A 5-Episode Game Show Sampler

[JasonA1]

I saw a thread elsewhere about what 5 songs you'd pick to get someone to love a musical genre they'd not been exposed to before. That got me thinking about what 5 episodes I'd put together for someone who's never given game shows a chance, with the goal to see them fall in love with the genre the same way so many of us did growing up.

1) An '80s episode of Pyramid -- one without an illegal clue or other weirdness in the Winner's Circle
2) An '80s episode of The Price is Right -- one in which a contestant, staff member and/or game gives Bob some trouble, to play up the "anything can happen" nature we used to get so much of on game shows
3) A current episode of Jeopardy! -- one with a satisfying, gettable Final; I think it's best to show off contemporary material, too, rather than pick a Trebek episode and have someone struggle with politicians of the past, etc.
4) A current episode of Family Feud -- featuring at least one benign main game question such as "Who is the greatest ____ of all time?" which they've been having on occasion lately. I thought Dawson first, but the kissing is pretty off-putting to younger folks, and like Jeopardy!, the more up-to-date, the better
5) A '70s episode of Match Game -- with some antics, for the same reason I want them on Price, but with no questions that are too topical, so as to lose your potential new convert

The biggest debate I had was -- Pyramid, or Password? The problem with Password is that the '60s shows are a little too quaint, and the extant ABC episodes are pretty confusing. An Allen-hosted Password Plus could probably do the trick. And Alphabetics is certainly easier to grok on first blush than a Winner's Circle.

-Jason

[BrandonFG]

1. J! from the mid-2010s. By this point the show is an institution, but Alex has gotten away from the stuffy professor stereotype and has become more grandfatherly in his role. I think the superchamps of the 2010s gave the show more personality, and allowed the contestants to become rockstars in their own right.

2. An 80s shopping episode of Wheel, or one from c. 1992-93 when the show was still pretty loose and fun.

3. TPiR from about 1988-94...that's mostly from a place of nostalgia as it's when I came into the show. But IMO this was right before the Barker era started going into cruise control mode, give or take a year.

4. Millionaire from 1999-2000. I don't think anyone under 30 realizes just how much of a watercooler show this was back in the day, or how big of a deal it was when John Carpenter won it all. He even made a cameo on SNL the following night.

5. It could be I'm mostly burned out on MG lately, but I'd replace it with Press Your Luck. The Larsen reign of terror stands out in my mind, but I'd go for a general episode from about 1984 or '85 that has a few more Whammies.

[Kevin Prather]

Jeopardy: An episode from the Decades tournament. Probably the Jennings/Forrest/Schumacher semi-final.

Millionaire: "Doug Van Gundy, absolutely."

Wheel: An episode from 92-94, where the quality of play was becoming so good that they actually started making the game challenging.

Price is Right: Danielle becomes the biggest one-day winner.

Press Your Luck: The Spin Battle between Lori and Cathi.

It pains me to not have Pyramid on my list, but I just can't take any of these away. Pyramid is definitely my #6 for this exercise.

[Jeremy Nelson]

Price is Right- specifically an episode with a tense Three Strikes for a luxury car.

The Chase UK- I love Jeopardy, but the trivia host in me knows that people unused to trivia get intimidated easily. The multiple choice rounds and the constant tension keep the uninitiated engaged.

Wheel of Fortune- I'd pick a road show- probably Radio City 1988 to show just how big of a deal the show had become.

Hollywood Squares- The You Fool! episode still holds up.

Super Sloppy Double Dare- I think the show was at its best around 89 when it increased the mess but the parents weren't involved yet.

#6 for me would have been The Moneymaze, if only because watching otherwise level headed adults run through a maze in safari jackets for a mink coat runs counter to what most people envision when thinking of game shows.

[WhammyPower]

I love game shows with those unscripted moments that just turn an entire show on its head.

Hollywood Squares - I'd have to agree with "You Fool!". Such an epic episode.

Match Game 77 - School Riot episode.

Double Dare (Mad Mountaineers vs. Chowderheads) - ALL the pies. So many pies in the first segment that Marc is forced to wear the most hideous jacket for the rest of the episode.


Plus two entries from the UK:

The Crystal Maze (Ayoade Series 3, Episode 1) - Zero crystals. I don't think I need to say any more than that.

I Literally Just Told You (Series 1, Episode 2) - I'm truly surprised this format hasn't crossed the pond yet. This episode in particular goes downhill very quickly.

[aaron sica]

Wheel of Fortune - 1980 episode where Linda buys a car with her winnings from the round.

Price is Right - 6,000th show? Amy is a big winner for the day.

Match Game 74 - Bouncy, Bubbly Marlena amuses Gene and the celebs.

Super Password - The episode where Rip Taylor takes off his toupee.

$25,000 Pyramid (80s) - any episode that ends in a 21-21 tie and goes to the tiebreaker.

[nowhammies10]

Wheel of Fortune: an episode from Season 13 (1995-96) specifically -- this is the first year of Harry Friedman's tenure and their first year at Sony. It's also the last full year using the "classic" formula of the show.

Jeopardy!: It's the granddaddy of quiz shows in North America for a reason. I'd pick day 2 of the 2017 TOC finals with Alan, Buzzy, and Austin.

The $100,000 Pyramid (Clark): Any episode with a $100,000 win, preferably one that's come toward the end of the "tournament" week where there have been some close calls. The best game developed for television being played at its best.

Match Game: The School Riot episode comes to mind, but really any week from the mid-'70s the where most of the panel are semi-regulars. Even a Match Game PM from that time where everybody's gone off the rails.

Russian Roulette: This is a little off-the-board, but it's a sentimental favourite. The music package is one of the best ever used on a game show, adding a foreboding undercurrent to what's a fairly straightforward game with a fun gimmick. Burton Richardson's announcing is brilliant. Mark L. Walberg perfectly straddles the line between "hey, I'm on the contestant's side here" and "people falling through a hole in the floor never gets old". All of the above, combined with a big-money bonus round? Sold.

[BillCullen1]

My turn

TPIR - an episode between 1980 - 85 with Barker, his beauties and Johnny O where all six pricing games are won. I feel this is when the show was in its prime.

Match Game PM - an ep from the first three seasons with Brett, Charles and Richard

The $100,000 Pyramid - an ep where the top prize is won

Wheel of Fortune - an ep from the '90s where Vanna actually turns the letters

Press Your Luck - gotta be the Larson episode

[JasonA1]

Match Game PM - an ep from the first three seasons with Brett, Charles and Richard

Very good call. Not only can I remember lots of PM-specific moments already, but self-contained vs. straddling is something I've had to explain before, and it's best not to get into that when you're in an "introductory course."

I avoided "once-in-a-lifetime"-type episodes for my own list, because I didn't want to set expectations too high for my hypothetical viewer. Eons ago, I got the Jim Hess episode of Press Your Luck in a trade, and managed to get some curious heads who were visiting to turn towards the screen because the game built to a fever pitch. I don't think it's strictly necessary to present the show's top spin battle, or the guy who broke the format, to get people interested. But YMMV, which is why we have a thread.

Similarly, I screened the infamous Post-It Notes moment on Million Dollar Money Drop with a group recently, and they wondered why the show didn't make it past a first season. Beyond the fallout from the research issue, that particular set of contestants were fun to watch AND they risked $800,000 on one question. Both of those factors were not standard issue on that show, if memory serves.

-Jason

[Joe Mello]

The specific guy I'm inventing to be mad about has at least heard of and has probably seen the big 4 shows. Also, since I'm much more of a game design guy these days, I'm probably going to favor formats with a little bit of crunch or at least challenge the perception of a game show.

• The 1% Club - one with a good variety of solidly-constructed puzzles; the format is take or leave, but the "questions" are what I'm after
• Only Connect - one of the more accessible episodes; again to showcase the material but the pyramidal question style of the format is decent, too
• The Chase (UK) - I want some Gladiators in my Jeopardy. I have yet to find a "Double Trouble" episode but it might match the vibe I want to give better.
• Wheel of Fortune - ideally a Chuck episode where someone buys a car; it just plays vastly different to even the 90's version and the build to a car is something that got lost when Playing For Cash
• Panel Quiz Attack 25 - Someone has subtitled an episode from the 2010's featuring the current host; it's Jeopardy but also Othello and also more chill vibes. It also challenges the idea of "Japanese Game Show" so there's another stereotype busted

[Dbacksfan12]

The "You Fool" inclusion on a couple lists is surprising; IIRC, there was very little gameplay on that episode. 

My list...
*Any episode of The $100,000 Pyramid from '86-'88.
*An episode of Remote Control with Adam Sandler in it
*An episode of Supermarket Sweep, probably from the most recent PAX run.  Buying groceries is relatable.
*Family Feud, specifically the Combs run.  I think Dawson's antics would be a turnoff to many.
*An episode of Card Sharks hosted by Jim Perry with an exciting Money Cards run.  Tons of playalong that sucks you in.


I concur with Jeremy that trivia can be intimidating...or may make someone "feel stupid", so I excluded anything that would be considered a "hard quiz".  Additionally, I excluded anything notable from the last 20 years or so.  Even if they've never given game shows a chance, they've likely heard about Ken Jennings, etc.

Without hijacking this thread--in the future, I'd like to do a "second level" of this--exposing someone who likes mainstream shows to shows slightly more obscure.  This is an exercise I've actually done with a friend.  Great exercise, Jason!

[Jeremy Nelson]

The "You Fool" inclusion on a couple lists is surprising; IIRC, there was very little gameplay on that episode. 

For me, this falls in the category of “the humor makes up for the lack of show”. Squares was never meant to be a super content heavy show in the first place, and I’d actually argue that it only looks like there’s less gameplay because they never make it out of the first round. They end up asking just about as many questions as any standard episode from that era.

[Winkfan]

Read these choices and weep.....

1.) The Big Falldown--I mean, Showdown! (1974)
2.) Gambit from 1974 with The Livingstons
3.) Card Sharks from 1978 where Norma Brown "shoots the works."
4.) The original Password from right after Betty married Allen.
5.) Thom McKee's defeat on Tic Tac Dough

Cordially,
Tammy

[aaron sica]

TPIR - an episode between 1980 - 85 with Barker, his beauties and Johnny O where all six pricing games are won. I feel this is when the show was in its prime.

The important question here - did Barker keep the game moving?

[SuperMatch93]

This thread is honestly super helpful, since I've been exposing my girlfriend to many different game shows over the years with varying degrees of success.

One thing I've noticed, though, is that shows that are on the drier side (even stuff we wouldn't consider dry necessarily) have gone over like a lead balloon. Although she likes Moore TTTT, for instance, she couldn't stand What's My Line when I showed it to her. Conversely, although we were both into Countdown for a while, she really doesn't like British shows. I even showed her a mid-80s Krypton Factor once and she was bored out of her mind by the final round.