When I was growing up, there were a couple of gameshows that I used to love watching. Does anyone in the UK remember The Krypton Factor and The Crystal Maze? Maybe it was just my age, but these used to be great fun to watch.
What do we have now? Who Wants to be a Millionaire (zzz) and The Weakest Link (zzzZZZzzz) with no similar game shows to replace those two.
What other gameshows of old do you miss? Are there any plans to bring some of these back?
I’m only 20 and I used to love The Crystal Maze, Krypton Factor was OK too.
The best gameshow was Knightmare though. 
Enter,stranger!!!
I miss “Password,” “To Tell The Truth,” and “Name That Tune.” I liked the Dick Clark hosted Pyramid, but just haven’t gotten into the Donny Osmond version as much I had hoped. I like Osmond, but maybe its the dark, weird set or the celebrities. I used to be a “Wheel of Fortune” junkie in the '80s and '90s, but now with all the tweaking to the show, I hardly recognize it anymore and the bonus round happens way too soon; the half-hour show pretty much ends after 22 minutes.
Speaking of game shows, anyone remember one from the early '70s called “Money Maze”? I think it was on ABC and had two couples compete, then the winning one would have one member go in this maze and try to press a button at stations spread throughout the maze and more buttons you pressed, the more money you’d win? Or “Cross-Wits”? A contestant paired with two celebrities trying to solve a giant lit crossword puzzle were the words would be a common link to something else.
Yes! I remember that. Didn’t the other member of the couple try to give directions to the one who was in the maze?
I’m 20, too. Knightmare was the one with Brian Blessed and the weird black portal door things on ITV, wasn’t it?
Well I’m an American (but I do remember the American version of Krypton Factor), so I can’t comment on most of these shows.
I think the gameshow has kind of metamorphed into the reality show. Sometimes the line between the two isn’t clear.
However, we still have Jeopardy, which is the king of all game shows and here in America we have Street Smarts which is a lot of fun, if not terribly intellectual.
My favorite old game shows have to be Treasure Hunt, Press Your Luck and I’ll throw a not out to Inquisition (kind of the forerunner to The Weakest Link).
I remember Cross Wits–liked it. When I was a kid, if I was home sick from school, it was game shows all the way. My grandmother was my sitter and neither of us cared for the soaps. Does anyone remember a show called (I think) “You Don’t Say”? At the risk of sounding really old, I also remember daytime Jeopardy with Art Fleming. I loved all those old game shows.
I’m only 23 (and an American) so I don’t remember the heyday of gameshow programming as it was on its way out as I was entering pubescence but I do have fond memories of Family Feud, Card Sharks, Win, Lose, or Draw!, and, as a child of the 80’s, the various Double Dares on Nickelodeon.
I always hated that stupid show with the whammies though.
There were five buttons. A “1” and four "0"s. You tried to guide your partner to the “1” and then as many "0"s before the timer ran out.
How about Tattletales, hosted by the esteemed Bert Convy, a kind of Newlywed Game for married celebrity couples. One would appear on a TV monitor wearing these monstrous headphones while the other loomed over like Vishnu. I remember Bill Daily and his wife were on a lot.
Montrealers only, start your Mad Dash!
There’s a whole channel called Game Show Network which shows nothing but game shows, some old and some new. Our cable company doesn’t provide it, but they might have some of the shows you’re looking for, or some you’ve never heard of but would like.
Being Canadian, it was always hilarious watching the difference between the Canadian game shows and their American counterparts. The main difference being the vast gulf between prize winnings. So we’d be sitting home watching someone go for $100,000 on some American game show, then we’d turn to Canada’s ‘Card Sharks’ and see someone jumping up and down because they just won $75 and a free oil change.
When I was growing up, weekday morning TV was nothing but glorious game shows. Loved Password Plus and Match Game the best. Of course, you can’t beat The Price Is Right.
New game shows I enjoy are Oblivious (on Spike TV), Street Smarts (I think the host is very good at ad libbing), and Distraction (on Comedy Central).
Now then, one I do remember when growing up that no one else seems to remember was called WHEW! All I really remember about it myself is the final round the contestant had to run a “gauntlet” of questions to get past these cardboard cut-out villains (mad scientist, monster, burglar, etc). I do remember I really loved that show if nothing else.
I remember almost all of the American ones. I think Password and Match Game are my favorites. We watched a lot of game shows. A few I remember that I don’t think have been mentioned…
Joker’s Wild: Jack Somebody? Seems like he died recently. A slot machine theme. Pull back the lever and select a category. Winnings were based on whether the question was a one, two or three-of-a kind.
Truth or Consequences: Bob Barker is really old. So am I, apparently. I didn’t even like that show much but we watched it every day. The routines I remember are the box on the stick and they opened the drawers on the box and some drawers had money in them. $100 was a big deal. And the reunions. Often soldiers returning from Viet Nam.
Concentration. Hugh Downs and what do you call those things? Rhombuses? I remember watching this when I was pretty little.
High Rollers: Bert Convy and some blonde lady. I think her name started with an R. Rona or something? Contestants rolled big plush dice on a big green craps table.
Let’s Make A Deal: Monty Hall and Carol Merrill. Is there a game show hall of fame?
I can’t remember the name of this one. I think it was hosted by Tom Kennedy. He’s a game show host, right? I think they always gave away cars. Lots of Pontiacs, as I recall. I don’t remember anything about the game but I can picture all the cars lined up.
Do any other states have a “game show” associated with their lottery? On scratch-off tickets here in Wisconsin you can (or could, I haven’t seen the show in a while) win a chance to go on TV, pick letters from WISCONSIN LOTTERY and win the amount of money shown on the back of the letters you select. Not sure if there was a bonus round. It’s soooo Wisconsiny.
I enjoy those as well. Although I havn’t seen Oblivious in a while. Is it still on?
My favorite Oblivious was when they had a woman come in to pick up her pictures. The host passes her a bunch of pictures of UFOs. There’s two people dressed like government agents trying to get the pictures.
I think it’s You Don’t Say; I remember he used to get into a red GTO(?) convertible at the beginning of the show. At least I think I remember this 
Sadly, I used to watch it all the time and I don’t have the foggiest idea of how the game works :o
Oh, in other news, Jack Narz was the host of Joker’s Wild. Even more bizarre, he and Tom Kennedy are brothers 
Actually, several people hosted that show over the years, but the only Jack to do it was the show creator, Jack Barry.
Anyone in the UK remember Bullseye?
“And Bully’s special prize… a speedboat!”
How about this as a blast from the past?
Anyone remember The Magnificent Marble Machine? The winning team got to play a gigantic pinball machine to win prizes.
And speaking of which, anyone ever watch Starcade. Where kids would compete on video games?