The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: beatlefreak84 on August 14, 2005, 12:20:52 AM

Title: Game shows in Chicago
Post by: beatlefreak84 on August 14, 2005, 12:20:52 AM

Hello everyone,

Well, I thought I'd pose this question to the "elite" of game show trivia and see what you guys could come up with:

About a month ago, I was told by one of my distant relatives that her mother was on a game show in the mid or late '60s.  She didn't know anything about the show except that the show was taped in Chicago.  I figured that alone would knock the number of possibilities down considerably, but I don't know.

All she wanted to know is what game show it was (I'm guessing her mother is either passed away or doesn't remember either).  I offered the guess of "Treasure Isle," but I'm not sure that it was taped in Chicago.

Can any of you offer any possible guesses?  It'd be nice to finally be able to answer this question.

Thanks!

Anthony

Title: Game shows in Chicago
Post by: Jimmy Owen on August 14, 2005, 12:46:45 AM

WMAQ had a good number of local shows, the best known being "Everything's Relative" and "The Letter Game."  Uncamark will have more below this post.

Title: Game shows in Chicago
Post by: DrBear on August 14, 2005, 02:26:42 AM

All I can add is that it wasn't "Treasure Isle," which was of course taped in sunny Palm Beach Shores, Fla., and is possibly the only thing of note ever to happen in that city.

Title: Game shows in Chicago
Post by: uncamark on August 15, 2005, 01:04:23 PM

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Aug 13 2005, 11:46 PM\']WMAQ had a good number of local shows, the best known being "Everything's Relative" and "The Letter Game."  Uncamark will have more below this post.

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That was before I moved to Chicago.

The only other name I can throw out is "Let's Face It," a show aired on Saturday nights on WBKB (now WLS) in 1967 and 1968, hosted by Bill Leyden and owned by Ralph Edwards.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was a candidate for possible distribution to the ABC O&Os and syndication, but when KGO's "Anniversary Game" won out, "Let's Face It" ended production and went off the air.

Nothing else other than "It's Academic" and perhaps another high school quiz show, AFAIK.

Title: Game shows in Chicago
Post by: geno57 on August 15, 2005, 06:39:18 PM

I was in the audience for some "Letter Game" tapings at WMAQ-TV in the mid-60s. Like WOF, "The Letter Game" was based on Hangman. Shows were taped two or three weeks ahead of their air dates, but I'd be willing to bet an unemployment check that none exist today.

The MC was Twin Cities TV personality Jim Hutton, who had earlier hosted "Everything's Relative", which was taped at 'MAQ for syndication to the NBC O&O stations. I had a nice, long conversation with his wife last November. Although Jim is still living, his health has been poor in recent years. Last fall, in fact, he suffered a pretty bad stroke.

Even earlier than "Everything's Relative", WMAQ (still known then as WNBQ) had "Tug-O-War", a quiz, in the mid-afternoon time slot following the original "Match Game".