Look: As far as I’m concerned, there’s only three games in the history of television that are worth a damn: Jeopardy, VH1’s Rock and Roll Jeopardy and MTV’s Remote Control, where Adam Sandler and Colin Quinn got their starts (and where I gained a years-long crush on Kari Wuhrer — dudes in their 30s know what I’m talking about). Since both Rock and Roll Jeopardy and Remote Control were relatively short-lived, there’s really only ONE game show that matters: Jeopardy. Everything else is something you flip by on sick days when you’re looking for something better. Nine out of ten game shows, in fact, have nothing to do with intelligence, talent, or skill, and everything to do with luck. If you can pull a random guy from Pennsyltucky wearing a lame novelty T-shirt out of the audience, and he can walk away with a new car, then you’re game show is worthless. If a guy who drives an ice-cream truck can parse out a pattern using his VCR at home and go on your game show and win over $100,000, then you’re show is meaningless.
That’s why TV Guide’s list of the 60 Greatest Game Shows of All Time should’ve stopped after number one, because no other television game show should be put on any list that includes “Greatest” as an adjective, unless it’s the “Greatest Waste of Your Time.” Every other game show on television is for old people who don’t understand DVRs. Nevertheless, TV Guide put together said list, although by including 60 shows — and 50 unranked and in alphabetical order — they’ve basically destroyed any chance at fostering conversation by including EVERY SINGLE GAME SHOW on their list.
But they got number one right, and honestly, that’s all that matters. Here’s the 10 Greatest, in order, followed by an alphabetical list of the other 50 best game shows of all time.
1. Jeopardy
2. Wheel of Fortune
3. Family Feud
4. Match Game
5. The Price is Right
6. Who Wants to be a Millionaire
7. Hollywood Squares
8. Password
9. What’s My Line
10. The Newlywed Game
I will give The Newlywed Game props, however, for the best blooper in the history of game shows.
Here’s the other 50 “Greatest” game shows of all time.
Almost Anything Goes
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Battle of the Network Stars
Beat the Clock
Blockbusters
Card Sharks
Cash Cab
Concentration
The Dating Game
Deal or No Deal
Don Adams’ Screen Test
Double Dare
Gambit
G.E. College Bowl
The Gong Show
High Rollers
It’s Academic
I’ve Got a Secret
The Joker’s Wild
Let’s Make a Deal
Liars Club
Love Connection
Make Me Laugh
Masquerade Party
Name That Tune
Pantomime Quiz
People Are Funny
Press Your Luck
Pyramid
Queen for a Day
Remote Control
Sale of the Century
Scrabble
The $64,000 Question
Studs
Supermarket Sweep
Tattletales
Tic Tac Dough
To Tell the Truth
Treasure Hunt
Truth or Consequences
Twenty One
Weakest Link
Who Do You Trust?
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Win Ben Stein’s Money
Wipeout
Win, Lose or Draw
You Bet Your Life
You Don’t Say!
(Source: TV Guide)
