Happy Game Show Day!

Yesterday was National Game Show Day for 2025! How exhilarating and electrifying. . .

Happy National Game Show Day ! ! ! 

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A Brief History:
Origination: Game shows have been a part of broadcasting for a long time. The first game show is considered to be The Brooklyn Eagle Quiz on Current Events, which aired on WNYC radio in 1923. Other popular radio quiz shows in the 1930s were Professor Quiz and Uncle Jim’s Question Bee. The first television game show, Spelling Bee, aired in 1938, and the first major success on television was the radio quiz show Dr. I.Q., which started in 1939. Game shows became popular on American television in the early 1950s.

Entrance to ABC-TV studio at 320 West 66th Street, New York City, on taping day for ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,’ hosted by Meredith Vieira. courtesy of Openverse

The Late 20th Century TV Days: In the 1960s, the game show genre made a comeback with innovative producers like Monty Hall, Stefan Hatos, Merv Griffin, and others introducing new and fun games. These games offered small prizes but were highly entertaining, attracting large audiences. The hosts of this era, such as Allen Ludden and Bob Eubanks, became iconic figures. In the 1970s, game shows received a facelift with larger sets, vibrant colors, and catchy soundtracks. The prizes also became more substantial. This led to the rise of popular game shows like The Price is Right, Match Game, and The $10,000 Pyramid. Game shows flourished during this time, with multiple offerings on the air. Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud also emerged as fan favorites. The casting of hosts began to reflect social changes, with Adam Wade becoming the first Black game show host. Betty White also hosted a successful game show and won an Emmy for her performance.

64,000 Question courtesy of Openverse

Cable TV Into the Present: In the 1980s, cable television emerged and targeted specific audiences with new game shows. TNN created Fandango for country music lovers, while MTV attracted college kids with Remote Control. Nickelodeon catered to younger siblings with shows like Double Dare, Finders Keepers, and Legends of the Hidden Temple. Despite a lack of new game shows for adults in the early 1990s, it was considered a golden age for games among children. PBS even joined in with Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Network television stopped airing game shows by 1994, but Game Show Network launched that year, bringing back beloved classics and introducing new games. The new century saw the success of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, leading to a resurgence of game shows on prime time television. More Y2K shows like Twenty One, as well as Greed, The Weakest Link, 1 vs. 100, and Deal or No Deal would come and go, along with the onslaught of reality competition shows—Survivor, Big Brother, America’s Got Talent, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, and American Idol, came and went, along with the rise of reality competition shows like Survivor and American Idol. New game show formats keep appearing, like Funny You Should Ask and 25 Words or Less. However, the old classics still reign supreme on syndicated television, with shows like Wheel of Fortune, Double Dare, Jeopardy!, and Family Feud. The Price is Right continues to dominate network daytime television. In prime time, reboots of shows like Match Game, Press Your Luck, The $100,000 Pyramid, and To Tell the Truth are big hits. Famous celebrities now host these shows, with names like Jamie Foxx, Alec Baldwin, Elizabeth Banks, Peyton Manning, Wayne Brady, and Drew Carey. It’s hard to believe that in the past, game shows hosted by Super Bowl champions and Oscar winners would have been unimaginable. Buzzr, an over-the-air nostalgia channel, airs vintage game show reruns from the 20th century all day long. While the media landscape is changing, with podcasts, streaming services, live game apps like HQ, and other platforms emerging, the success of the old favorites remains strong. The future will bring us new and exciting game shows in different formats.

Photo by Carl Raw on Unsplash

Celebrated: The day is celebrated on June 1^st each year.

File:Other Part of Play Board which led to win cash prize in a TV game show by Larson courtesy of Openverse

A Few Facts:
I am sharing a few facts, and more, some trivia, some not trivial. . .

Popular Game SHows by Decade:

Jeopardy! courtesy of Openverse

The Present:
The present day still has many original game shows on television and many more!

The Future:
Hope is that game shows will be around into the future years. . .

FREEBIES & DEALS For National Game Show Day:
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📺 FREE: National Game Show Day: AT “Hey It’s Free”

Hashtags:
#HappyNationalGameShowDay #NationalGameShowDay #Contestant #Host #GameShow #GameShows #Television #Radio

The Price Is Right courtesy of Openverse

National Game Show Day