Game Show Network at 30

[Casey Buck]

30 years ago today, Game Show Network launched. It's still around today, still devoted to game shows (arguably more than it was ~15-20 years ago).

However, the linear cable industry is in big trouble lately. Will GSN make it to 35?

[Ian Wallis]

I remember that day well.  I had my C-band satellite dish pointed to G7 Ch 6 eagerly anticipating 7 PM when they signed on.  It was a Thursday night, and after working on Friday I enjoyed a glorious weekend watching all those old classic shows I hadn't seen in years.

My dish was pointed almost permanently at it for the next five years or so.

While I do like *some* of their originals, I miss those early days!

[Casey Buck]

Adam Nedeff has a REALLY good quality version of GSN's launch montage on his Facebook page:

[Dbacksfan12]

At about 5:37, there's a clip of a TTD bonus round.  When were the dollar amounts ever that small?

[MSTieScott]

At the very beginning of the show's run:

[aaron sica]

At the very beginning of the show's run:

Taking a moment to process how long Johnny Gilbert has been around. What a legend. This was *1978*, and he's still going strong now.

[SuperMatch93]

Taking a moment to process how long Johnny Gilbert has been around. What a legend. This was *1978*, and he's still going strong now.

Something that blows my mind: he hosted Music Bingo in the 1950s. I believe that makes him the last person still in the business to have hosted a show that far back.

[BrandonFG]

Dick Van Dyke had “Mother’s Day” around the same time and is still going strong.

[Winkfan]

Something that blows my mind: he hosted Music Bingo in the 1950s. I believe that makes him the last person still in the business to have hosted a show that far back.

You forget, nowadays he's not quite present at the Trebek stage anymore.

Cordially,
Tammy

[Dbacksfan12]

Did SM93 ever say that he was?

Scott, thank you for finding the clip

[BrandonFG]

You forget, nowadays he's not quite present at the Trebek stage anymore.

I mean...Don Pardo spent the last few years of his life announcing SNL from his home in Arizona but he was still an active crew member. The show paid tribute to Johnny a few months ago - complete with a standing ovation from the audience - and his name still appears in the credits.

He's still quite present on the show itself.

[Chelsea Thrasher]

He's still quite present on the show itself.

The massive spike of applause and cheers in Pop Culture J! ep 1 when Colin mentioned that Johnny was announcing the show sounded very legitimate, and appeared to catch Colin a tiny bit by surprise (but delighted). He also for the same episode had a delightful and hilarious category, Johnny Gilbert: Film Thespian, where he voiced an entire category of deliberately hammy and over the top line reads from movies, and it was magnificent.

Even if he's no longer always present in the studio itself, Johnny Gilbert is just as if not more of a part of the show than he's ever been.  There aren't very many folks from the classic era of the genre left, but he's still going strong at 96 and I plan to cherish and be grateful for every episode we still have with him.