Gameshow Network

Cafe Society
#1

Does anyone else watch this or am I alone here? Which classic gameshows do you like? Do you like any of their original programs? What about the reruns of recent shows?

Of the classics, Match Game is my favorite. I was thrilled when they started running Hollywood Squares, but somehow it wasn’t as funny or racy as I’d expected (and I can’t believe people don’t pick Paul Lynde first every time–I know I would). Match Game is better.

I’ve found their recent original programming to be better than some of their past offerings. Friend or Foe and Lingo are two of my favorites, and Russion Roulette is watchable. Cram makes me tired, though. And WinTuition, while perhaps noble in purprose, is dull in execution.

Finally, while I detested Greed and avoided Weakest Link when they originally ran, I’ve found them kind of fun in reruns. I like question and answer shows and, maybe I’m just getting old and bitter, but I’ve developed a taste for the “try to make contestants form a bond, then pit them against each other” format (see Friend of Foe, too).

So, do you like Gameshow Network too or am I just wasting my life alone (with Joel)?

#2

I’m the opposite in the original programming. I find Win Tuition one of the best new game shows in years, and Friend or Foe, Russian Roulette and Whammy completely unwatchable. Cram is alright if I’m half asleep when I’m watching, but certainly not something I’d tune in for. Of the old shows–I love Black and White Overnight, the really old shows, and Match Game, Family Feud and The Newlywed Game (the first series) are usually worth watching. I wish they had old episodes of Jeopardy and Concentration, two reasons why I liked to stay home from school as a kid.

#3

I wish they’d have less original programming, and more old stuff. I’d like to see Wheel of Fortunes from the early 80s, and old Price is Rights.

There were also a lot of game shows on the USA Network in the 80s, like Hot Potato and Bumper Stumpers and…well I’m drawing a blank, but I know I used to spend a lot of time watching game shows on USA when I was a lad at home from school.

I’d like to see some of those make a comeback on the GSN.

Happy

#4

I love GSN.

Never saw Match Game as a kid, and it took a while to grow on me, but now I love it! I really enjoy Family Feud, Pyramid, and Jeopardy, although they don’t show much Jeopardy. I sometimes watch during the day, and like the newer version of Password and Super Password, but hate the old one. It also seems like they put the lesser, but often enjoyable, showd on during the day.

I detest Weakest Link and Whammy, and find Lingo and Russian Roulette dreadfully dull. Cram has grown on me, and I sorta like WinTuition also.

I wish they could get the rights to Scrabble…

hrh

#5

Scrabble was one of my favorites as a kid. I’d like to see that in the Chuck Woolery block :slight_smile:

#6

It’s great to be able to see old eps of classic game shows, but most of their new shows just don’t do it for me.

I’m particularly underwhelmed by Whammy, the new version of the old favorite Press Your Luck.

#7

I hate game shows.

Having said that, I like Friend or Foe - it’s great trying to guess who is going to lie and who tells the truth.

#8

Almost forgot…

I hate hate hate the Newlywed Game - Eubanks drags the responses to uncomfortable lengths, the couples treat each other like garbage… ugh.

Friend or Foe is iffy too…

hrh

#9

I miss that channel. I just moved and it’s not on the basic cable where I am, so I’ll have to pay up if I want it.

My grandma hooked me on Match Game a couple of years ago when I was visiting her. I want a Match Game fix, dammit…it’s been WEEKS!

I hope nobody hates me for this, but I rather like their updated version of Press Your Luck. I loved the old show as a kid, and while I am well aware of just how stupid it is, I still like it.

I know they used to run old Price is Right episodes. I hope they do again. I remember when they had to add the fifth number to all the car games, and when it usually WASN’T there and it was a REALLY expensive car if it was…:slight_smile:

#10

My top 3 are: Friend or Foe, Match Game, and all the versions of Hollywood Squares (70’s, 80’s and today’s versions)
The Game Show Network origional game, Russian Rulet is ok, but I wouldn’t miss it if they got rid of Cram and Whammy, The All New Press Your Luck.

#11

It’s been nearly five years since we had cable at our house, but the local cable company at that time had recently added the game show network. I loved the old “Price is Right” with Bill Cullen, which I remember watching as a kid in the 1950s. He was comfortable and smooth – perfect for the part. And to see them wheel out, say, a top-of-the-line Brand New Car and have the actual price, fins and all, be 4 or 5 grand, is pretty amazing.

#12

I used to love watching reruns of “Price Is Right” at 3 or 4 AM on GSN. It really took me back to my childhood and staying with my grandmother before I was old enough to start school.Same with Family Feud.

Except for Paul Lynde, I don’t think I’ve ever liked any version of Hollywood Squares. Match Game was much better just because the celebrity panel was bitchier to each other. Although Gene Rayburn still creeps me out. And my childhood loathing of Let’s Make A Deal hasn’t mellowed any with age. That show is still cheap and ugly looking, not to mention slow and dull.

I like some of Black and White Overnight, at least it’s not infomercials. I especially like the blindfolded panel trying to guess the celebrity mystery guest on “What’s My Line?”. It’s fun to see so many old stars, not just modern “celebrities”, trying to fool the panel and cutting up, or even cracking up. I like when they plug some upcoming (at the time) project, to here them speak in the future tense about sometimes a film now considered a classic and other times some famous turkey or forgotten “paycheck” film is odd.

I don’t like too many of the new shows they’ve created. Russian Roulette has its moments, but WinTuition grates on my nerves, especially Marc Summers, I’ve never liked him. Whammy is a better idea, too bad the show isn’t as interesting as the commercials.

#13

I watch it from time to time. I agree with others in that I much prefer the old shows to the new gameshows. I like the old black and white shows they run late at night.

I caught an episode of Password a while back that had a strange moment. It appeared to be from '65 or so (Allen Ludden made a big deal about how nice it was for the viewers to see the celebrity in color! :)). The word they were going for was handwriting or something and the clue the contestant gave was “cursive”. Ludden, the two celebrities and the other contestant had never heard that word before. When they came back from commercial, they had looked it up in a dictionary and gave it’s definition for the viewers. Was that really an obscure word back then?

Eric

#14

It’s cheesy, but I’m another Match Game fan. There was one episode I’m particularly glad I got to see.

For those who aren’t familiar game, here’s the way part of it works. After a contestant wins the first part of the game, they have to guess what word the audience used to fill in a blank. They get $500 for matching the most frequent answer, $250 for matching the second most frequent, and $100 for matching the third most frequent answer, and they get to ask three of six celebrities for advice.

On a show laden with double entendres, one day, the writers chose to use “Oral _____” for this part of the game.:o The most common answer’s below.

Get your mind out of the gutter! The most common answer was “Hygiene” although they did dance around the other answer quite a bit.

I like Lingo; I’m still trying to decide about Russian Roulette. The network’s certainly a reasonable way to waste time.

CJ

#15

I’m not a huge fan of Match Game, although I do love it when Richard Dawson lights up a cigarette. Imagine that happening today on a game show.

#16

I like Russian Roulette, although normally I TiVo it and then just fast-forward to the people dropping. I enjoy Cram and WinTuition, and Lingo is the first game show in years (other than Jeopardy!) which I really get into the playing of, as opposed to the mere watching of.

Of course, the best game show of the last few years is Street Smarts, which isn’t on GSN but is syndicated.

–Cliffy

#17

I love Match Game, although there are times when I can’t stand Brett Somers (sp?). I love when Charles Nelson Riley bitches at her. But sometimes Brett can get so full of herself.

For those of you who love old gameshows, has anybody seen the Gameshow Bloopers that’s being shown on NBC (I think it is)? I think a newer episode is on this week. They have some pretty good moments and enjoyed seeing Steve Martin on The Dating Game and Kirstie Alley, still a Midwestern girl from Kansas, on Match Game.

#18

According to Peter Marshall, GSN only has the evening version for now. That would explain the difference.

#19

I’m a Lingo addict. Love that game.

As long as we’re talking about the Game Show Network, I’ll go ahead and mention that in March they’ll be airing a documentary about the “Press Your Luck Scandal”. An unemployed ice cream truck driver named Michael Larson watched the show, figured out the pattern of the flashing lights, and went on to win over $110,000 in one appearance on the show. They’ll also be airing the original episodes, so you can see it happen. The press release about the documentary is here.

#20

I’m very much looking forward to this. I’ve not seen the documentary yet, of course, but I’m somewhat familiar with the case. The advertisements for the show make me a little mad - one or two of the people excerpted seem to think that the guy “ripped off” the show. He did nothing of the sort, only PAID ATTENTION! It’s just like [hijack?]card counting, the very essence of a “thought crime.”[/hijack?] To paraphrase Bart simpson on studying for a test, “Wow! It’s a whole new kind of cheating!”

hrh