Your hottest game show takes

[chad1m]

So even if there weren't Roseanne questions, there were certainly going to be Roseanne questions.

I'm well aware of Roseanne's place in pop culture at that time. My point is that I see a parallel to Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky questions on Match Game '98, but only one gets criticism for doing it.

[Eric Paddon]

Nixon questions and Howard Cosell questions I get and Nixon Watergate questions were completely fair game in the Zeitgeist.   I just never liked it when Patty Deutsch gave answers attacking Nixon family members which came off as totally mean-spirited no matter what your political beliefs.    Bash Nixon, but leave his family which suffered a great deal alone.

One of the most obscure topical events I remember coming up on Match Game happened in 76 when there was at least one question in the period when Evel Knievel got into trouble with the law for assaulting someone with a baseball bat (and thus the Evel Knievel question was designed for the answer "baseball bat".    The contestant needless to say didn't get it)

[alfonzos]

Your show is doomed if the title contains the word "Machine."

Not The George Michael Sports Machine.

"The George Michael Sports Machine" was not a game show.

[alfonzos]

"Double Dare" was Goodson-Todman's best short-lived show. "Mindreaders" and "Showoffs" tie for last place.

[Loogaroo]

The 1990 Fun House looks more fun to run through than any Double Dare obstacle course configuration.

Unless you go second and you get to watch your partner get swallowed up by the tubular tunnel for 90 seconds.

Codicil: College Mad House had the better rules for the house run, with each team member getting 30 seconds each to grab as many tags as they could rather than having to come back out after grabbing three.

[SuperMatch93]

Family Feud is more entertaining with Steve Harvey as host than at any other time in its history.

[BillCullen1]

I actually liked the format for the 1978 version of Jeopardy, including the bonus game.

[Jamey Greek]

I have never found What's My Line anything other than boring. To be fair to the show, this is partially because I don't have any nostalgia for it (I was born in 1989).

I also found the show boring and I was born in 1986 and do not have nostalgia for it.  I did enjoy watching both pilots for the 2000 attempt with Harry Anderson though.

[Jamey Greek]

The Price is right was getting stale with Bob in the late 90s. Bob stopped being fun, his age was showing, and the set and props were looking outdated compared to the international versions.
Ryan Secrest made Wheel of Fortune more enjoyable.
Doug Davidson wasn't a bad host at all.

I agree about Doug.  I wish he would have been Bob’s successor.  Roger Dobkowitz stated in an interview that he improved from when he hosted it in the 1990s.  Guess him hosting the live version helped some.  I used to watch TNPIR ‘94 everyday after school.  Followed by Dawson’s return to Feud at 3 and 3:30 central respectively on one of two CBS stations as a third grader.  Everyday when 3 and 3:30 roll around I still think of both of them.