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The Game Show Forum => Game Show Channels & Networks => Topic started by: gamed121683 on December 01, 2014, 12:16:29 AM

Title: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: gamed121683 on December 01, 2014, 12:16:29 AM
Some of you might find this hard to believe, but two decades ago today (12/1) at 7:00PM EST, this happened...

http://youtu.be/Vo3LYmnz3cY

Happy china anniversary, GSN!!!
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: chad1m on December 01, 2014, 03:33:41 AM
I wrote a mini-piece on the anniversary on my personal site (http://chadmosher.com/wordpress/gsn-20/) with links to some of the cooler and more memorable branding items for longtime viewers.
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: gamed121683 on December 01, 2014, 05:45:26 PM
I wonder what shows made up Game Show Network's very 1st lineup? Doing some Googling, all I've been able to find is that What's My Line? was GSN's "Video Killed The Radio Star".

BTW, Chad...nice retrospective!
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: chad1m on December 01, 2014, 05:51:48 PM
I wonder what shows made up Game Show Network's very 1st lineup?
Matt O. posted a chronological list (http://www.gameshowforum.org/index.php/topic,24155.msg300022.html#msg300022) of the shows that aired a couple of years ago.
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: Johnissoevil on December 01, 2014, 10:36:19 PM
I still remember my aunt having one of those BUDs at the time, I'd spend weekends there watching some of my favorites from childhood.  I was already hooked on USA's and FAM's afternoon lineups, but when I saw GSN for the first time, all I could say was "Wow!"  While I like several of the shows they have on the lineup now (yes, they do air shows other than Steve's Feud), the early days of GSN are missed, a time of our lives that will never be here again.  But at least we can still watch those classics on YouTube these days, thanks to the great people who take some of their spare time to give those shows to us.  Happy 20th, GSN.
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: Matt Ottinger on December 02, 2014, 01:30:59 AM
I wonder what shows made up Game Show Network's very 1st lineup?
Matt O. posted a chronological list (http://www.gameshowforum.org/index.php/topic,24155.msg300022.html#msg300022) of the shows that aired a couple of years ago.

But again, just so we're completely clear, that was the 24 hour marathon that launched the network.  If "gamed121683" is actually asking about GSN's "very first lineup", as in their original regular schedule, that's a different beast.  All I remember about that first lineup was that the prime time schedule featured Match Game at 7pm, followed by Family Feud (I think?) and a lot of classic B&W shows.  Shows were also scheduled about 40 minutes apart, allowing the older episodes to play in full and GSN to run some interstitial programming such as the interactive game Decades.
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: Matt Ottinger on December 02, 2014, 01:40:26 AM
Grabbed from an old Usenet post, I'm pretty sure this was the regular M-F schedule originally:

12:00 md -- Tic Tac Dough
12:30 am -- Joker's Wild
 1:10 am -- Now You See It
 1:45 am -- Password
 2:20 am -- Match Game
 3:00 am -- Wheel of Fortune
 3:30 am -- Jeopardy!
 4:00 am -- Card Sharks
 4:30 am -- Tattletales
 5:00 am -- Family Feud
 5:30 am -- Family Feud
 6:00 am -- Child's Play
 6:30 am -- Beat The Clock
 7:00 am -- Password
 7:30 am -- I've Got A Secret
 8:00 am -- To Tell The Truth
 8:30 am -- What's My Line?
 9:00 am -- Tic Tac Dough
 9:30 am -- Joker's Wild
10:00 am -- Now You See It
10:45 am -- Wheel of Fortune
11:20 am -- Jeopardy!
11:55 am -- Password
12:30 pm -- Match Game
 1:00 pm -- Beat The Clock
 1:30 pm -- Child's Play
 2:00 pm -- The Newlywed Game
 2:30 pm -- The Dating Game
 3:00 pm -- Family Feud
 3:30 pm -- Family Feud
 4:00 pm -- Match Game
 4:30 pm -- Tattletales
 5:00 pm -- Card Sharks
 5:30 pm -- Password Plus
 6:00 pm -- Trivia Trap
 6:30 pm -- Blockbusters

PRIME TIME
 7:00 pm -- Match Game
 7:40 pm -- Family Feud
 8:20 pm -- Password
 9:00 pm -- I've Got A Secret
 9:40 pm -- To Tell The Truth
10:20 pm -- What's My Line?
11:00 pm -- Newlywed Game
11:30 pm -- Dating Game
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: aaron sica on December 02, 2014, 07:42:56 AM
Yep, I can definitely verify that was the first "official" lineup, as the first two VHS tapes (wow...) I had of GSN were first from around 11:20am to 2:30pm, and the second was from around 3:50pm to 7:50pm. I believe they started many of those shows from their respective premieres, but I could be wrong.

The 11:55 Password was "Super Password", the 12:30pm "Match Game" was MG90. The 3pm Feud hour was first a Dawson ep, and then a Combs ep. I don't remember if they were the daytime or nighttime versions. 4pm's MG was CBS daytime. 4:30 Tattletales was the '80s version; 5pm Card Sharks was Eubanks. I seem to remember the 7pm showing of MG being the CBS daytime, but they jumped around a bit from what I remember  Finally, the 7:40pm was definitely Dawson.

Also, "Club AM" ran from 9am to I believe 12:30pm (which is why the start times are a little staggered during that period), with the same shows and eps running overnight from midnight to (maybe?) 3am as "Late Night Games".
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: JasonA1 on December 02, 2014, 01:11:27 PM
At the beginning, Club AM and Late Night Games were program blocks hosted by Steve Day & Laura Chambers. Both were done on the same living room set, with Late Night Games featuring less/shorter host segments, save for an extended one where Steve would read weird news from across the country. Club AM had drop-ins from hosts and former staffers, more host chat, calls and faxes from the then-small viewership, and little factoids and trivia contests sprinkled throughout. Late Night Games showed the same episodes as the previous Club AM block had shown earlier.

There was a running gag where Peter Tomarken was always making light of Steve & Laura during his daily cut-in to promote Prime Games. And because the announcer copy on Prime Games was pre-taped, Peter usually found a funny way to segue into it. "For rules and eligibility requirements, we need to talk to Mike Wagner, and Mike, I know you're overcoming that whole bed wetting thing, but your secret's safe with me." "Thanks, Peter!"

It seems so strange now to think a new cable network's prime time offerings were mostly black and white. Peter always spoke fondly of Garry Moore when promoting an upcoming IGAS, but didn't hold back on some of the guests ("do we know who Hy Gardner is yet?") and even did the rules to Decades in a not-so-flattering whispering impression of Richard Dawson, mocking a rotating GSN promo where he talked about the "magic" of "Family Feud."

The slots for Wheel and J! were the syndicated runs from the beginning, in production order, as were TTD and TJW. The opening montage for Late Night Games used scenes from the CBS version of Tic Tac, which was something of a tease, but still fun to see that version in perfect quality. Beat the Clock was the Jack Narz version.

-Jason
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: SuperSweeper on December 02, 2014, 10:37:59 PM
Loved that opening montage.  Wish I had had this channel (and been older than 3 years old) in 1994...

/the goal is to get a milkshake on the board
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: BillCullen1 on December 03, 2014, 12:29:20 PM
Next year we'll take GSN to a bar. It'll be old enough to drink   ;D

When I first had cable installed at my house in 2003, it was 6:30 pm EST. I turned on GSN and saw MG '75. It was one of the shows I had seen in person. A great trip back in time. They had the all-day MG 30th anniversary marathon soon after that. Plus all those GSN originals, and they acquired Regis' Millionaire that year too.

These days, I like The Chase and Idiotest. If I get up early enough, I'll watch the classics.

Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: TimK2003 on December 03, 2014, 06:51:50 PM
Next year we'll take GSN to a bar. It'll be old enough to drink   ;D

Why wait?  take GSN over the Canadian Border, they have been legal there for at least a year already!

My first taste of GSN was when I had a then co-worker record the network on 3 VHS tapes I gave her.  Surprisingly, I got most of the GSN 5th Anniversary programming, which consisted of the top 25 Goodson-Todman shows (that they had the rights to air -- TPIR was noticeably absent). 
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: Johnissoevil on December 03, 2014, 08:08:20 PM
My first taste of GSN was when I had a then co-worker record the network on 3 VHS tapes I gave her.  Surprisingly, I got most of the GSN 5th Anniversary programming, which consisted of the top 25 Goodson-Todman shows (that they had the rights to air -- TPIR was noticeably absent). 

Quite surprising, considering GSN did have the rights to air TPIR at the time of the five year anniversary.  They did lose the rights 4 months later.
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: TimK2003 on December 03, 2014, 08:57:31 PM
My first taste of GSN was when I had a then co-worker record the network on 3 VHS tapes I gave her.  Surprisingly, I got most of the GSN 5th Anniversary programming, which consisted of the top 25 Goodson-Todman shows (that they had the rights to air -- TPIR was noticeably absent). 

Quite surprising, considering GSN did have the rights to air TPIR at the time of the five year anniversary.  They did lose the rights 4 months later.

Then I may stand myself corrected.  I'll have to dig up the old tapes somewhere in the house.   My co-worker did not purposely tape on the 5th anniversary date, it was more so coincidence that I gave her some blank tapes around the end of November to use, and ISTR missing 2 or 3 of the G/T Top 25. It could have aired in between the tape switching.  I had thought that TPIR came to GSN a bit later, as it was on a different lease period.
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: snowpeck on December 03, 2014, 09:09:15 PM
My first taste of GSN was when I had a then co-worker record the network on 3 VHS tapes I gave her.  Surprisingly, I got most of the GSN 5th Anniversary programming, which consisted of the top 25 Goodson-Todman shows (that they had the rights to air -- TPIR was noticeably absent). 

Quite surprising, considering GSN did have the rights to air TPIR at the time of the five year anniversary.  They did lose the rights 4 months later.

Then I may stand myself corrected.  I'll have to dig up the old tapes somewhere in the house.   My co-worker did not purposely tape on the 5th anniversary date, it was more so coincidence that I gave her some blank tapes around the end of November to use, and ISTR missing 2 or 3 of the G/T Top 25. It could have aired in between the tape switching.  I had thought that TPIR came to GSN a bit later, as it was on a different lease period.

TPIR ran on GSN from late 1996 to early 2000. The 5th anniversary would have been December 1999, which I don't remember GSN even remotely mentioning. Are you maybe thinking of their 2nd anniversary marathon?
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: TimK2003 on December 03, 2014, 11:34:28 PM
You're right. GSN did the G/T Top 25 on their 2nd Anniversary.  It's been a while since I watched those tapes -- I just found one of those tapes in the box and I can confirm it was their 2nd Anniversary, which means it was even longer back that I had worked with that co-worker at the place-that-shall-remain-nameless.  Carry on.
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: Johnissoevil on December 04, 2014, 03:01:06 PM
You're right. GSN did the G/T Top 25 on their 2nd Anniversary.  It's been a while since I watched those tapes -- I just found one of those tapes in the box and I can confirm it was their 2nd Anniversary, which means it was even longer back that I had worked with that co-worker at the place-that-shall-remain-nameless.  Carry on.

I believe GSN obtained the rights to TPIR not long after, so it would make sense that it wasn't in the marathon.
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: Jamey Greek on December 06, 2014, 08:30:51 PM
Steve Day is the morning DJ at WHLC in Highlands, NC now.

http://www.whlc.com/
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: aaron sica on December 07, 2014, 11:37:32 AM
I believe GSN obtained the rights to TPIR not long after, so it would make sense that it wasn't in the marathon.

In going back and looking at a.t.g-s posts, it appears that TPiR became part of the regular GSN lineup around the second week of December in '96..
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: Jamey Greek on December 09, 2014, 02:20:20 PM
GSN came out at a good time between the OJ trial and taboid talk shows.
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: PYLdude on December 09, 2014, 05:23:50 PM
GSN came out at a good time between the OJ trial and taboid talk shows.

This makes no sense. The OJ trial was in full swing by the time GSN launched and tabloid talk shows had been around since at least the mid 1980s (Geraldo anyone?).
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: BrandonFG on December 09, 2014, 05:56:56 PM
Correct. If anything, GSN was more of a break from wall-to-wall OJ and talk shows, at a time when game shows were in a serious lull. By 1995, it seemed just about every C-list celebrity you could think of had their own talk show, where as you had only one network game and two in syndication (not counting the markets that tried reruns of Shop Til You Drop.

/Geraldo tried to rebrand his show not too long after that
//Don't think the experiment lasted too long...maybe a couple years?
Title: Re: Happy 20th, GSN!
Post by: PYLdude on December 10, 2014, 02:42:13 AM
Yeah, there were so many of them...Tempestt Bledsoe, Gabrielle Carteris, Queen Latifah, Carnie Wilson, Danny Bonaduce...

Geraldo I believe was either in '96 or '97 that he abandoned his old format and he was off the air two years later.