My favorite 13 game shows of all time.
Here's a Baker's Dozen of game shows that were or are fun, entertaining and sometimes educational. This is my list, so I feel no compulsion to list popular shows that I didn't really like (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Deal or No Deal, The Weakest Link, the Newly Weds Game, The Price is Right.) I'm reversing the order, so as the number in the list goes up we are actually counting down to my favorite gameshow of all time.
List activity
4.3K views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
13 titles
- StarsHugh DownsBob ClaytonPaola DivaTwo contestants revealed pieces of a rebus-like puzzle by matching 15 pairs of cash amounts and prizes, then tried to solve it before the other.This game had two great parts, first the memory game part and then the cool rebus puzzle. I loved seeing this game when I was a kid and I'd be home sick.
- StarsGene RayburnJohnny OlsonBetty WhiteThis is The 1st Edition of the program. Composed of 2 Teams of 3 Members (2 In-Studio team members and 1 Star Team Captain) are writing answers to an question {e.g.: Name a part of a chicken} that'll/this'll read(ing) by the host/star (Gene Rayburn) and one(1) member of the team wrote/writes the answer {e.g.: Leg}. The 1st and 2nd Members of the team has/having the same answer is/are matched and that'll/this'll be worth 25 points (10 points-early in the run from December 31, 1962 to February 8, 1963) and the star team captain matched the same answer and that'll/this'll be worth 50 points (20 points). The 1st Team score 100 points wins the game and collect $100 and played "The Studio Audience Match." In "The Studio Audience Match", That/This has 3 Secret Survey Questions which it This/That all occurs the date this/that held/holds the 3 Questions prior to the broadcast of "The MATCH GamE". Each 1 of the 3 secret survey questions that/this has/having the all-time popular answer will be match by the same 3 members of the winning team called "THE BEST ANSWER." Each matching answer that'll/this'll determine what he or she thinking up that/this answer of their judgment is valued at in the following - 1 Person Matched worth $50, 2 People Match worth $100 and All 3 People Match includes A Star Team Captain worth $150 and the possible total of the 3 questions is worth $450 and that/this can be added to $100 and can be the perfect total of $550. The Game Continues before time's up with the sound of whistle blow and the 2 members of the team has the highest cash amount became today's winners. On the weekday of February 27-March 3, 1967 Before the show is over...There's "The Telephone Match" becomes a feature to the program. The Host reads the question {i.e.: _____ Soup} to the home viewer via telephone call and picks 1 member of the studio audience (by a number from 1 to 100+) will match the answer {i.e.: Vegetable Soup} as well the member wrote the answer and that's a match wins the share of jackpot started at $500. $100 will be added when it's a mismatch {i.e.: Alphabet Soup}.The first version was the better one. I liked the idea of teams playing against each other. The second version was good too, even though it was dirtier.
- StarsJim LangeJohnny JacobsAnna MarloweThree out-of-view contestants of the opposite sex are asked prepared questions, snappy answers for which will lead to the selection of one, with the prize being a chaperoned date.This was the coolest after school game for pre-teens to watch. Plus it had that great pop music theme.
- StarsEamonn AndrewsIsobel BarnettGilbert HardingA panel of celebrities trying to guess what a person does for a living, or figure out who a mystery guest is. This is the version for the United Kingdom.I didn't know who those celebrities were, after all I was totally ignorant of the witty NYC scene. But they were so elegant and eloquent.
- CreatorAllan ShermanHoward MerrillStarsJohn CannonHenry MorganBill CullenA group of panelists try to guess a guest's secret.This one built on What's My Line and was even better. Plus it had Garry Moore.
- StarsAllen LuddenJack ClarkJohn HarlanTwo celebrity-contestant teams compete to guess words by giving one-word clues in this all-time classic game show.I don't remember this being called Password All-Stars. I thought it was just Password. It had the great Allen Ludden, Betty White is his widow, as the low key but funny host.
- CreatorMerv GriffinStarsPat SajakVanna WhiteCharlie O'DonnellHosted by Pat Sajak, this game show features 3 contestants who try to solve a puzzle by spinning the wheel and guessing letters in a word or phrase.I still watch it even though I don't like Pat Sajeck much any more. But in the 80s I loved this show.
- StarsOgie AlcasidMark VernalMy ranking would be Richard Karn and then Louie Anderson and then poor Ray Combs. I liked Richard Dawson at first, but then he got too slimy. I didn't like John O'Hurley at all. I haven't seen Steve Harvey.
- CreatorMerrill HeatterBob QuigleyStarsPeter MarshallKenny WilliamsCliff ArquetteContestants guess the correctness of celebrities' answers in order to win spaces in a tic-tac-toe game.This show was just good. Plus it had Paul Lynde in the center square with his wild shirts, funny jokes and flaming manner.
- StarsStubby KayeKenny WilliamsMIlton BradleyThis was a game show for children. The children had to answer questions or perform stunts as they made their way through the game.On Saturday mornings we kids watched cartoons. But this game show with the great Stubby Kaye was as colorful and crazy as a cartoon. It was like one of us kids watching the cartoons got to be in one. I can't remember the details of how the game worked, I just remember it was some kind of game board that filled the floor and the kids were like the playing pieces.
- StarsRobert EarleAllen LuddenJohn BellairsTwo teams each representing a college or university and composed of four students answered questions rooted in the liberal arts in a battle for scholarship money and prestige.Real teams of real students from real colleges competed in a serious quiz every Saturday. It was a high point of the week end.
- StarsGarry MooreBill CullenKitty CarlisleFive-day-a-week syndicated revival of one of Goodson-Todman's most durable and longest-lived formats: A celebrity panel determines which of three contestants is the actual person associated with a given story.Probably the greatest of the celebrity panel shows ever. Orson Bean and Tom Postman were alway funny. Kitty Carlise was elegant and smart. Then it had great hosts in Garry Moore and Joe Garagiola. I remember when Colonel Sanders was on it.
- CreatorMerv GriffinStarsAlex TrebekJohnny GilbertJimmy McGuireA returning champion and two challengers test their buzzer skills and their knowledge in a wide range of academic and popular categories.No doubt about it. It always was the best back in the day when it was a daytime show with Art Fleming. It even got a rock song video about it in the early days of MTV. Then it came back in prime time with the great Alex Trebek. This show is intelligent and thrilling. I wonder how many us tend to answer things in the form of a question?
"I'll take favorite game shows for a thousand, Alex."
"It made Ken Jennings a star."
"What is Jeopardy?"