Game Show

One of the oldest TV show types, and the granddaddy of Reality TV; individuals or teams compete for cash and prizes. Descended from radio quiz shows (which are also covered here), they have fluctuated in popularity.

Game shows were enormously popular in America during the 1950s, until several of the most popular ones turned out to be rigged. The 1960s and early 1970s had many low-stakes games, with big-ticket ones (especially quizzes) generally falling out of favor...until 1973 and The $10,000 Pyramid. The 1970s and 1980s brought flashy sets and Ear Worm music, with 1975, 1985, and 1987 being particularly good years for the genre.

The 1990s brought with it a sense that ideas were running out, as networks and cable stations dropped games left and right (the last Big Three victim being Caesars Challenge in January 1994). Only The Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy remained through the entire decade, with a few other games briefly popping up here and there. GSN began in December 1994, giving fans a constant home for classic games.

In 1998, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? gave the genre a shot in the arm and brought a new age of Follow the Leader games.

For the celebrity-oriented variant, see Panel Game. See also Game Show Tropes.


 * One Versus a Hundred
 * One Hundred and One Ways To Leave A Game Show
 * 3rd Degree
 * 50 Grand Slam
 * The $64,000 Challenge
 * The $64,000 Question
 * The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime
 * All Star Blitz
 * Amazing
 * American Gladiators
 * American Gladiators (1989-96, 2008)
 * Gladiators 2000 (1994-96; Children's version)
 * Gladiators (1992-2000, 2008-09; British version)
 * Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
 * Battle Stars
 * Beat the Clock
 * Beat The Odds
 * The Better Sex
 * The Big Payoff
 * The Big Showdown
 * Bingo At Home
 * Blackout
 * Blank Check
 * Blast Lab
 * Blockbusters
 * Body Language
 * Showoffs (1975)
 * Body Language (1984-86)
 * Bowling For Dollars
 * Brain Surge
 * Break The Bank
 * Break the Bank 1945 (1945-57; Wolf Productions series)
 * Break the Bank 1976 (1976-77; Barry-Enright series)
 * Break the Bank 1985 (1985-86; Kline & Friends series)
 * (Bruce Forsyth's) Hot Streak
 * Bullseye
 * Bullseye UK (1981-95, 2006)
 * Bullseye US (1980-82)
 * Bumper Stumpers
 * By the Numbers
 * Bzzz!
 * Caesars Challenge
 * Camouflage
 * Camouflage 1961 (1961-62, 1980; hidden-picture game)
 * Camouflage 2007 (2007; hidden-word game)
 * Card Sharks
 * Cash Cab
 * Catchphrase
 * CBS Television Quiz
 * Celebrity Sweepstakes
 * Chain Reaction
 * Challenges of Fire
 * The Chair
 * The Chamber
 * Chase
 * The Cheap Show
 * Childs Play
 * Choose Up Sides
 * Concentration
 * Couch Potatoes
 * Countdown
 * Crash Course
 * The Cross Wits
 * The Cube
 * Dasshutsu Game DERO
 * The Dating Game
 * Dealer's Choice
 * Deal or No Deal
 * Debt
 * Definition
 * Dendy: The New Reality
 * The Diamond Head Game
 * Dirty Rotten Cheater
 * Distraction
 * Dog Eat Dog
 * Don't Forget the Lyrics
 * Don't Scare the Hare
 * Dotto
 * Double Dare
 * Double Dare 1976 (1976-77; CBS quizzer with Alex Trebek)
 * Double Dare 1986 (1986-93, 2000; Nickelodeon children's game show)
 * Downfall
 * Down You Go
 * Dream House
 * Duel
 * El gran juego de la oca (from Spain, translated to "The Great Game of the Goose")
 * Estate of Panic
 * Eye Guess
 * Face the Music
 * Families At War
 * Family Feud
 * Family Feud (American version)
 * Family Fortunes (UK version)
 * Family Challenge
 * Family Game Night
 * Fantasy
 * Fear Factor
 * Fetch With Ruff Ruffman
 * Fifteen to One
 * Figure It Out
 * Finders Keepers
 * Fort Boyard
 * Full Metal Jousting
 * Fun House
 * Gambit
 * Game Show Moments Gone Bananas
 * Game Show Network Originals
 * Baggage
 * Bingo America
 * Carnie Wilson: Unstapled
 * Catch 21
 * Cram
 * Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned
 * Friend or Foe?
 * Hollywood Showdown
 * How Much Is Enough?
 * Inquizition
 * Late Night Liars
 * Lovers Lounge
 * National Lampoon's Funny Money
 * Russian Roulette
 * Sunday Night In Black & White
 * Sunday Night in Black And White (1997-2001)
 * Black and White Overnite (2001-06)
 * That's the Question
 * Throut And Neck
 * Win Tuition
 * Get the Picture
 * Give-N-Take
 * Go
 * Going for Gold
 * The Golden Shot
 * The Gong Show
 * The Gong Show (1976-80, 1988-89)
 * Extreme Gong (1998-99)
 * The Gong Show with Dave Attell (2008)
 * Greed
 * Headline Chasers
 * High Rollers
 * History IQ
 * Hit Man
 * The Hollywood Squares
 * Hot Potato
 * I'm Telling
 * Inside the Box
 * I'll Bet
 * I'll Bet (1965)
 * It's Your Bet (1969-73)
 * It's Your Chance Of A Lifetime
 * Its Worth What
 * It Takes Two
 * Ive Got a Secret
 * Jackpot!
 * Jeopardy
 * The Jokers Wild
 * Knightmare
 * Knockout
 * The Krypton Factor
 * The Last Word
 * Legends of the Hidden Temple
 * Let's Make a Deal
 * Liars Club
 * Lingo
 * Lottery Games:
 * The Big Spin
 * Cash Explosion
 * Flamingo Fortune
 * Make Me a Millionaire
 * Make Me Famous, Make Me Rich
 * Make Me Rich
 * Love Connection
 * The Love Experts
 * The Magnificent Marble Machine
 * Make The Connection
 * Make the Grade
 * Mastermind
 * Match Game
 * Match Game (American version)
 * Blankety Blank (UK version)
 * The Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour
 * Merv Griffins Crosswords
 * Million Dollar Mind Game
 * Million Dollar Money Drop
 * Mindreaders
 * Minute to Win It
 * Missing Links
 * The Money Maze
 * Monopoly
 * The Names the Same
 * Name That Tune
 * National Bingo Night
 * The Newlywed Game
 * Nick Arcade
 * Nickelodeon Guts
 * Ninja Warrior
 * Now You See It
 * Number Please
 * Only Connect
 * Our Little Genius
 * Paranoia
 * Parlamentet
 * Pass The Buck
 * Password
 * Pay Cards!
 * Pay Cards! (1968-69, 1970s)
 * Super Pay Cards! (1981-82)
 * Penny To A Million
 * Phone in Game Shows:
 * Glitterball
 * Midnight Money Madness
 * The Mint
 * Quiz Call
 * QuizMania
 * Quiz TV
 * PlayMania
 * Pictureka!
 * Pitfall
 * Play the Percentages
 * Play Your Hunch
 * Pointless
 * The Power Of Ten
 * Press Your Luck
 * Second Chance (1977)
 * Press Your Luck (1983-86)
 * Whammy! (2002-03)
 * The Price Is Right
 * Pyramid
 * Queen for A Day
 * Quick As A Flash!
 * Red or Black
 * The Reel-To-Reel Picture Show
 * Relatively Speaking
 * Remote Control
 * Rhyme and Reason
 * Run for Money Tousouchuu
 * Sale Of The Century
 * Sale of the Century (1969-74, 1983-89)
 * Temptation 2007 (2007-08)
 * Satellite Bingo
 * Scattergories
 * Scrabble
 * Set for Life
 * Sex Wars
 * Shoot For The Stars
 * Shopper's Casino
 * Shopping Spree
 * Shop Til You Drop
 * Show Me
 * Silent Library
 * The Singing Bee
 * Singled Out
 * Skedaddle
 * Snap Judgment
 * Split Second
 * Starcade
 * Stop The Music
 * Street Smarts
 * Strike It Lucky
 * Studs
 * Stump The Schwab
 * Super Bingo
 * Supermarket Sweep
 * Take Me Out
 * Takeshis Castle
 * Take the Money And Run
 * Talk About
 * Tattletales
 * He Said She Said (1969-70)
 * Tattletales (1974-78, 1982-84)
 * Think Fast
 * Three On a Match
 * Three's A Crowd
 * Three's A Crowd (1979-80)
 * All-New Three's A Crowd (1999-2000)
 * Tic Tac Dough
 * Temptation (1967-68 game by Heatter-Quigley)
 * Top Shot
 * Total Blackout
 * To Tell the Truth
 * Trashed
 * Treasure Hunt
 * Treasure Hunt UK (1982-89, 2002-03)
 * Treasure Hunt US (1956-59, 1973-77, 1981-82)
 * Treasure Mall
 * Trivia Trap
 * Trivial Pursuit
 * Trivial Pursuit: The Interactive Game (1993)
 * ESPN Trivial Pursuit (2004; five-episode pilot)
 * Trivial Pursuit: America Plays (2008-09)
 * Truth or Consequences
 * Twenty One
 * Two for the Money
 * Two-Minute Drill
 * Video Power
 * Unbeatable Banzuke
 * University Challenge
 * The Video Game
 * Video Power
 * Wait Wait Don't Tell Me
 * The Weakest Link
 * Wha'dya Know?
 * What's My Line
 * Wheel Of Fortune
 * Wheel Of Fortune (1952-53; Peter Arnell series)
 * Wheel of Fortune (1975-; Merv Griffin series)
 * Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?
 * Where in The World Is Carmen San Diego? (1991-95)
 * Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? (1996-98)
 * Whew
 * Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?
 * The Who, What, or Where Game
 * The Who, What, Or Where Game (1969-74)
 * The Challengers (1990-91)
 * Who's Still Standing?
 * Wild and Crazy Kids
 * Win Ben Steins Money
 * Win Lose or Draw
 * Winner Take All
 * Winning Lines
 * Winning Streak
 * Wipeout
 * Wipeout 1988 (1988-89; Syndicated quizzer with Peter Tomarken)
 * Wipeout 2008 (2008-Present; ABC obstacle-course show)
 * Yahtzee
 * You Bet Your Life
 * You Deserve It
 * You Don't Know Jack
 * You Don't Say
 * You're in The Picture
 * Yours For A Song
 * Zoom (not the PBS show)

Producers:

 * Ralph Andrews (You Don't Say!, I'll Bet/It's Your Bet, Liars Club, the original It Takes Two, Celebrity Sweepstakes, 50 Grand Slam, 1980s Lingo, Yahtzee)
 * Chuck Barris
 * Jack Barry
 * Mark Burnett
 * Stephen J Cannell (Caesars Challenge)
 * Bill Carruthers (Give-N-Take, Second Chance, Press Your Luck)
 * Carsey Werner (Bill Cosby version of You Bet Your Life)
 * Desilu Studios (By The Numbers, Show Me, Zoom)
 * Ralph Edwards (Truth Or Consequences, 1970s-81 Name That Tune, The Cross-Wits, Knockout, Bzzz!)
 * Fremantle Media
 * Mark Goodson
 * Merv Griffin
 * Reg Grundy (Hot Streak, Scrabble, 1980s Sale Of The Century, almost every Australian adaptation of an American game)
 * Merrill Heatter
 * Wink Martindale (Headline Chasers, Bumper Stumpers, Family Channel's interactive games of 1993-94)
 * Allan Sherman (creator/producer of I've Got A Secret, 1952-58)
 * Bob Stewart
 * Talent Associates (1960s Supermarket Sweep, among others)
 * Jay Wolpert (Whew!, Hit Man, Blackout, Shopping Spree)