Top 10 Shows

10 Wheel...Of...Fortune! Wheel of Fortune (NBC-CBS-Syn.) 1975-
The classic children's game of Hangman has had a fruitful existence in syndication, paired with Jeopardy! A true classic.
9 Every answer...to every question...is here before your eyes! Now You See It (CBS) 1974-75; 1989
This show had a unique concept: here are the answers, go find them. Should have been around longer than it was.
8 chainreaction.jpg (6489 bytes) Chain Reaction (NBC-USA), 1980; 1986-91
The game where one word leads to another had a short life on network TV before finding a new home on cable six years later. But, with everything, the original is still the best.
7 matchgame79a.jpg (6946 bytes) Match Game (CBS), 1973-79; (Syn.) 1980-81
This show was so funny (how funny was it?), it made viewers split a <blank>!
6 concentration.jpg (11816 bytes) Concentration (Syn.) 1973-79
Another series I barely remember. But the Concentration franchise, which originated way back in 1958, went strong until the mid-eighties with Classic Concentration, which puts it among the most durable formats in television history.
5 25kpyrsm.jpg (3160 bytes) The Pyramid Series (ABC/CBS), 1973-80, 1982-91
The Pyramid series was one of the greatest series of all-time. The skill, the savvy, and the sheer suspense of the Winner's Circle made it an instant classic. And, didn't you root for an illegal clue in order to hear the cuckoo?
4 bonus84.jpg (9653 bytes) The Joker's Wild (Syn.) 1977-86
Coming in at #4 is the game that marked Jack Barry's successful return to network TV. I always wondered how the wheels actually worked. (We later learned via GS-L and a.t.g-s that the items on the wheels were displayed via slide projectors, that had spinning trays with the information in them.)
3 jeopardy78.jpg (11456 bytes) Jeopardy! (NBC-Syn.), 1978-79; 1984-
While I barely remember the 1978 version (at left, which was jogged thanks to a tape trade with Mitch Groff--thanks Mitch!), the modern-era version has become a personal favorite of mine. We never played the home version at my dorm, since I usually got most of the questions. It's amazing how much useless knowledge I have.
2 tk1pp5.jpg (22837 bytes) Password Plus/Super Password (NBC), 1979-82; 1984-87
I loved playing along to this one. And the bonus game (Alphabetics/Super Password) had all the suspense of the Winner's Circle of the Pyramid. A great series that I hope returns soon. A decade without Password in any form is too long.
1 72logo.jpg (10423 bytes) The (New) Price Is Right, 1972-
27 years and still going strong.

Screen grabs courtesy Chris Lambert!'s Game Show Page, and logos courtesy Michael Klauss' Game Show Zone Logo Library.

To return to Ryan's Game Show Fan Page, click here.