Most of us enjoy a good gameshow from time to time, regardless of if it’s the ultimate test of knowledge, skill or dumb luck. There have been many gameshows that have aired on TV throughout the years, ranging from the iconic to the sheer embarrassing.
We may no longer be living in the golden age of the gameshow, where the likes of Family Feud and Spin The Wheel ruled the airwaves, but there’s still a good crop of shows to entertain us. Here is a look back at some of the best gameshows of all time as we reminisce on the nonsense, the fun and the wholesome feeling of getting far too invested in a simple game.
Family Feud
Family Feud has become iconic due to its simple premises and implementation. Pitting families against each other since 1976, the show has competitors guess the top five items of various different surveys, with some of the results and guesses becoming hilarious and memorable moments.
The show has gone through 19 different seasons, and although suffering a few breaks here and there, is still a show that is on the air now, albeit with a different host and vibe. The show has been so influential that it inspired its own UK version, called Family Fortunes, which became an institution in the region as well. With a charming mix of simplicity and hilarity, the show easily becomes one of the best to ever be seen on TV.
The Price Is Right
Dating even earlier than Family Feud, in fact being incepted as early as 1956 before being resurrected in 1972, The Price is Right is a well-remembered and well-loved television show that has endured over the years.
The show is simple, and it’s this simplicity that allows viewers to play along at home and test their wits and luck, which can also be done through online bingo games. All contestants have to do is successfully guess the retail price of merchandise and items to win cash and physical prizes. It’s an admirable show due to how it was able to break away from the standard gameshow format of the time and has inspired a lot of more modern games to think differently.
Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! Is perhaps the most well-known and well-loved quiz-based gameshow to originate from the United States. Unlike other quizzes where a contestant must answer questions, in this show they’re given clues and answers and from that must reverse engineer to figure out the questions.
The show was incredibly successful in the States, winning 39 Emmy awards and running with over 8,000 episodes aired. The show rewards creative thinking and problem solving and has brain teased countless viewers over the years.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Jumping across the pond for this one, it would be a crime not to mention Britain’s most successful quiz show game. The show was criminally simple: answer 15 questions right and you’ll win £1,000,000, however, the tension and the risk is what captivated audiences for years and years. Terry Wogan as the host helped improve the show during its heyday, but it’s still a popular show in the UK in modern times, with iterations cropping up all around the globe.
