Game show
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A game show is a radio or television program involving members of the public or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, playing a game, perhaps involving answering quiz questions, for points or prizes. In some shows contestants compete against other players or another team whilst other shows involve contestants striving alone for a good outcome or high score. Early television game shows descended from similar programs on broadcast radio.
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Types
There are several basic genres of game shows with a great deal of crossover between the different types.
- The simplest form of game show is a quiz show whereby people compete against each other by answering quiz questions. Quiz shows usually involves members of the public, but sometimes special shows are aired in which celebrities take part and the prizes are given to charity.
- A panel game usually involves a celebrity panel answering questions about a specialist field such as sport or music and is often played for laughs as much as points.
- The third kind of game show involves contestants completing stunts or playing a game that involves an element of chance or strategy in addition to, or instead of, a test of general knowledge.
- Reality game shows have become popular in recent years. In a reality show the competition usually lasts several days or even weeks and a competitor's progress through the game is based on some form of popularity contest, usually a kind of disapproval voting by their fellow competitors or members of the public. Game shows often reward players with prizes such as cash, or holidays and goods and services provided by the show's sponsors.
- Dating game shows, the original reality games, in which the prize is typically a well-funded dating opportunity that one can only pursue with the individual one has 'won' on the show. They are also a type of date auction where competitors compete for dates not with money but with seductive powers or attractiveness or the promise of an enjoyable date or even ultimately marriage.
History
In the US, television game shows fell out of favor in the 1950s after it was revealed that favored contestants on The $64,000 Question and other shows had been given answers and coached by the producers. They came back into favor in the 1960s by adopting merchandise prizes of far less value and by emphasizing larger numbers of simple questions, or physical contests without an advantage.
In the middle of the 1960s, Chuck Barris conceived a new genre in which the competitor's personal life became part of the show. They were the forerunners of today's reality game show. The prize was typically romantic opportunity (The Dating Game - the first dating game show) or fame (The Gong Show) rather than cash. One of his famous shows, The Newlywed Game, actually led to some divorces.
The height of the game show era began in the early 1970s, thanks in part to the success of popular game shows like The Price Is Right, Match Game, The Joker's Wild and The $10,000 Pyramid. Many of these game shows provided amazing game show sets filled with flashing chase lights and sometimes flashing neon lights. This era of game shows officially ended in the 1990s, with The Price Is Right being the only daytime network game show remaining on U.S. television.
Another major element in a game show is score displays. The most famous of these displays is the "eggcrate", which consists of seven rows of five bulbs each per digit. The eggcrate display has been used on more game shows than any other score display in history, and is still used today on The Price Is Right.
This genre virtually disappeared from US screens in the 1990s. Blind Date, the British version of The Dating Game, remained popular in the UK.
In Japan a number of shows emerged that defy classification by most standards. For instance, in one infamous show, failing to answer a question correctly led to one's own mother being buried in tons of rotting fish. In another, those who failed to answer questions correctly were dumped at locations remote from transport or assistance, e.g. in the Arctic, and had to perform such feats as drinking beer while sitting on blocks of ice - first one to run to the outhouse was left behind.
The reality game shows concept really took off in the 2000s with shows like Survivor, Big Brother and their clones. Planet 24 television (owned by Bob Geldof) devised the concept of Survivor but were unable to sell it to a British or American broadcaster. It was eventually taken up in 1997 by Sweden as Expedition Robinson. The format was an immediate hit in other Scandinavian countries and it soon caught on around the world. These shows combine elements of reality show and older reality game shows with traditional game-show elements of physical competitions by contestants.
Some shows (e.g. The Weakest Link, Greed) exploit a disapproval voting system similar to the reality game show, and play up the realistic confrontation between contestants, but are in fact just conventional game shows, where no bodily torture or emotionally stressful situation is created, other than the failure to answer some question or impress hosts. Dog Eat Dog was even publicised as a reality show despite being basically a revamp of The Krypton Factor with a variant of disapproval voting added.
Card games, especially poker and to a lesser extent blackjack, have recently become the basis for a number of popular shows on various U.S. broadcast and cable/satellite networks. Although these shows appear to meet the third definition above ("a game that involves an element of chance or strategy in addition to, or instead of, a test of general knowledge") an interesting controversy has erupted over whether these "casino games" should be considered game shows.
Gameshows around the world
United States
US quiz/game shows
- The $64,000 Question and $64,000 Challenge
- American Gladiators and spinoff Gladiators 2000
- Beat the Clock (1950-1958, 1969-1974, 1979-1980, 2002-2003)
- Blockbusters (1980-1982, 1987)
- Body Language (1984-1986)
- Break the Bank (1948-1957, 1976-1977, 1985-1986)
- Bullseye (1980-1982)
- Card Sharks (1978-1981, 1986-1989, 2001)
- Celebrity Sweepstakes
- Chain Reaction (1980-1991)
- The Chamber (2002)
- Child's Play (1982-1983)
- Concentration and Classic Concentration (1958-1973, 1973-1978, 1987-1991)
- Cram (2003)
- Double Dare (1976 version)
- Double Dare (1986 version)
- Double Talk
- Eye Guess (1966-1969)
- Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present)
- Fear Factor (2001-present)
- Go (1983-1984)
- The Gong Show (1976-1980)
- Greed (1999-2000)
- High Rollers (1974-1976, 1978-1980, 1987)
- Hollywood Connection
- Hollywood Squares
- Hot Potato (1984)
- I'd Do Anything
- I've Got a Secret
- Information, Please!
- It's Academic
- Jackpot! (1974-1975, 1989-1990)
- Jeopardy! (1964-1975, 1984-present)
- The Joker's Wild
- Let's Make a Deal
- Lingo (2002-present)
- Match Game
- Musical Chairs
- Name That Tune
- The Name's The Same
- Now You See It (1974-1975, 1989)
- Password (1961-1969, 1971-1975) and sequels Password Plus (1979-1982) and Super Password (1984-1989)
- The Perfect Match
- Play the Percentages
- Press Your Luck (1983-1986) and sequel Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck
- The Price is Right (1972-present)
- Pyramid (all versions)
- Queen for a Day
- Rhyme & Reason
- Russian Roulette
- $ale of the Century
- Scrabble (1984-1990, 1993)
- Second Chance (1977)
- Shop 'Til You Drop
- Street Smarts (2000-2005)
- Supermarket Sweep
- Tattletales (1974-1978, 1982-1984)
- Tic Tac Dough
- To Tell the Truth
- Trivia Trap
- Truth or Consequences
- Twenty One
- Two For The Money
- Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! (radio)
- What's Going On?
- What's My Line?
- The Weakest Link (see UK version below) (2001-2002, 2002-2003)
- Wheel of Fortune (1975-present)
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (1999-2002, 2002-present) and Super Millionaire (2004)
- Win Ben Stein's Money (1996-2003)
- Win, Lose or Draw
- Wordplay
- You Bet Your Life
- Your Number's Up
US reality shows
- The Amazing Race
- The Apprentice
- The Benefactor
- Big Brother
- Boot Camp
- Fear Factor
- Gana la Verde (Spanish language)
- The Joe Schmo Show (parody)
- Last Comic Standing
- Lost
- The Mole
- Murder in Small Town X
- Real World
- Survivor
- Temptation Island
- Trading Spaces
- The Ultimate Fighter
- While You Were Out
US dating shows
- Average Joe
- The Bachelor
- The Bachelorette
- Blind Date
- Boy Meets Boy
- The Dating Game and The New Dating Game
- Elimidate
- The Fifth Wheel
- For Love or Money
- He Said, She Said
- Joe Millionaire
- Love Connection
- My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance
- The Newlywed Game
- Paradise Hotel
- Studs
- Temptation Island
- Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire
- Who Wants to Marry My Dad?
United Kingdom
UK panel games
In these, celebrities compete, usually in two teams.
- Bognor or Bust
- The Brain Drain
- Call My Bluff
- Cluedo
- Gagtag
- Have I Got News for You
- If I Ruled the World
- I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
- It's Only TV... But I Like It
- Just a Minute (a regular BBC Radio 4 panel game, it appeared on TV briefly)
- Mock the Week
- Never Mind the Buzzcocks
- The News Quiz (Radio 4's predecessor to Have I Got News For You)
- Pop Quiz
- QI
- A Question of Sport
- Quote Unquote
- Shooting Stars
- They Think It's All Over
- Through the Keyhole
- Twenty Questions
- What's My Line?
- Whodunnit?
- Whose Line Is It Anyway?
- Win, Lose or Draw
UK quiz shows
- Ask the Family
- Blockbusters
- Brain of Britain
- Fifteen To One
- Going for Gold
- Mastermind
- Round Britain Quiz
- Screen Test
- The People Versus
- The Vault
- Top of the Form
- University Challenge
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
- The Weakest Link
UK reality game shows
- Back To Reality
- Big Brother
- Celebrity Love Island
- Fear Factor
- Hell's Kitchen
- I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!
- I'm Famous and Frightened!
- Survivor
- The Games
UK dating game shows
- Blind Date
- Elimidate
- Streetmate
UK activity-oriented shows
- The Crystal Maze
- Friends Like These
- Fort Boyard
- Gladiators (see American Gladiators)
- History Hunt
- Interceptor
- The Krypton Factor
- Pets Win Prizes
- Scrapheap Challenge
- Treasure Hunt
UK puzzle shows
- BrainTeaser
- Catchphrase
- Catchword
- Countdown
- Wheel of Fortune
UK other shows
- 3-2-1
- Beat the Teacher
- Big Break
- Bullseye
- Celebrity Squares (see Hollywood Squares)
- Cheggers Plays Pop
- Crosswits
- Dog Eat Dog
- Distraction
- Defectors
- Every Second Counts
- Family Fortunes (see Family Feud)
- The Generation Game
- The Golden Shot
- Name That Tune
- Odd One Out
- Play Your Cards Right (see Card Sharks)
- The Price is Right
- Robot Wars
- Runaround
- Take Your Pick
- Time Commanders
- Win Beadle's Money (see Win Ben Stein's Money)
- Wipeout
- You Bet!
Canada
- Acting Crazy
- Bumper Stumpers
- Definition
- Front Page Challenge
- Guess What
- Headline Hunters
- It's your Move
- The Mad Dash
- Pitfall
- Reach for the Top
- Smart Ask
- Test Pattern
- This Is the Law!
- TimeChase
- Uh Oh!
- Video & Arcade Top 10
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: Canadian Edition
France
- Des Chiffres et Des Lettres
- Fort Boyard
- Les Jeux de Vingt Heures
- Le Maillon Faible (French version of The Weakest Link)
Finland
- Maailman ympäri
- SF-Studio
- Retsi ja Jykke (followed by spin-off shows by the same team, until the death of Jyrki Otila (Jykke))
- Haluatko miljonääriksi? (Finnish version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?)
- Heikoin lenkki (Finnish version of The Weakest Link)
- Giljotiini
- Greed
- Mitä Maksaa (Finnish version of The Price is Right)
- Suuri kupla (children's quiz show)
- Napakymppi (Finnish version of The Dating Game)
- Uutisvuoto (Finnish version of Have I Got News for You)
Ireland
- Winning Streak
- The Lyrics Board
- Quicksilver
- Don't Feed the Gondolas
- Fame & Fortune
- You're A Star
- Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
- The Weakest Link
- Delegation
- Gridlock
- Blackboard Jungle
- Dodge the Question
- It's Not The Answer
- Talkabout
- Challenging Times
- Telly Bingo
- Treasure Island
- Cabin Fever
- The Farm
See also
- List of game show hosts
- List of television programs
- List of reality show winners
- Quiz Show (movie)
- Quiz show scandal
External link
- GSN: The Network for Games (http://www.gsn.com/)
- UKGameshows.com (http://www.ukgameshows.com) - fan site for UK game shows
- Challenge TV (http://www.challenge.co.uk/)
- Game Show Favorites (http://www.gameshowfavorites.com/)fr:Jeu télévisé