The Game Show Tournament - 2001 Scouting Reports

The Game Show Tournament - 2001 Scouting Reports

Here you'll find the skinny on all 64 shows that have reached the tournament. We'll give you their previous records, lifespan, and the cases for and against each show. The shows are arranged in alphabetical order. Here's how the reports are laid out:

SHOW NAME (in all forms)
Ranking and Region	Case For
Lifespan
Overall GST Record	Case Against
Best GST Finish

#-D | F-J | L-Sp | St-Y

THE $1,000,000 CHANCE OF A LIFETIME
Eliminated in First round	The first national game show to offer a top prize of $1M. Wins of the milion dollars often were accompanied by confetti, celebrations from the audience... even fireworks in early shows.
Lifespan: 20 months
Overall Record: 0-3	The game itself was a ripoff of Wheel of Fortune and Scrabble's Sprint round. Jim Lange is too slow a host for this kind of show. You had to win three games and three bonus rounds to win the million - mess up along the way, and it was toodles. The million dollars became $900K in cash and $100K in prizes in the second season.
Best Finish: First Round

2-MINUTE DRILL
Eliminated in First round	A stripped-down, bare-bones quiz show, derived from the British hit Mastermind. Kenny Mayne's nonplussed hosting style is a big plus for the format. The different panelists add a variety to the show, and the $200,000 top prize is possibly the highest ever offered on a cable show.
Lifespan: 5 months and counting
Overall Record: 0-1	It's sports trivia. If you don't like sports, you probably aren't going to love this game either. The clock music is a wee bit too similar to WWTBAM (granted, both are produced by Michael Davies, but...) Some of the panelists have a hard time reading questions.
Best Finish: First round

(ALL NEW ALL-STAR) BEAT THE CLOCK
Eliminated in Sweet 16	True early TV classic, watched over by some of the greatest names in emcees (Collyer, Narz, Hall). Some spectacularly bad fashion senses on display in '70s versions.
Lifespan: 15 1/2 years
Overall Record: 2-3	Lack of any necessary brainpower makes the show kinda quaint to some viewers... even Double Dare had questions. Scrambleboard quotations, more often than not, are decades removed from American vernacular.
Best Finish: Sweet 16
Special thanks to Chris Lambert! for supplying the report

THE BIG SHOWDOWN
Eliminated in First round	A brilliant game of strategy and trivia. Blocking opponents allowed players who were trailing to catch up in a plausible fashion. Jim Peck hosted admirably well (despite one little incident with the staircase). $10,000 not a bad top prize for a network show in the '70s.
Lifespan: 6 months
Overall Record: 0-4	Then again, the odds of winning the $10,000 were 35-1, and even fewer people won it than the odds would dictate. Beyond that, it was considered a big event when the payoff point was $500. Heather was around only for the endgame, and seemed thoroughly useless in the rest of the show.
Best Finish: First Round

BLACKOUT
Eliminated in First round	A unique twist to the Pyramid concept to make it just as engaging to watch. Required a bit more strategy than Pyramdi because of the rule against repeating key words. Cute opening. Tense end game with a decent top prize.
Lifespan: 13 weeks
Overall Record: 1-3	Gameplay was a bit more confusing than Pyramid, too. Bob Goen is not known for his hosting skills. This show replaced the $25,000 Pyramid in 1988... and was replaced by the $25,000 Pyramid 13 weeks later. Some people just don't get Jay Wolpert shows.
Best Finish: Second Round

BLOCKBUSTERS
Eliminated in Second round	Quite possibly Goodson-Todman's only real "quiz" show, and even then the battlefield on which the game was played was just as inventive as most other G-T games. Bill Cullen at quite possibly his best on this show. The intriguing feature of two heads against one. Some people adore the theme to the 1980 version (although I prefer the '87 one).
Lifespan: 2 1/2 years
Overall Record: 5-4	Ahmed Rafferty. The network had so little faith in the '87 version, they started advertising for contestants for this show's replacement while it was still on the air! The '87 version also took away the two-against-one concept (although I liked how each side got to go top-to-bottom in one round).
Best Finish: Sweet 16

BODY LANGUAGE
Eliminated in First round	The last game show to really use charades as part of the game play, and its use was very well implemented. Tom Kennedy is a spectacular host. Funky theme music. Nice two-stage bonus round.
Lifespan: 18 months
Overall Record: 0-1	The first two rounds had absolutely no effect on the gameplay. Some people are not particularly fond of charade games. The two-loss rule can be a bit confusing.
Best Finish: First round

BREAK THE BANK ('76)
Eliminated in First round	Just enough of a change from Hollywood Squares to make it a different game. Some banks, when left unclaimed for a while, could add up to a nice chunk of change. Even if the jokes were scripted, they sure sounded like they were ad-lib.
Lifespan: 1 year
Overall Record: 0-4	The $100 squares are connected, the Wild Card could be anywhere, the blanks aren't connected... This game needed an owner's manual. The endgame was the old favorite of B&E: accumulate X dollars before hitting the bad guy. A bit too fast paced for Jack Barry's hosting style.
Best Finish: First round

(CELEBRITY) BULLSEYE
Eliminated in First round	The most presentationally mesmerizing show of the early 80's. The set and music are distinctly 80's-esque. As with all other B&E syndie attempts, champs play until they lose, so big winners can rack up a lot of loot. Nice bit of strategy regarding keeping the pot or retaining control.
Lifespan: 2 years
Overall Record: 2-4	As with all other B&E attempts, the endgame is nothing but avoiding the foe du jour. Jim Lange's hosting style brought the show to a near standstill. When viewed in a critical sense, it's merely a snazzed up Joker's Wild.
Best Finish: Second round

BUMPER STUMPERS
Eliminated in First round	Fun theme song, and an original game that viewers can relate to (because we truly all have tried to decipher those things).
Lifespan: 2 1/2 years
Overall Record: 0-3	Not totally original (thanks, Baffle); cheap prizes; Al DuBois not the most exciting host in the world; Super Sutmper sometimes still unsolvable with all letters revealed.
Best Finish: First round
Special thanks to Chris Lambert! for supplying the report

CARD SHARKS
Eliminated in Elite 8	The entire concept of the game can be reduced into three words: Higher or lower? Jim Perry's stentorian demeanor made for some exciting rounds. The questions were intriguing, but different enough from Family Feud's surveys to be autonomous.
Lifespan: 6 years
Overall Record: 8-4	Ahmed Rafferty. Neither form of the "Car Game" in the '80s version really fit in with the flow of the game. The '80s version also dropped the ultra-cool theme song and the ultra-cool set.
Best Finish: Elite 8

WHERE IN THE WORLD/TIME IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?
Eliminated in First round	Nicely educational kids show. Greg Lee wasn't too bad as a host. Cool grand prize in the first run (a trip anywhere in North America). Rockapella's big break.
Lifespan: 4 1/2 years
Overall Record: 0-3	The original bonus round went from workable to difficult to well nigh impossible. Just about everything about the "Time" run was as corny as all get-out.
Best Finish: First round

(THE NEW/$40,000) CHAIN REACTION
Eliminated in First round	One of Bob Stewart's best-loved ideas in the fandom, behind Pyramid. Some are quite fond of the original bonus round, which required celebrities to form a question one word at a time. The well-crafted theme song. Bill Cullen and Geoff Edwards both good hosts.
Lifespan: 5 1/2 years
Overall Record: 2-4	Blake Emmons nearly cancels both Cullen and Edwards out. USA set was dismally cheap. Some people aren't very fond of the original bonus round, especially since in the beginning you could wind up winning a whole $10.
Best Finish: Second round

(CLASSIC) CONCENTRATION
Eliminated in Elite 8	According to Mark Jeffries, the first game show that actually involved a game - no quiz, no panel, just solve the puzzle. Alex Trebek dropped his school-marm performance on Jeopardy! to become a quite personable character. Marjorie had just as much fun modeling the prizes as anyone else. And the bonus rounds in both the Syndicated and '80s version incorporated each aspect of the game quite well.
Lifespan: 24 years
Overall Record: 8-4	Speaking only of the recent version, nobody could make up their minds if they wanted to eliminate players with one loss or two; one Take! or two; have players go for a car after each round, or only after winning two. Some prizes sounded like they came from Fun House - dinner for two at your favorite restaurant? What if that's Jack in the Box?
Best Finish: Elite 8

DOUBLE DARE (G-T)
Eliminated in First round	Brought the isolation booth back out of retirement. Was a game of daring just as much as it was a game of knowledge. The memorable theme song (later used for the first version of Card Sharks). Alex Trebek got in some good practice hosting for Jeopardy!.
Lifespan: 4 months
Overall Record: 1-3	The subjects were, by and large, too difficult for the viewing public to grasp. Sometimes it was difficult to tell what was going on. The "Spoilers" didn't portray the intimidating demeanor that the producers assumed they'd have, mostly because they couldn't say anything other than their answers.
Best Finish: Second round

(SUPER SLOPPY/FAMILY) DOUBLE DARE (2000) (NICK)
Eliminated in Sweet 16	The most successful kids' game show ever. Marc Summers managed to host the show without trying to look cool. The Obstacle Course is surprisingly exciting, regardless how old you are. Some of the inside jokes between the cast members were hilarious.
Lifespan: 8 years
Overall Record: 5-4	Adults aren't going to find much here to entertain them. Some questions seem to be made just to force a team into taking a Physical Challenge. And since Nick became "Klasky-Csupo Cartoon Network" on Monday, the current version has been dropped from the schedule.
Best Finish: Sweet 16

#-D | F-J | L-Sp | St-Y

FAMILY FEUD (CHALLENGE)
Eliminated in Sweet 16	Does a commendable job of being a straight game and a comedy show: some contestants' answers can be hilarious. Richard Dawson was extremely affable on camera. Ray Combs was the quintessential imp, and Louie Anderson really wants the families to win.
Lifespan: 15 years and counting
Overall Record: 11-4	Then again, Dawson was a nightmare off camera, Ray Combs looked stiff at times and Louie likes to opt for the quick joke. The 1994-95 syndicated version was a radical departure from the previous homely feel of the show, too radical for some. The current scoring structure makes the first three questions irrelevant to the game.
Best Finish: Final Four (1997)

GO
Eliminated in Elite 8	Fast-paced race against the clock based on the original Chain Reaction's bonus round. Kevin O'Connell was a decent host who knew what he was doing. A team could walk away with over $100,000 if they would run the table against their opponents.
Lifespan: 13 weeks
Overall Record: 4-4	The gameplay here just isn't simple enough for the general pubilc to grasp. The set had so many "GO"s flashing on and off it made you think the set designers were trying to force you to remember the show's name.
Best Finish: Elite 8

GREED
Eliminated in Second round	The most successful game show in the batch of prime-timers after WWTBAM hit it big. Chuck Woolery managed to stay personable and homey despite the cold, sinister overtones of the game. $2,000,000 (and later $4M in the sweeps) was the biggest prize offered on television.
Lifespan: 8 months
Overall Record: 1-2	Few people dared venture past the $200,000 level, since they feared they'd get terminated, losing all their money and/or they'd get saddled with having to identify the four best-selling brands of feminine hygiene products. The music sounded like there was a funeral dirge playing throughout the show.
Best Finish: Second round

HIGH ROLLERS
Eliminated in First round	Although slightly derivative of Heatter-Quigley's earlier show Gambit, the concept of knocking numbers off the board to win prizes was new and involved more strategy than Gambit. The '80s version incorporated more glitz and a snazzier theme song.
Lifespan: 5 years
Overall Record: 3-4	The prizes in the '78 version went from color TVs and trips to Europe to African Masks and $10,000 fishbowls. The rumor of Trebek being sauced when he hosted the '80 finale can be a strength or a weakness, depending on your view. Wink's version dragged like an anchor - there were many times when they had to straddle a match between three episodes.
Best Finish: Second round

HISTORY IQ
Eliminated in Second round	History Channel's first attempt at a game show, and a darn good job at that. Marc Summers hosts as calmly as ever, and $25,000 is not too darn shabby for a cable show. Behind WBSM, the most intellectual game show on cable.
Lifespan: 5 months and counting
Overall Record: 1-1	The audience applause is obviously canned. The contestants can be as stoic as Jeopardy!'s sometimes. The bonus round, which requires players to use a touch screen, seems to give players difficulties. That might be the reason they offer $25,000 - they only plan to give it away once a month.
Best Finish: Second round

HIT MAN
Eliminated in Second round	Another great game involving players racing to the buzzer. Intriguing gameplay in the second round. Bonus round was formatted so a player could win with as few as 5 right answers or as many as 13. Some people liked the Hit Men. The classic contestant plug.
Lifespan: 13 weeks
Overall Record: 2-3	Even Peter Tomarken didn't like the show. The mini-documentaries were dry as dust. Some people think the presentation was a bit cutesy. Jay Wolpert, although he comes up with a great many ideas, can't seem to find one the viewing public really grasps.
Best Finish: Second round

HOLLYWOOD SHOWDOWN
Eliminated in Second round	-
Lifespan: 7 months and counting
Overall Record: 1-1	-
Best Finish: Second round

(THE) HOLLYWOOD SQUARES
GST Runner-up	Along with Match Game, one of the best comedy-based game shows ever made. Paul Lynde and Whoopi Goldberg made excellent Center Squares. Peter Marshall was the perfect straight man, and Tom Bergeron has come into his own as a great host.
Lifespan: 22 years and counting
Overall Record: 13-5	The less said about the 1980's version, the better. Some people out here just don't like game shows where the emphasis is on the comedy rather than the game. Why a show called "Hollywood Squares" would tape the later end of its run in Las Vegas escapes logic.
Best Finish: GST Runner-up (2001)

(CELEBRITY) HOT POTATO
Eliminated in First round	The smoking logo. The Hal Hidey theme. Early teams were composed of three people with something in common (Mothers-to-be, Caterers, etc.). Some of the general knowledge questions were creative.
Lifespan: 6 months
Overall Record: 4-4	The celebrity version. The bonus round, despite no longer relying entirely on luck, was still the same "avoid-the-bad-guy" concept of previous B&E shows. Gets (somewhat unfair) flak for being derivative of Family Feud.
Best Finish: Sweet 16

IDIOT SAVANTS
Eliminated in First round	The smartest, funniest game show aired on MTV. Greg Fitzsimmons is like Dennis Miller without the cussing. All four players stayed for the week, allowing you to get to know each one. Interesting categories like "Cheese or Disease", "Spelling spelling" and "Bialik American History".
Lifespan: 4 months
Overall Record: 0-3	If one person was significantly smarter/faster than the others, the game was over by Tuesday. Constant shifting of rules, especially with who gets control to start the day and how much time players got in the bonus round. Prizes were kinda cheap (although it's a cable show, so what do you expect?).
Best Finish: First round

IT'S YOUR CHANCE OF A LIFETIME
Eliminated in First round	Gordon Elliott knows how to sit on a verdict, something that Reege had started to forget a few months before. Cool-looking set. Enough variation in the Second Chances from making them look completely like Lifeline rip-offs.
Lifespan: 1 week
Overall Record: 0-1	Other than that, it was a complete Xerox of WWTBAM. It lasted a whole four episodes, and its horrid performance caused the death of Greed as well. Questions had to be answered within minutes, so there was no tension built up.
Best Finish: First round

I'VE GOT A SECRET
Eliminated in Second round	The third in the batch of the successful panel shows. The regular panel of Cullen-Palmer-Morgan-Myerson just as classic as Kilgallen-Cerf-Francis-Allen and Poston-Cass-Bean-Carlisle. More free-wheeling and less stuffy than TTTT or WML?.
Lifespan: 17 years
Overall Record: 1-4	There could be three different contestants and three diferent games for each one. Some games devolved into total chaos. Garry Moore isn't the force that he was on TTTT. The recent version was seen by a whole 3 people.
Best Finish: Second round

JACKPOT!
Eliminated in Second round	Having 15 players, all of which could hold the elusive Jackpot riddle, added an element of surprise and unpredictability to the game. The payoffs in the original version could get as high as $50,000. Probably Geoff Edwards' best-known show.
Lifespan: 4 1/2 years
Overall Record: 3-4	The early version didn't require Experts to step down after winning the Jackpot riddle, eliminating the risk of building it up. Near the tail end of the '70s run, Lin Bolen thought general knowledge questions would work better than riddles (and guess what, they didn't). Later versions skimped on the payouts.
Best Finish: Second round

(SUPER) JEOPARDY!
Eliminated in Sweet 16	A menacingly simple game with the slightest twist in the premise: We give you the answer, you give us the question. Probably the most intellectually demanding show on television. The theme song is among the most recognizable in the world.
Lifespan: 27 years and counting
Overall Record: 12-3	What was once the ultimate grilling has given in to pop-culture categories. Alex Trebek's mannerisms have gotten smarmier as the years progressed. If you're into flashing lights and excitable contestants, this show is not for you.
Best Finish: GST Champion (1997)

THE JOKER'S WILD (JOKER! JOKER! JOKER!)
Eliminated in Sweet 16	The perfect way to life the stench of rigging away from you: have a game based primarily on chance. Jack Barry's hosting style made you anticipate that third Joker. Champions on the syndicated version stayed as long as they won. The second part of the 1990 bonus round (matching prizes on the slot machine) wasn't half bad.
Lifespan: 12 years
Overall Record: 6-4	Everything else about the 1990 version stunk to high heaven. The '70s and '80s bonus round set a bad precedent for future B&E games: just avoid the bad guy long enough and you'll win. Format took a lot of tweaking after it premiered to become the show we know today.
Best Finish: Sweet 16

#-D | F-J | L-Sp | St-Y

LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE
Eliminated in First round	Quite possibly Stone-Stanley's best effort to date. The stunts were demanding but not messy, the bonus round was difficult but not impossible, and the set drips with atmosphere. Interesting Hit Man-esque second round.
Lifespan: 2 years
Overall Record: 0-1	Olmec was a bit hokey for the grown-ups who might've watch with their kids. Kirk Fogg was little more than a cue card reader for much of the run. Often times, you could tell if a team would win the bonus round merely by what room the artifact was hidden.
Best Finish: First round

LET'S MAKE A DEAL
Eliminated in First round	Where else can you find people dressed up as clowns and giant grapes to decide on taking the $500 in Monty Hall's hand or what's behind the curtain? A true test of intuition and intestinal fortitude. Some of the Zonks were hilarious.
Lifespan: 25 years
Overall Record: 3-4	Pure, sheer, unbridled lunacy, and not much of a real game for the most part. Bob Hilton's version was atrocious. The show probably wouldn't have lasted nearly as long without the wacky costumes.
Best Finish: Sweet 16

(THE) MATCH GAME ('7x/PM)
Eliminated in Sweet 16	One of the most hilarious shows in television history. The classic bunch of Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly and Richard Dawson, with Fannie Flagg, and Betty White appearing often as well. Its bonus round was spun off to form "Family Feud".
Lifespan: 19 years
Overall Record: 13-4	Later versions had us saddled with Joe Alaskey, Judy Tenuta and Nell Carter. Richard Dawson "stopped participating" after his show became successful. The 1998 version changed way too much, and half the answers got censored.
Best Finish: Third place (2000)

MONOPOLY
Eliminated in First round	Managed to incorporate a great deal of the actual board game into the show without overcomplicating things. The snappy theme song and glitzy set. Possible top prize of $50,000.
Lifespan: 13 weeks
Overall Record: 0-2	Too much time was spent accumulating properties and not enough time going around the board. Mike Reilly could put 6-year old on Jolt Cola to sleep. Too often one person would dominate the board.
Best Finish: First round

MUSICAL CHAIRS
Eliminated in First round	-
Lifespan: 13 weeks
Overall Record: 0-1	-
Best Finish: First round

(THE ALL NEW/$100,000) NAME THAT TUNE
Eliminated in Second round	The most recognized musical identification game on television. Tom Kennedy was a superb emcee. All the falderal that surrounded a player's $100K try in the '70s version. The catchphrase "I can name that tune in 5 notes". Tommy Oliver and his orchestra.
Lifespan: 15 years
Overall Record: 3-4	And I quote: "I'm picking up Laa Laa Laa Laa..." If you are a sworn enemy of Kathie Lee Gifford, you have this show to blame for her stardom. 1984's Tune Topics (why have 5 if you're only going to pick 1?) The '84 pilot is known for one particularly rude contestant. Tommy Oliver and his Orchestra.
Best Finish: Second round

NOW YOU SEE IT
Eliminated in First round	Word searches don't tend to make their way onto television, but this one did. The gameplay of the '89 version was an interesting one, and the increasing payouts of the solo rounds made for some exciting wins if it had shut out several consecutive opponents. And of course, "Chump Change".
Lifespan: 6 months
Overall Record: 3-4	The scoring formats of the first run - all of them - made absolutely no sense. Nobody was fond of Chuck Henry's hosting job of the '89 version, not even Chuck Henry. There's probably a reason why word searches don't make it on TV often.
Best Finish: Second round

(SUPER) PASSWORD (ALL-STARS/PLUS)
Third Place	At odds with Pyramid for the most well-known word communication game. Allen Ludden hosted the show majestically until a stroke forced him off the show. The first game with celebrities working for and not against the contestants, as well as the first with a bonus round. The puzzle aspect of later runs fit like a glove. The Magic Toaster.
Lifespan: 18 years
Overall Record: 15-4	The '74-'75 version of the show was a bit disjointed. Bert Convy wasn't the best choice to host the new version. Some people like the SP and P+ runs, not caring for the earlier versions, while others feel the opposite way.
Best Finish: Third place (1999)

PRESS YOUR LUCK
Eliminated in Sweet 16	One of the biggest guilty pleasures of the fandom. The gameplay was set so a player with a humungous lead could lose it all with one decision. Some of the contestants (including Michael Larsen) have become the most talked-about people in the forum. And who can forget those cute little Whammies.
Lifespan: 4 years
Overall Record: 13-5	Push a button, win money. Push a button, win money. Push a button, lose money. Yeah, very demanding gameplay here. While some contestants are memorable, others are similiarly annoying. Flokati Rugs. And a segment of the voters are dead-set against the show.
Best Finish: GST Runner-up (1999)

THE (NEW) PRICE IS RIGHT
Fourth Place	The undisputed ruler of the roost, at least until WWTBAM appeared. Bob Barker remains one of the most affable personalities on television. The variety of pricing games, the memorable contestants, the inventive showcases...
Lifespan: 37 years and counting
Overall Record: 19-3	The question remains - How much longer is the show going to last? Bob's talents have slipped over the last few years, Rod Roddy almost sounds bored when he does the announcing, and the recent firings of Janice and Kathleen have stirred up a great deal of ire by hardcore fans.
Best Finish: GST Champion (1999, 2000)

THE $10,000/$20,000/(NEW) $25,000/$50,000/$100,000 PYRAMID
2001 GST Champion	One of the most recognizable concepts in the genre. As much a game of wavelength as it is word communication. Dick Clark is among the upper eschelon of hosts. When the $100,000 tournaments rolled around, you couldn't turn away, because you knew that today might be THE day.
Lifespan: 15 years
Overall Record: 16-3	The changes made when the show ran in 1991, particularly the choice of host. Some people think it's just a fancied-up version of Password. It can be a bit tiresome to watch Markie Post and LeVar Burton as guests week after week after week.
Best Finish: GST Champion (2001)

REMOTE CONTROL
Eliminated in First round	Not a bad effort by MTV. Ken Ober set a tone for hosts on the network. It was cool when the audience sang "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" as the last-place player went "Off the Air". Big breaks for Colin Quinn and Adam Sandler.
Lifespan: 3 years
Overall Record: 1-4	If you weren't an MTV watcher, this show really didn't give you much motivation to change your mind. Colin's voice was very grating (yes, they meant to make the hoarse guy the announcer, but still...) First bonus round had little to do with television.
Best Finish: Second round

SALE OF THE CENTURY
Eliminated in Second round	The ultimate buzzer-battle game. The Instant Bargains made things interesting as the leader has to decide between a small prize now or potentially a big prize later. Jim Perry hosted the show with authority.
Lifespan: 11 years
Overall Record: 4-4	The bonus round segment went from good to bad to worse as the show progressed. The show's first model, Sally Julian, was half a bubble off a plomb. Some of the prizes offered were kinda dorky - a $1000 rocking horse?
Best Finish: Elite 8

SCRABBLE
Eliminated in Second round	Probably had the best writing on any game show, and Woolery often blasted the writers onscreen. The payoffs got big if there was a cold spell of a few days. The intriguing playoff-style format.
Lifespan: 6 years
Overall Record: 9-4	The horrid spelling days early in the run. Early champions could only play the first part once, meaning they couldn't pick up any more bonus money after their first game. The 1993 version was dreadfully cheap in both its set and its payoffs.
Best Finish: Elite 8

SPLIT SECOND
Eliminated in First round	A remarkably fast-paced quiz. Tom Kennedy displayed how he had the best pacing in the business - he knew when to speed up the tempo and when to slow it down. The Countdown Round gave trailing players a great chance to catch up.
Lifespan: 3 1/2 years
Overall Record: 1-3	Neither bonus round had anything to do with the front game. Since buzzing in didn't stop Monty from reading the question in '86, a test of quick wit became a test of reflexes. The set for the '70s version was blindingly orange.
Best Finish: First round

SPORTS ON TAP
Eliminated in First round	-
Lifespan: 6 months
Overall Record: 0-1	-
Best Finish: First round

#-D | F-J | L-Sp | St-Y

STREET SMARTS
Eliminated in First round	If you like Jay Leno's "Jaywalking" segments, you'd love this show. You'll always feel 20 IQ points smarter after watching it. Frank Nicotero does a tolerable hosting job (at least he isn't Patrick Wayne). Decent payoffs considering the task.
Lifespan: 5 months and counting
Overall Record: 0-1	If you don't like Jay Leno's "Jaywalking" segments, this show isn't going to win you over either. Sometimes you can't help but feel as if the producers are exploiting the people they come across.
Best Finish: First round

SUPERMARKET SWEEP
Eliminated in Second round	Remarkably, one of the most durable games to come out of the 90's, and people tend to be more willing to embrace this show than its long-time companion, Shop 'Til You Drop. Good, clean, mindless fun.
Lifespan: 5 1/2 years and counting
Overall Record: 2-3	And when I say mindless, I mean mindless. $5000 for finding the specially-marked bottle of Clorox? Please. David Ruprecht seems to have had one too many espressos before coming onstage, and the contestants are required to applaud every 7.8 seconds.
Best Finish: Second round

TATTLETALES
Eliminated in First round	An interesting spin-off of The Newlywed Game, using celebrity couples as teams. Bert Convy was an affable host. Numerous appearance by several game show hosts and their wives.
Lifespan: 6 years
Overall Record: 1-4	The first version of the show was excruciatingly slow. Seeing Bill Cullen or Betty White in those gigantic cuffed headphones looked kinda silly. The rinky-dink theme song.
Best Finish: Second round

TIC TAC DOUGH
Eliminated in Second round	If TJW didn't regain some people's respect of Barry-Enright, the 70's-80's version of this show did. Like TJW, champs played until they lost, and that rule got us acquainted with one Thom McKee. The rockin' theme song. Wink Martindale at his cheesiest, and his most successful.
Lifespan: 12 years
Overall Record: 5-4	You can bet Wink is regretting his departure from the show in 1985. His replacement, Jim Caldwell, did an amazingly inept job of hosting the show. And when it returned in 1990, we could no longer fear Hell, for we already saw what it was like when Kline & Friends and Patrick Wayne got their hands on it. The bonus round in the last two versions was all luck.
Best Finish: Sweet 16

TO TELL THE TRUTH
Eliminated in Sweet 16	Of the three well-known panel shows, this one is different because the panel isn't constrained to yes-or-no questions; thus, the contestants have to work just as hard as the panel. The panel of Cullen-Cass-Bean-Carlisle. That funky 60's theme song ("It's a lie, lie...")
Lifespan: 31 years and counting
Overall Record: 9-4	There is a die-hard group of panel haters among the judges. Unless the panelists have some background knowledge of the subject in question, their questions won't be too potent. The 1990 version shuffled through three hosts (and that's not counting Richard Klein hosting the pilot or Mark Goodson filling in when Trebek's wife was in labor). Dinky payoff structure in the current run.
Best Finish: Elite 8

TWENTY ONE
Eliminated in First round	Responsible for the highest money-winner in game show history. The fact that you couldn't hear how your opponent is doing made you use intuition to figure out how well you were stacking up. Suspenseful music throughout.
Lifespan: 2 1/2 years
Overall Record: 0-3	The first version was rigged. Way too easy to win huge amounts of money early on, and the changed payoff structure a couple months into the 2000 run didn't really help that. Tried too hard to be like WWTBAM. Having the audience select the next contestant early on was pointless.
Best Finish: First round

ULTIMATE FAN LEAGUE
Eliminated in First round	Sports games shouldn't be too serious (watch "Sports Challenge" and you'll see why), and this one is wonderfully tongue-in-cheek. Paul Koslowski is hysterical as announcer, and Bil Dwyer isn't that bad a host. Intriguing use of the "League" concept. Love the 2-Minute Warning.
Lifespan: 13 weeks
Overall Record: 0-1	Michael Dugan, producer of Remote Control and Idiot Savants, brings his trademark irony into the mix. If you're not a fan of it, and if you're not a fan of sports trivia, this isn't going to be among your favorites. Crummy theme music.
Best Finish: First round

WHAT'S MY LINE?
Eliminated in First round	The first panel show to truly become successful. The Mystery Guests were a veritable time capsule of the popular figures during that time. Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf and Dorothy Kilgallen were the epitome of style.
Lifespan: 24 years
Overall Record: 4-4	Again, panel shows have their critics around here. It seemed as if once the panel began to catch on to the contestant's scent, Daly pointed out that time was up and the game was over. For fans of big-money quizzes, you may not want to know that the prize for the original show was a whopping... $50.
Best Finish: Sweet 16

WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Eliminated in First round	The highest-rated syndicated TV show for umpteen years. Vanna remains a pinnacle of style and elegance, and Sajak remains the smart-aleck he's always been. Always the opportunity of someone winning scads of money, particularly in the speed round. There's a place in many's hearts for the Chuck Woolery version as well.
Lifespan: 25 years and counting
Overall Record: 4-4	The gameplay has changed quite a bit since its inception in 1975, and not all of it has been for the better. Some categories (like "MEGAWORD" and "PRIZE PUZZLE") are not fit for human viewing.
Best Finish: Sweet 16

WHEW!
Eliminated in Elite 8	An incredibly frantic and fast-paced game that still manages to be funny AND require good strategy at the same time. Tom Kennedy hosted this show just as well as any other. The theme song stuck with you after a while. Has a reputation of being a giant-killer in the GST circles.
Lifespan: 6 months
Overall Record: 9-4	It might be just a bit too fast-paced for some. You couldn't tune into this show in the middle of an episode, or else you wouldn't know what the heck was going on. Perhaps a bit cartoony for the viewing public. As usual, bringing in celebrities doesn't resurrect a show as well as network execs hope.
Best Finish: Elite 8

WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE
Eliminated in Second round	Easily the most talked-about game show of the last two years. The music, the suspense, the top prize... nobody has found a way to improve on any of it (although goodness knows other networks have tried). I defy you not to shout the answers at the television.
Lifespan: 17 months and counting
Overall Record: 6-2	Regis now gives the verdicts half a second after an answer is locked in, ruining a lot of the tension. The expansion to full-time at three and later four nights a week has possibly diluted the ratings. Unless there's a particularly animated person on the hot seat, it can get a bit dull.
Best Finish: GST Runner-up (2000)

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?
Eliminated in Second round	An utterly hilarious show. Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie are two of the best comedians on television, due to this very show. Some of the games are downright sidesplitters.
Lifespan: 2 1/2 years (domestically) and counting
Overall Record: 1-2	Well, it's only a game show in a really, really, reeeeeeeally loose sense of the word. Some of the games (particularly the duets and serenades) are pretty boring.
Best Finish: Second round

WIN BEN STEIN'S MONEY
Eliminated in First round	Another enduring favorite from the '90s. Jimmy Kimmel was a terrific smart-aleck co-host. (I haven't seen the new girl, so I'll withhold comment.) Despite the channel it's on, a surprisingly demanding quiz, especially in the bonus round. Speaking of which, fighting the host for the bonus round money is an idea that hasn't been employed before or since.
Lifespan: 3 1/2 years and counting
Overall Record: 1-3	Well, to say you're fighting the host isn't entirely accurate, since the co-host actually hosts more of the game than Ben does. Some of the category names can be a bit extreme for some people.
Best Finish: Second round

WINNING LINES
Eliminated in Second round	Intriguing concept involving 49 players being eventually whittled down to 1. Some of the math problems asked were very interesting. The Wonderwall has been considered by some to have been the most nerve-wracking three minutes on television. The spooky and tension-inducing music characteristic of Celador's latest entries.
Lifespan: 2 months
Overall Record: 1-1	Sure, the Wonderwall was great, but the other rounds were the most boring 20 minutes on television. Woe unto you if you wasted your 1-year quiz show eligibility being one of 43 also-rans in each episode. If a trigger-happy contestant made it to the second round, you'd never get to hear from any of his/her competitors. The home game was confusing and ground the show to a halt.
Best Finish: Second round

WIPEOUT
Eliminated in Second round	While the questions were often fairly simple, they required a broad array of knowledge and the increasing payout structure of the first round made for some interesting strategy. The bonus round was both fast-paced and cerebral, a difficult combination to get right. Peter Tomarken hosted this show with no problems.
Lifespan: 1 year
Overall Record: 2-4	The second round kinda stole elements from Name That Tune. Nothing remarkably excellent about the show or its presentation.
Best Finish: Second round

WORDPLAY
Eliminated in First round	Nice-looking set. Tom Kennedy is as majestic as ever in this, his last show. The words were challenging but not impossible to figure out. Interesting layout of the words on the board made for some big payoffs if a player knew what words to play.
Lifespan: 9 months
Overall Record: 0-3	You could obviously tell that the celebrity's jokes were scripted. Bonus round was too much like Blockbusters' Gold run (made only more obvious since they aired back-to-back). Game went way too slowly.
Best Finish: First round

YOU DON'T SAY!
Eliminated in First round	Terriffic take-off on 'Password'; truly forced celebrities to be witty and intelligent. Holds up well in repeats 30 years later for word game fans. Young Tom Kennedy was a terrific up-and-coming host at the time.
Lifespan: 6 years
Overall Record: 1-3	Maybe too smart for today's viewers. Hasn't been successful since 1969. Who knows if today's celebs would be up to the task? Bonus game was s-l-o-w on '70s versions. Jim Peck not a great choice for revival #2.
Best Finish: Second round
Special thanks to Chris Lambert! for supplying the report

#-D | F-J | L-Sp | St-Y

The 2001 Tournament
Rules | Final Results | The Shows

GST History
'00 Results | '99 Results | '97 Results | Show Records

Back to the Game Show Lair