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When GSN came out with their
Top 50 "greatest games of all time", let's just say that
the staff of GSNN were less than pleased. What to do
about it? Create OUR OWN Top 50 games list, of course.
Editors, Contributors,
and Many Denizens of GSNN
When the show first
premiered, we got our thinking caps together and started
to arrange our favorite 50 game shows into convenient
countdown form. What we came up with was a few lists
culled from our editors and contributors into one master
list that we think everyone can agree on.
We didn't stop there,
though. Being that we like to cover all aspects of
game-related television, we also created a top 25
reality game show list.
Starting today, and every
day for the next five days, we will unveil what made our
list until we get to number one. And due to our policy
on neutrality in reporting, you can expect that there
was no unwanted push by network brass where there
needn't be.
Which means neither
Hollywood Showdown nor the $1.98 Beauty Show is on our
list. To fans of those shows, we're sorry.
Anyway, here's your first
10 game shows and first five reality shows. Hope you
enjoy. Away we go.
| GSNN's TOP 50 GAME
SHOWS: 50 - 41 |
 |
50:
STARCADE
Hosts: Mark Richards, Geoff Edwards
Aired: 1982-1984; TBS, Syndication
Creators/EP: James Caruso, Mavis Arthur
Packagers: JM Productions
Geoff Edwards' video
game masterpiece squeaks in at the
bottom 50. Could you get a high score and win a
video game?
Why we like it: who
can't remember growing up in the 1980s and not
wanting a whole room full of the latest arcade
games? That... and the Mindseed electronic theme.
Trivia time: while
working on the show, Geoff became a big fan of video
games, a love he continues to this day. His favorite
on the show... Burgertime. |
 |
49:
TATTLETALES
Host: Bert Convy
Aired: 1974-1978, 1982-1984; CBS
Creators: Mark Goodson, Bill Todman (based on "He
Said, She Said")
EP: Mark Goodson, Bill Todman, Ira Skutch
Packagers: Goodson-Todman Productions
Think Newlywed Game with celebrities. Bert Convy
gets himself on the map with this one.
Why we like it: psychedelic colors adorning the set,
and celebs playing for the audience.
Trivia time: Bert and
his wife would usually play the game, while another
one of the CBS/GT emcees hosts. |
 |
48:
HOT POTATO
Host: Bill Cullen
Aired: 1984; NBC
Creators/EP: Jack Barry, Dan Enright
Packagers: Barry-Enright Productions
In a different spin on survey quizzes, teams that
were always "three of a kind" competed in this very
underrated game show.
Why we like it: the
"challenge" aspect of the game could turn the ship
around for a team at a moment's notice. That and...
Bill Cullen.
Trivia time: this was
the last network game show for both Bill and Barry-Enright
Productions. |
| |
47:
TALKABOUT
Host: Wayne Cox
Aired: 1988-1990; CBC, Fox, Syndication
Creator/EP: Mark Maxwell-Smith
Packager: Comedia, CBC
The original Outburst from our friends up north.
Why we like it: it was a simple, barebones format.
Say enough words and give your opponents a hard time
trying to figure out what it is you were talking
about.Trivia
time: run for two years across CBC and Fox stations,
it was elevated to cult status after a run on USA
and versions in the UK and Ireland. |
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46: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN
SANDIEGO?
Host: Greg Lee
Aired: 1991-1996; PBS
Creators: Howard Blumenthal, Dana Calderwood,
Dorothy Curley (based on original characters created
by Gene Portwood, Mark Iscaro, Dane Bingham, and
Lauren Elliott)
Packager: WQED Pittsburgh, WGBH Boston
We sang the theme song
at GSC5 to locate Chico, but locating the crook was
a kiddie staple for years.
Why we like it: it
was a cast-driven show, and the cast was spot on in
an offbeat presentation style
Trivia Time:
According to NARAS, the show's theme song, written
by Sean Altman and David Yazbek and performed by
Rockapella, is one of the most well-known themes of
all time. |
 |
45:
JACKPOT!
Hosts: Geoff Edwards, Mike Darrow
Aired: 1974-1975, 1985-1989, 1989-1990; NBC, USA,
Syndication
Creator/EP: Bob Stewart
Packager: Bob Stewart Productions
The show with the unique
riddle style marks the second Top 50
entry for Geoff Edwards.
Why we like it: we
said it before, the unique riddle style, coupled
with the on-stage celebrations for big money wins.
Trivia Time: Nipsey
Russell hosted a pilot for CBS in 1984. It failed to
generate interest. |
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44:
I'VE GOT A SECRET
Hosts: Garry Moore, Steve Allen, Bill Cullen,
Stephanie Miller, Bil Dwyer
Aired: 1952-1967, 1972-1973, 1976, 2000-2001,
2006-present; CBS, Oxygen, GSN
Creator: Allen Sherman
EP: Gil Fates ('52, '72, '76 versions), Ron Deutsch
(2000 version), Burt Dubrow (2006 version), Jean
Wiegman (2006 version)
Packager: Goodson-Todman Productions (1952-1976),
Oxygen Media (2000-2001), Burt Dubrow Productions
(2006-pres), Get Real Entertainment (2006-pres)
It gets knocked down
because of the current version,
but you can't deny that this show's longevity finds
a place here.
Why we like it: it
was essentially a GT-sanctioned "What's My Line"
knockoff, and we liked "What's My Line", so....
Trivia Time:
ironically, the man who invented television, Philo
T. Farnsworth, made his only TV appearance on this
show. He won $80 and a case of smokes. |
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43:
BULLSEYE (UK)
Hosts: Jim Bowen, Dave Spikey
Aired: 1981-1995, 2006-present; ITV, Challenge
Creator: Norman Vaughn, Andrew Wood
EP: Richard Bradley, Bob Cousins, Peter Holmans ('81
version)
Packager: Central for ITV (1981-1996), Granada plc
(2006)
One Hundred Eiiighttyyyyyy!!! Ok. so we're not
completely unbiased here...
Why we like it: Bully.
Also, the unique blend of darts and trivia always
makes for a good time.
Trivia time: Tony
Green is the scorekeeper of every version of the
show that ever aired. |
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42:
TWENTY ONE
Hosts: Jack Barry, Maury Povich
Aired: 1956-1958, 2000; NBC
Creator: Robert Noah
EP: Jack Barry, Dan Enright ('56 version); Phil
Gurin, Fred Silverman (2000 version)
Packager: Barry-Enright Productions (1956-1958), The
Gurin Company (2000), The Fred Silverman Company
(2000), NBC (1956-2000)
Jack Barry's rigged show created celebrities out of
Charles van Doren and Herb Stempel and almost the
end of the game show genre as we know it. Maury
Povich's non-rigged show created a millionaire out
of David Legler and a Top 50 show here.
Why we like it: the
sleek presentation.
Trivia time: the show
represents the longest lapse in production in
television history, spanning 42 years. |
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41:
HIGH ROLLERS
Hosts: Alex Trebek, Wink Martindale
Aired: 1974-1975, 1978-1980, 1987-1988; NBC,
Syndication
Creators/EP: Merrill Heatter, Bob Quigley
Packager: Heatter/Quigley Productions (1974-1980);
Merrill Heatter Productions in association with
Century Towers Productions (1987)
Wink Martindale's game
of rolling off the number 1 through 9 may be the one
you remember, but Alex Trebek's last episode is the
one that you just can't seem to forget.
Why we like it:
fairly simple model in creating a trivia game around
the dice game of "shut the box".
Trivia time: The Big
Numbers round was also used in 1981's "Las Vegas
Gambit". |
| GSNN's TOP 25
REALITY GAME SHOWS: 25 - 21 |
 |
25:
DREAM JOB
Host: Stuart Scott
Aired: 2004-2005; ESPN
Creators/EP: Mary-Jane April, Mark Shapiro
Packager: ESPN Original Entertainment
It was a midcomer in the
'Get a Profession' category, but what worked is that
you got to be on the job and the judging was based
on performance, not on preference.
Why we like it:
Although the panel was spotty, Stuart Scott may have
done his best hosting on this show.
Trivia time: Zach
Selwyn, the third placer of season 1, went on to
host "Extreme Dodgeball" for GSN and "Attack of the
Show!" for G4 |
 |
24:
BANZAI
Host: Mr. Banzai (Masashi Fujimoto)
Aired: 2001-2003; E4, Fox
Creator/EP: Gary Monaghan
Packager: Radar
Place! Bets! Now! It was
irreverent, silly, jumped to a few stations and was
accused of being racist, but the show found a soft,
warm, fuzzy and cheesy place in our hearts.
Why we like it: camp
value.
Trivia time: Within
the course of its US run, the show has appeared on
four different networks: USA, Fox, Comedy Central,
and G4. |
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23:
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
Hosts: Lauren Sanchez, Cat Deeley
Aired: 2005-present; Fox
Creators: Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe
EP: Simon Fuller, Nigel Lythgoe, Allen Shapiro
Packager: 19 Entertainment, dick clark productions
The newcomer winds up in
the countdown, as the show preps for a third season
next summer.
Why we like it: the
sheer creativity of the dancers and format of the
dancing.
Trivia time: show creator and judge Nigel Lythgoe is
a classically-trained dancer, and was a member of a
dance troupe for the BBC in the 1970s. |
 |
22:
POKER SUPERSTARS
Host: Chris Rose
Aired: 2004-present; FSN
EP: Henry Orenstein
Packager: HSOR, Fox Sports
Take 24 of the best
superstars and have them compete in a format for
$400,000. If you haven't seen it before, you need
to. Simply fascinating and engaging.
Why we like it:
Before "High Stakes Poker", this was the original
"scars-and-all" poker show on TV.
Trivia time: the show
has suffered from accusations stemming from a lack
of European players invited to attend. |
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21:
NASHVILLE STAR
Hosts: Nancy O'Dell, Leann Rimes, Wynonna Judd &
Cowboy Troy
Aired: 2003-present; USA
Creator: Ben Silverman
EP: Ben Silverman, Jeff Boggs, H.T. Owens
Packager: Reveille, NBC Universal
The best country talent
search around. If would have been higher if they
didn't shrink that age demographic.
Why we like it:
pure-blooded talent filled the rosters from judging
to performances.
Trivia time: although
the show is called "Nashville Star", Music City has
so far claimed no winner. The closest was season 3
victor Erika Jo, hailing from Mt. Juliet, a mere
seven miles away. |
Tomorrow...The next ten
game shows and the next five reality shows.
Logo captures courtesy
of Chico Alexander, Mike Klauss, Jay Lewis, David
Livingston, Tammy Warner, and Wikipedia. |
