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Game Show Crazy

a guide to some of the best game shows on TV

By Anastasia KarelPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Example of a question on America Says

Game shows, game shows, and more game shows. This is how I spent a lot of time during the quarantine period, when my state was shut down and it was hard to go anywhere for fear of catching COVID-19. Lucky for me, my condo fee includes cable and I had access to the Game Show Network (GSN). If you cut the cord, I’ll include my recommendations for game shows on streaming platforms at the end. Read on and maybe you’ll decide you need to see some of these shows!

The first thing to consider when choosing a game show is the format. Do you like word games? Trivia? Or perhaps you prefer pure luck and the agonizing decision-making contestants have to make to risk it all or leave the game early with their winnings.

The second most important factor is usually the host. A bad host can ruin a great game, and vice versa, a great host can make an average game fun. Here’s where diversity also comes into play. Game show hosts used to be traditionally white and male, and if that’s the best person for the job then so be it. But I prefer shows that mix it up with a woman and/or person of color in the host spot.

A third, but less important, factor is the grand prize. I personally prefer shows with a big prize pot, because that makes it more fun to watch. Anything under $15,000 and I’m less inclined to watch. The exception to this is the show Chain Reaction, which I started watching because of its unique concept; it only awards $10,000 and that seems to be difficult to win.

Now on to my recommendations. If you’re a fan of movies like Best in Show or Pitch Perfect, with John Michael Higgins as one of the announcers, you might like the show he hosts called America Says. This is a fill-in-the-blank question game where you have to guess the top 7 responses that Americans give to a question. During the week reruns of the show run back-to-back starting at 6:30pm for 2 hours. I prefer this show over Family Feud because contestants are given the first letter of each word, rather than having to guess blindly. Of course, the latter features Steve Harvey as the host, and he generally makes that show worth watching. Family Feud (and GSN for that matter) has its own YouTube channel with full episodes as well as bloopers, such as the video below.

The best female host out there right now is Brooke Burns, with Leslie Jones as a near second. Burns got her start on Baywatch, so if you were a fan of that show, you might enjoy watching her in reruns of the Chase, or Master Minds (GSN has both reruns and new episodes on every weekday). I discovered Leslie Jones in the new version of Supermarket Sweep, which can be found on Hulu. If you were a fan of the 1990s version of the show, you’re sure to love the new one just as much if not more.

Speaking of Hulu, this is the best streaming platform that I know of for watching more current game shows. My favorite show at the moment is Press Your Luck, hosted by actress Elizabeth Banks; this aired on ABC primetime in 2019-2020 and is a refresh of the classic 1980s show of the same name. This show has plenty of drama as contestants have to decide whether or not to risk their winnings for a chance to win bigger prizes as the game moves along. Other shows that play up the drama are The Wall on NBC, and Cherries Wild on Fox, both of which are also on Hulu.

I’m still watching a few game shows as the world begins to reopen in 2021, and I know that going forward they will be less of a time-filler and more of an occasional viewing, kind of like visiting an old friend.

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About the Creator

Anastasia Karel

I’m an archivist by trade, and creator the rest of the time! I love to tell stories about the places I’ve been and things I do.

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