

-Jason

I would be very interested to see what the hosts actually see on their questions cards, particularly Card Sharks, where Jim sometimes had additional information on answers that he would share after the reveal. Anything like that in this book?

[JasonA1]

I've seen some from the Eubanks era. While I haven't seen any with additional answer info, my gut says it was just in parentheses after the reveal sentence (not unlike some MGHSH Squares cards I saw once).

Imagine the following (line breaks and all) in the Manifold 72 font seen on this page:

WE SURVEYED ONE HUNDRED WOMEN,
AND WE ASKED THEM...

"HAVE YOU EVER PRETENDED YOUR DOORBELL WAS
RINGING JUST TO GET A LONG-WINDED CALLER
OFF THE TELEPHONE?"

HOW MANY WOMEN ADMITTED THEY HAVE PRETENDED
THEIR DOORBELL WAS RINGING?




THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF WOMEN WHO HAVE
PRETENDED THEIR DOORBELL WAS RINGING
IS _____.



-Jason

[Neumms]

On her set design opinions: Granted, Money Maza had the dorky backdrop on top, but geez it's a giant Pavlovian maze. Video Village and Double Dare bad? I wouldn't want this woman designing my house.

[carlisle96]

Not just TV games..she identifies the radio soap opera about a husband and wife detective team "Two On a Clue" as a game show and credits the 1944 radio game "Which is Which," hosted by Ken Murray, as being Jan Murray's first game show