No News Day: The Top Five Game Shows I’d Like to See Revived

17 May

Posted by Nick Todor as Opinion, Reader Input, Video

There have been many game shows made over the years. Some were just appalling, others were fantastically awesome. Here’s a few of the latter ones that I think deserve another chance. (Note: All shows that were considered for this list must have had no run aired in the United States or some version of it must have been off the air in the US for at least ten years.)

5) Scrabble - Basically, it’s like “Wheel of Fortune” with single words and added clues. Also, it had a good six-year run in the ’80s. And it produced a celebrity:

4) (Classic) Concentration - Three really good runs (1958-1973, 1973-1978, 1987-1991) and a recent computer game release based on the rules of the latest run make this a prime candidate.

3) Supermarket Sweep - If shopping was a sport, this might just be the way to do it. And seriously, how can you not like people running through a supermarket?

2) Whew! - This is probably one of the most unique formats I’ve ever seen. You race to the top level by correcting false statements. In fact, a very similar bonus round to Whew!’s was used in the show “Balderdash.”

1) The Crystal Maze - With shows like “Big Brother” and “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” currently on the scene, this show would be a perfect fit in primetime, with only a few minor changes. If anything, this show proved one thing: even the simplest of tasks can result in utter failure.

What do you think?

29 Responses

Chad
1
May 17th, 2008 at 8:19 pm

The only problem with reviving The Crystal Maze is you’re going to need an airplane hangar somewhere to keep the set in.

As for reviving Supermarket Sweep… I’m all for that. My only problem with that show was that it was so low-budget. On the 1990 version, the two lowest-scoring teams won only a pair of sweatshirts, and the top team won the cash equivelant of their groceries, plus a possible $5,000. If I were to revive it, and I had a larger budget, I would let the two lowest scoring teams keep the cash equivelent of their groceries, and the top team wins their groceries times five, plus a possible $25,000.

If I were to revive Scrabble and Concentration… That’s a tried and true format! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Channel
2
May 17th, 2008 at 9:52 pm

I’d love to see scrabble back on the air, never got a chance to see that on TV.
As for Supermarket Sweep, I regret forgetting to watch that show while in Junior High, sadly it got cancelled around the same time. I’ve emailed David Ruprechts website to see if they would revive it, I wish they would.
Jordan Hass
3
May 17th, 2008 at 10:51 pm

I would LOVE to see a US “Crystal Maze” , but to be fair if they fail each gold is multiplied by $100 and added.

Also the host would have to play the harmonica just as well and Richard O’Brien.
Justin the Bull
4
May 18th, 2008 at 1:39 am

Split Second, so long as they didn’t monkey with the format (except for the end game, which was never spectacular).
Ben Z.
5
May 18th, 2008 at 2:54 am

I have been lobbying for a U.S. version of “The Crystal Maze” for years! I think it’s a perfect format. It has something for everyone. It’s also a game that emphasizes teamwork, rather than dysfunction. I think it could be a great Million Dollar Show (split among the team, of course), because the Crystal Dome is so difficult to win. As far as the time zones and the size of the set go, there have been so many advances in Chromakey (green screen/blue screen) technology, I don’t see why there couldn’t be one set for the games, with the time zones projected around them. I am a bit stumped as to who would be a good host. Perhaps someone who has an adventure-type show, like a Jeff Corwin type. I say, “Bring on The Crystal Maze!”
Tim Connolly
6
May 18th, 2008 at 5:23 am

I agree with Justin - Split Second is in dire need of some revival love.

I’m surprised that nobody’s brought up The Big Showdown. One of the few quiz shows that required an actual strategy from the contestants.
DENo1MatchGameFan
7
May 18th, 2008 at 6:55 am

I’d just like to see “Scrabble” on TV PERIOD - hate the fact that the greedy monsters at FremantleMedia won’t let it or “$ale Of The Century” see the time of day out of the vaults in Australia where they have been kept for the last 13 years since the USA Network aired them!
Marc Power
8
May 18th, 2008 at 11:04 am

I agree with split second, the thing I’d do differently is the payoffs and the bonus round, for the payoffs there’s a pot of $150 in round 1 on each question, $300 in round 2 everyone who gets a correct answer gets an equal share of the pot. so, in round 1 it would be: $50 each if all 3 are right, $75 each if 2 are right, $150 for a “singleton” and double those amounts for round 2, in the bonus round The contestant attempts to answer a 10-part question, behind each part are cash amounts ranging from $0 to $500, the contestant wins the amounts behind the correctly answered parts, $1500 or more wins the cash and a trip.

I can’t see Crystal maze ever working in the US, it fits in the same category as countdown, its too brainy, although if it happened they could jsut fill the crystal dome with cash and the team splits the money collected.

other shows I like to see revived (that haven’t already been mentioned):

Card Sharks: tournament format with 4 contestants, main game is played with 4 cards per game (3 in a tiebreaker) all questions are “educated guess” questions, each game worth $250 ($500 bonus for hitting an answer on the head) then a 5-card game is played between the 2 winners for $500 and a chance to play the money cards, in the money cards the contestant gets $500 on each row minmum bet is $100, top possible prize of $72,000. plus in the car game 10 cards are dealt out including an ace, the contestant gets 1 card plus 1 additionalc ard for every $10,000 won, the face value on the card is multiplied by $200, the contestant can keep the money or choose again, the last card is a must keep. for a host how about Bill Dwyer

Wipeout: just like the 80s rules except double the dollars, for a host: Todd Newton

The Challengers: Such an underappreciated game, keep the challengers sprint, drop the ultimate challenge, round 1 values: $200, $250, $300, double values in round 2, host: Marc Summers

Fun House: stunts played for $50, $25 for the questions, in the grand prix race, there are $10 and $25 tokens, winner of the race gets $100, in the bonus the team gets 2:30, each person can grab 5 prizes before tagging out, the fun house has $20,000 in prizes including $2,500 in cash. host: J.D. Roth

Definition: for Canadian TV same as the old show, the bonus round its $100 X each unrevealed letter, I have no idea though who could host.
Chris
9
May 18th, 2008 at 11:11 am

I remember watching “Scrabble” when I was little… would love to see it return.
MikeSant318
10
May 18th, 2008 at 2:24 pm

Split Second: keep the way it is, but with MarcPower’s money table; do a speed round format to knock out as many as possible from a field of nine keys (like the last endgame on Tom Bergeron’s Hollywood Squares).

The Big Showdown: endgame’s money raised (recap: 2 standard dice are rolled down a ramp, but the sixes are replaced with the words Show and Down); ShowDown on the first roll will be for $50,000 (or jackpot of $25,000 + $1000 each day not hit), or if a point is established, roll for 30 secs., $500 and 5 secs when point is rolled, and ShowDown worth $10,000; players can stay 5 days max for a potential $250,000 payout (I would LOVE to be a contestant).

Challengers/The Who What or Where Game: Challengers replaced the odds and wagers of 3W’s with set amounts. If 3W’s was revived: start at $500, max bet $100, (up from bank of 125 and max bet 50), auction as before, potluck odds still 2:1 down the line, Pot Limit at the end (like Final Jeopardy).

Scrabble, Concentration, and Whew!: YES YES YES!!! Keep classic rules in each case. For Scrabble, though: do a special format of a weekly tournament with the four winners M-Th (for a bonus sprint of double their winnings) playing off on Friday for a weekly prize of $50,000.

Match Game (being revived for TBS): their people should read the archives to see the comments I made on the Super Match format. How’re they doing on a host, anyone heard?

Joker’s Wild: Re-tooled version in the second half of the Pat Finn run when they brought back the categories.

Three on a Match (insert Scooby-Doo “Ruh?” here): No, really; another lost classic though I don’t see how anyone can do it as well as the late Bill Cullen.
Up the money to $25 or 50 per point bid, and 50-75-100 (or 100-150-200) across the board columns, make it an all-cash game of $1000 for each match, raised to $5000 total on the third match making the game. Big Match Bonus ($1000 originally) would be played for $2500 + 500 steps.

CatchPhrase: Much more popular in UK (use their rules but with raised money) than it was in the US. ITV.com has a great broadband version, so you can see how the points are scored. Make the bonus worth $5000 for the first game won, and add 5000 for each next day won. A perfect 4 day run would be worth $50,000 (5+10+15+20), with the option of risking bonus money won for a fifth main game (like an SOTC champ playing for the jackpot), win the game and the bonus is doubled automatically (max win of $100,000).

And why not bring Definition to the US? Let the Canadian legend live again (my first discovery of Jim Perry, by the by)!
Canyon Anderson
11
May 18th, 2008 at 3:20 pm

I certainly agree with Tim Connolly! I first heard of The Big Showdown while on the FlashGames website, and wondered what it was like. So, I finally found it on Youtube, and LOVED IT! And Jim Peck did a fantastic job hosting it. Now that show should be revived as soon as possible.
Intelligentfan777
12
May 18th, 2008 at 7:26 pm

I think The Crystal Maze would work, and be great here in the U.S. The challenge of the show is the real fun, and selling point that would appeal to us.

Here’s How I would do the rules/payouts:

-10 Sec. for each time crystal earned (instead of five)

-During the time zone challenges, if a member of the team gets trapped in the room when time runs out, they’re out of the game. But, they still come out and get consoled by the host and other team members before they take the walk of shame, so to speak.

-In the dome, the scoring, and payouts would go like this:

150+: Team splits the top prize of $250,000, and each member chooses a special bonus prize from a board of six. These could range from a trip/cruise, to cars, or even full rooms of fine furniture.

100-150: Teams Splits $100,000 and each member wins a prize. But, they wouldn’t be as hign in value. Say, the biggest prize would be a Trip, or a motorcycle.

75-100: They split only $50,000, but get no bonus prize.

>75: Well, as Rossi would say………..”Lots of Love.” :p
MikeSant318
13
May 18th, 2008 at 7:52 pm

Oh, for CatchPhrase and that 5th day, none of the money from the main game would be risked…
MrQuiz
14
May 19th, 2008 at 3:43 am

The problem with THE BIG SHOWDOWN was, it only lasted 26 weeks; not a good reflection on what was, in fact, a superb game show.

CATCH PHRASE was also a better show than credited, as it was cancelled in mid-season.
Pat
15
May 19th, 2008 at 8:48 am

I agree they should bring back Crystal Maze and Supermarket Sweep. I loved SS as a kid and I’ve seen episodes of CM and it is a real good show.
daviek
16
May 19th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

four words: million dollar supermarket sweep.
Mike
17
May 19th, 2008 at 3:38 pm

One word: No.

Why don’t we throw $1,000,000 at every show and pretend that’ll make them even more watchable?
steve
18
May 19th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

I don’t think he was referring to the grand prize, I think he was referring to the high cost of groceries! (Sorry, I had to.)

The talk of revivals is a topic that both excites me and scares me… While it’d be awesome to see all of these old shows come back in new light, I’m also paranoid that someone decides to change something, and it won’t feel “right.” It’ll feel like it’s just a fake, or a mockery of the old game, rather than “the show I used to watch when I was a kid.” Yes, I’m one of those ignorant fools that despises change and clings to the past, that’s my problem. So be it. Maybe the revivals of Match Game, Password, and whatever else is coming out will change my mind, but for now, that’s where Steve the Stubborn Mule stands.

But if you held a gun to my head and asked me what I’d revive, I’d definitely have to agree on Split Second, good vibes going there. I’d also like to see a revival of “Bruce Forsyth’s Hot Streak,” although I wouldn’t mind someone else as host. (No offence, Brucie. We still love you!) While I know it was a really short-lived show back then, I think it would fare well now because it’s just a darn fun game. I moderated a version of the game at a party I hosted, and everyone who played had a ton of fun. I’d like to believe that if you could get generally fun games back on the air instead of the dead-serious drama games, you could really reel in a good audience.
Pat
19
May 19th, 2008 at 5:39 pm

Yeah, I agree with Steve. If they bring on shows that r fun u could get a lot of success. Case and point: Super Sloppy Double Dare. That was on 4 a few seasons and every1 got in2 the action. Hell, I still have the nintendo video game they came out with and I still play that! Guts is another 1, and again, I have and still play the video game. With The Price Is Right and the million $$$ shows its like “oh they won the million!! But who gives a shhh?” (TPiR is still 1 of my favs) Now with million $$$ Password, its not gonna be long till thats gone. Mole should be pretty good, even tho the pot isn’t gona be as big at it use 2 be.
Ben Z.
20
May 19th, 2008 at 9:16 pm

As far as Catch Phrase goes, I loved the show. Here’s the thing…They actually produced a pilot for a revival of Catch Phrase last year (possibly two years ago, I forget…old age y’know). I was in the audience for it, and I was excited because they didn’t screw with the format. It was still Money Chase…Catch Phrase…Super Catch Phrase, and the 25 square bonus round. It was well produced and well written, but the fact remains (and looking at some of the old episodes confirmed this), the show runs too slowly for today’s mainstream audiences. Game show fans would love it, but unfortunately the target audience is much wider than just we fans, and it just doesn’t have that rapid pace that you get from a Jeopardy! or TPiR.

I also like the idea of Hot Streak coming back, a very underrated show. Again, playing Devil’s advocate, the issue I think would be that the rules, while they seem simple enough, would be confusing for your casual viewer.

Another underrated show that I would like to see come back (although with a different bonus round) is Blackout. Someone just posted an episode on Youtube, and I have one ep. on tape. It was just a unique format. I just didn’t like the bonus round. It didn’t seem to have anything to do with the main game.

Two more quick picks for revival consideration: Double Dare (Trebek version), and The Better Sex.
BillW
21
May 19th, 2008 at 10:55 pm

I’m all for a revival of the Canadian game show Definition: a former co-worker and I were contestants on one of the final seasons of the show — we were probably the only contestants they ever had from the USA — and I’ll tell ya, you’ve just gotta love those puns! (I wouldn’t mind being a writer for such a revival, btw …)

I also agree about CatchPhrase as a good revival candidate, but I too think that it’s just too slow for today’s audiences. What made it seem even slower when it first came out, I think, was the computer graphics technology of the era … dinosaurs in comparison to today’s superfast processors!

Other shows I’d like to see resurrected would be Scrabble, The Joker’s Wild, Super Pay Cards!, Blockbusters (I LOVE the UK version, btw, that’s on wedigtv.com), and The 3 W’s.

And as much as I’d love to see more revivals, I’m of the firm opinion that more ORIGINALS are needed — sorely! I hate to say it but there just isn’t enough intelligent television programming out there in DaytimeLand right now. I’ll say it again … MORE ORIGINALS PLEASE!
devares
22
May 20th, 2008 at 3:44 pm

I’m for all of those revivals, especially Scrabble. But there’s one problem with a Concentration revival: NBC owns the rights to it and if it gets revived, and it probably won’t, NBC would air it. As for Card Sharks, I would love to see it get revived, I felt they messed it up on the 2001 revival. Supermarket Sweep would be a great candidate for GSN (I hope you see this, GSN). But here are my list for revivals:

1) Tic Tac Dough- a great show that would be even greater today.
2) Shop ‘Til You Drop- another great candidate for GSN.
3) Now You See It- I watch the original version on GSN and thought they should revive this
4) $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime- would be a good fit for any network in Prime Time.

If I come up on some more revival, I’ll post them up later.
shelly
23
May 20th, 2008 at 8:50 pm

I didn’t recognize Heather Graham in the Scrabble clip. Heh.

I saw a clip of Definition on the ‘Tube quite some time ago; I wouldn’t mind seeing a revival of that, either. (Of course, it’s kinda similar to Camouflage already; but still. :))
glenn
24
May 21st, 2008 at 12:03 pm

Chance of a Lifetime was a better show than people give it credit for. It was too quickly passed over as a Wheel of Fortune rip off…that being said, I dont think the format was right for a Million dollar show and that killed it. It was a fun word game but not a Million dollar show. Would like to see it retooled for sure.

Scrabble ran its course…I’d settle for GSN getting reruns to tell the truth. One word on why I dont want a revival: TEMPTATION!!!

I think catch phrase was not given a fair shake in the 80s…with better CGI I think this would take off quickly…better than drek like crosswords.

Otherwise…I really wouldnt revive much except for GSN…

Crystal maze…that just makes my head spin. Sorry.
Eric
25
May 21st, 2008 at 2:20 pm

Whew- Revive but Modernize….Have each contestant have a panel of buttons
Concentration-Either go with the 2 strike format or 2/3 format
Scrabble-Keep the rules from pre 1990? version except start at 25,000 and 5000 each day not won, bonus squares $1000 for blue and $2000 for pink.
TJW-the classic format from the front game + either bonus round (FTD or the giant slot machine)
Catch Phrase-Liked it.
Others I’d like to see
Card Sharks-Go back to the Eubanks-Rafferty Version. If you need to big money it up a bit (which freemantle seems the need to do on some game shows) go with a super cards bonus round. 1st part Similar to the Car end game but 1 pick of up to 10 numbers. which will determine the # of cards and max # of x what they won in the money cards they can win (Possabillity of over $1,600,000 after 5 days)
TTD-$500 question $1000 center $500 each tie game. $ amounts for bounus $500 $750 $1000 $1500 $2000 $2500 with $5000 or Tic and Tac winning the bonus.
J.C.
26
May 27th, 2008 at 1:21 am

While these are all good games, no one has mentioned really a quite obvious candidate for revival: High Rollers!
dropzone5
27
May 27th, 2008 at 9:07 am

I wholeheartedly agree with Whew! and Supermarket Sweep. I think Sweep should up the top prize to, say, $10,000 instead of the normal $5K. (But nothing breaking 5 figures!)

For Whew!, I’d just double whatever the original version had ($20-$100 from levels 1-5, adjust level six to be $500-$750-$1000, and make the Gauntlet worth $50,000; $200/second extra time).
devares
28
May 28th, 2008 at 10:25 am

Ahhhh, another good one, J.C. Only place I would want to see it is either in syndication or GSN where it will have some success. And, Glenn, I also agree with Catch Phrase. Not only did it not get a fair shake, but not too many stations aired it (granted, back in the ’80s, there weren’t enough stations in many markets that it is today). Another show I like to see come back is Monopoly. I think it would do well and, unlike in 1990, there are a lot of stations, so if a revival of it ever comes to fruition, it would take off.
MikeSant318
29
May 30th, 2008 at 7:47 pm

Both High Rollers and Monopoly could come back, but maybe HR has been played out since Wink’s version in the late 80’s, and Monopoly never really got a fair shake (I was working Saturday nights at the time and missed both it and Super Jeopardy). Todd Newton or Pat Finn to host either one!