Hardly anyone can tell what channel The Game Show Network is. Some do not even know this channel exists.
Most popular game shows today, like Deal or No Deal, Minute to Win It or Wipe Out appear on basic cable channels like ABC and NBC.
While these shows still manage to excite with their million dollar offers, loud music and crazy antics, game shows today work too hard to get and hold our attention.
The only game shows that exist today that have the potential to be “classic” later on are intellectual shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.
Three game shows of the ‘70s and ‘80s serve as perfect examples of a game show worth seeing week after week and 30 years later (that’s right, on the Game Show Network).
The first is Match Game. Its biggest strength was its simplicity, which is the first thing that separates it from what we are used to today.
Two contestants fill in the blank in a funny anecdote and try to match the answers that six celebrities have written down. The one who matches the most celebs wins.
The biggest thing that made this show a classic was the host Gene Rayburn. He was always smiling, always hilarious and seemed to have a real relationship with the celebrities on the show, especially the celebs that always came back like Richard Dawson and Betty White.
No matter what the episode, which celebrities are on or how much money is on the table, you will always laugh and never change the channel.
Another was Make Me Laugh. This was a short-lived game show in the early ‘80s.
The premise was to make celebrity contestants laugh by using three different stand-up comedians. The comedians used props, funny voices and beyond, and the longer the celebrity would last, the more money a member of the audience would receive.
If you were to go on YouTube and type in “Make Me Laugh,” one of the first videos to appear is an episode with Frank Zappa. Zappa was one of the rare celebrities who barely broke a smile the whole time, which in turn, made the episode one of the funniest ever to air.
Last is Let’s Make a Deal. Nowadays it’s hard to get major celebrities to participate in a game show. Using big names and making them look like fools was a huge part of why the earlier game shows were so entertaining.
However, not all of the game shows in the ‘70s and ‘80s had to use movie stars. Let’s Make a Deal made fools of the audience members instead.
The audience came to the show dressed in various different costumes and picked from three doors, each containing a prize. It’s fun, without trying too hard.
So, if you are ever home sick or there is nothing on TV, find the Game Show Network. Whether or not you know the famous contestants or even know how to play, the game shows of the ‘70s and ‘80s will amuse you and keep you interested.
As a viewer you do not win any money on game shows, so you might as well watch some that entertain you.
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