1970s and 80s TV Game Shows

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Got into this discussion with a buddy last night and thought I'd bring it up here...

Who here is old enough to have watched lots of TV game shows back in the 70s and 80s? My memories are of the sexual innuendo and general insanity of the Match Game (Actress Kirstie Alley and former NFL coach Brian Billick were contestants before they were famous), not to mention Gene Rayburn's REALLY long skinny microphone. Or how about Jack Barry on The Jokers Wild, Wink Martindale on Tic Tac Dough, Jim Perry on Card Sharks, Dick Clark on The $10,000 Pyramid, Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford on Wheel of Fortune (yep, Pat and Vanna weren't first), or a young Alex Trebek on High Rollers?

Remember when that military guy in uniform, with the blonde mustache, was the Tic Tac Dough champion for weeks on end? I always wondered if he was being fed he answers.

I'm sure there are lots of shows I'm leaving out. What do you remember?

[OldRightHander]

The Tic Tac Dough champion was named Doc. I can still remember when he finally lost and my mom yelled to my dad who was in the other room, "Doc got beat!" You would think the Reds had won the World Series the way she reacted.

[George Anderson]

I have memories of my grandmother watching "Hollywood Squares" and thinking Paul Lynde was a real goof ball. The host of the show Peter Marshall actually had a son play MLB ( Pete LaCock). I also have memories of watching "To Tell the Truth" when very young.

[RBA]

Marco, you about hit every game show I watched back then. I liked the game shows.

How about Crosswits?
And the Liar's Club.

Concentration?

[Rojo]

How about Make Me Laugh?

I always though Jack Barry was drunk.

[Kingspoint]

If you want some non-stop rolling on the floor laughter, go to youtube and check out the game show guffaws. It's the funniest stuff I've ever seen.

[Kingspoint]

Originally Posted by RBA

Concentration?

That was my favorite as a kid hosted by the "King" of all game show hosts (according to all of the other game show hosts) Bill Cullen. He had the perfect blend of wit, humor, getting the most out of each contestant's personality, while making the game itself fun, too.

[Kingspoint]

Mitch Miller just passed away. He didn't have a game show, but he had the 1961 TV hit, "Sing Along with Mitch". For those of you who've seen "The Flintstones" re-runs, you might remember the mock of that show that Wilma and Betty liked to watch.

[Roy Tucker]

Password with Allan Ludden (who was married to Betty White)
Let's Make a Deal with Monty Hall
Name That Tune with Tom Kennedy

I read somewhere that with the Match Game, they taped a whole week in one sitting and they'd drink in-between shows. It showed.

[cumberlandreds]

Bob Barker hosted Truth or Consequences before the Price is Right. I can remember watching that one when I was very young. It was so popular a town in New Mexico renamed their city to Truth or Consequences.

Does the Game Show channel show the old Hollywood Squares? I really liked the old version with Peter Marshall. Paul Lynde was great as the center square.
Match Game was great too. I'm sure most of those sexual jokes flew right over my head back when it was originally on.

Also Joe Garigiola hosted a show called Sale of the Century. Anyone remember that one?

[Chip R]

Originally Posted by Kingspoint

That was my favorite as a kid hosted by the "King" of all game show hosts (according to all of the other game show hosts) Bill Cullen. He had the perfect blend of wit, humor, getting the most out of each contestant's personality, while making the game itself fun, too.

I thought Hugh Downs hosted that show. Or at least did for a while.

[durl]

I watched almost every one mentioned. How is that shows like Hollywood Squares and Match Game had so much innuendo but it seemed...well...innocent?

It came along a little later, but I really liked Press Your Luck. And can we consider The Gong Show a game show? That was one of my all-time favs. (I'll never forget the one show where every contestant sang "Feelings.")

There were some popular ones that I didn't care for, like Scrabble...poor concept. And while I enjoyed Card Sharks early on, I look back and can't understand why. The contestants would ramble on and on, giving their amateur sociological analysis of why they guessed 67 out of 100 people would choose ranch dressing over bleu cheese.

Originally Posted by cumberlandreds

Also Joe Garigiola hosted a show called Sale of the Century. Anyone remember that one?

I vaguely remember that one. I'm pretty sure he wasn't the original host, though.

[cumberlandreds]

Originally Posted by durl

.



I vaguely remember that one. I'm pretty sure he wasn't the original host, though.

You are correct. Jack Kelly was the original host.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063949/

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Originally Posted by RBA

...And the Liar's Club.

Concentration?

I remember The Liar's Club. The host passed away at a young age in recent years. Can't remember his name but he had curly hair. A young comedian named Jay Leno was a contestant on that show once.

Originally Posted by Roy Tucker

Let's Make a Deal with Monty Hall
Name That Tune with Tom Kennedy

I read somewhere that with the Match Game, they taped a whole week in one sitting and they'd drink in-between shows. It showed.

Loved the costumes on Let's Make A Deal. Used to watch that one with my grandmother. And I HATED how the contestants would look at one anther and say "Name that tune!" on the show by that name. My dad watched it just to ridicule.

And I recall reading that story about Match Game, as well. You could tell that they annoyed some contestants, who were taking the game very seriously, when they made a big joke out of the whole thing.

Boy, everyone loved to match up with ol' Richard Dawson, didn't they? He was certainly the go-to guy when you wanted to win that $5,000.

Originally Posted by cumberlandreds

Also Joe Garigiola hosted a show called Sale of the Century. Anyone remember that one?

I remember the title, but don't remember anything about it. I think I may be remembering Version II from later, because I don't remember Joe G.

Originally Posted by durl

And while I enjoyed Card Sharks early on, I look back and can't understand why. The contestants would ramble on and on, giving their amateur sociological analysis of why they guessed 67 out of 100 people would choose ranch dressing over bleu cheese.

Yep, I remember that annoying me, as well. I'm convinced that they were coached to do that by the producers, but it usually came across as cheesy overkill.

[Roy Tucker]

Speaking of Richard Dawson, there was Family Feud.

I used to laugh at all the cheap gropes and feels that Dawson used to give the young women. He was such a letch. I'm surprised he never got sued.