As television grew in popularity towards the mid-20th century, game shows became part of mainstream culture, with millions tuning in.
According to brainyquote.com, Bob Barker, former host of “The Price is Right” once said, “Many people have the idea that game shows are easy to come up with. And nothing could be further from the truth.”
Perhaps one of the most famous game shows of all time, “The Price is Right” has become a mainstay on daytime television and for the network CBS. Based around a fairly simple premise of estimating prices of everyday items, the show also introduced a variety of other games, one of the most popular being Plinko. The show became well-known for its catchphrase of “Come on down!” which is said by the announcer as contestants are called down to participate.
Formerly hosted by Bob Barker, the show is currently hosted by Drew Carey. For more than five decades, “The Price is Right” has become a constant on television.
“The Price is Right” has actually been rising in viewership, with a 4% year-over-year increase, showing an increase in popularity, according to IMDb.com.
Another game show, created by legend Merv Griffin, “Jeopardy!” is widely considered to be one of the greatest game shows on television.
“There’s more of a humor attribute to [game shows],” said freshman Jonathan M. “[‘Jeopardy’] promotes education,” said Jonathan.
Shows such as “Jeopardy!” help promote learning and the spread of knowledge, in addition to having an educational aspect as well. Originally hosted by Art Fleming, by the mid-1980s the show was hosted by the late great Alex Trebek. The show is watched by millions of people daily.
Over two rounds of this game show, contestants buzz in and state their responses in the form of questions for money, hoping to get the “Daily Double.” For the third and final round, contestants in the positive are able to wager money based on a category and are given a short time to respond while music plays.
After its beloved host Alex Trebek’s passing, the show went through several rotations of host changes, with a variety of people taking over as host for a short time. Currently, “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings hosts the iconic game show. Proving its success, the show even spawned a variety of spin-offs, including “Celebrity Jeopardy!,” and “Jeopardy! Masters.”
“I think a game like ‘Jeopardy!’ matches, or combines, modern-day pop culture with history. And I think there are few other game shows that do that or shows in general that can so brilliantly mix the modern and the historical in a way that’s still relevant after all these years,” said “Jeopardy!” fan, Spanish and Italian teacher Andrew Mottola.
In another game show, “Wheel of Fortune,” contestants spin a wheel and answer “Hangman”-type word puzzles to win money and sometimes vacations. On the wheel, in addition to a variety of prizes, there are also slots to bankrupt contestants. The contestant in the lead after several puzzles moves on to a final round where they are given a chance to win even more money. Also created by Merv Griffin, the show went through several host changes until Pat Sajak joined the show in 1981.
Upon its debut in the primetime slot, the show became a true smash hit, with Sajak staying on the show for over forty years alongside Vanna White. Following Pat Sajak’s retirement, Ryan Seacrest joined the show and is currently featured alongside White.
More than nine out of ten people (91%) reported that they have seen episodes of “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune” in their life, according to a poll by Social Science Research Solutions (ssrs.com).
The game show “Family Feud” has had a variety of different runs with different hosts starting in 1976. The premise of the game show consists of two families competing against each other to guess the most common responses to questions from surveys. Whichever family is leading with the most points goes on to “Fast Money,” which is another part of the show in which they can win money.
Past hosts of the show include Richard Dawson, John O’Hurley, Richard Karn, and Louie Anderson. Both “Family Feud” and “Celebrity Family Feud” are still in syndication on several cable channels, with comedian Steve Harvey serving as the current host of the popular game show.
“Family Feud is actually my favorite game show,” said freshman and game show fan Anthony C. “Just like the family environment and like families competing for each other for money is kind of fun, better than the other ones which is individualized,” said Anthony.
Over time, other game shows including “Deal or No Deal,” “Hollywood Squares,” “Match Game,” “Press Your Luck,” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” have also broken into mainstream television, and culture, with popular television hosts including the late Regis Philbin and Howie Mandel with recognizable gimmicks that took center stage in several of these shows including the Whammy of “Press Your Luck.”
If interested in these game shows, be sure to check out the Game Show Network. In addition to airing reruns of classics, it also showcases newer game shows.◼️
