The problem with classifying anything as a game show is that there will be something that will either:
a. match most of the rules but contain something that disqualifies it.
b. totally not qualify but match one rule.
So what rules are we talking about? Well, there are a few that have been suggested:
1. It must have a game. Well, duh! (As opposed to a sporting event.) The game should be specifically created for the show.
2. Someone must win something.
3. It must appear on television/radio and be made for television/radio.
So let's look at some borderline cases:
Survivor, and its ilk. It's made for television, includes games, and somebody must win something. But there's a ton of folks who refuse to call it a game show.
The difference may be that the game is a minor part of the program, and the bulk of it is observation of
The Gong Show: It wasn't a game, really, but it's considered a game show. It was a competition. But not all competitions are games hows; you would likely not, for example, consider \"American Gladiators\" a game show, although someone else might.
Truth or Consequences: People get prizes, but the show is more an observation of humans in silly situations than a contest. (And those reunions have more in common with \"This Is Your Life\" than a game show.
Which leads us to the World Poker Tour (which I also really enjoy, BTW). The main strike against it is that, while it has a game and people win money, the competition could be done without a TV show (even though the tour was basically put together for TV). By contrast, I don't see too many people going out and playing Concentration or The Magnificent Marble Machine at clubs.
So is it a game show. By our standards, no. But then again, what is?[/B]
