Let's talk about 2002:
Network Millionaire dies, ending the primetime quiz fad, but kicks off the syndicated version - which lasts a decade and a half AND once and for all finally sells networks, affiliates, distributors, and production companies on women emcees as a factor that audiences will accept (Vicki Lawrence's two years on the daytime Win, Lose, or Draw 15 years prior having been the previous high-water-mark).
It's not completely sour on the network front, as Price is Right proves that it CAN work in network primetime, kicking off a series of primetime specials that would last into the first couple of years with Drew, then return starting a few years ago.
2002 was one of the last times the genre experienced a rush of interest in syndication in general. Squares got a massive reboot. Feud got Richard Karn, and proved that it could survive a reboot and host change - this would make them a TON of money eight years later). New, if flawed, attempt at Pyramid (noting here that Donny Osmond as host is criminally underrated, IMO). The syndicated Weakest Link was fun and redeemed George Gray's career - all while Wheel and Jeopardy were in the midst of some changes (2001-03) that refreshed both shows, and it's the year the latter did it's first "let's bring back old contestants" tournament, Million Dollar Masters, a concept that the show has returned to several times since, always to a ratings pop, and was the first proof of concept that J! viewers really were interested in seeing so-called superchamps, something the show has taken to the bank over the last 20 years.
It's also the year GSN largely got itself together as far as the production of originals. Its' only genuinely good original in the first eight years of the channel had been Hollywood Showdown, a PAX co-production. In one calendar year, GSN greenlit two series that were still rerunning on the channel up to 20 years later (Whammy!, Lingo), resurrected a 3rd show from a failed syndication attempt (Russian Roulette), Friend or Foe actually holds up surprisingly well (reruns are streaming on Pluto, BTW), and Wintuition was a decent little quiz. At the same time, it was the last era where they went out of their way to acquire older shows. They turned up two different versions of Squares with Peter Marshall. Win Lose or Draw was airing. Greed became a fixture of the schedule for the next several years. Primetime was a mix and match of versions of franchise series for a while - 70s $20K Pyramid in primetime (Thursday, even) of a top 50 cable network in 2002 is wild. There's a decent argument 2002 might be the channel's best year.
Outside GSN (and Nick GAS), you also had at LEAST a half dozen other games in production. Until ABC got heavy into primetime games a decade and a half later, it truly feels like the last time that game shows felt like a commodity that execs were interested in.
