The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: MikeK on September 13, 2012, 01:55:22 PM

Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: MikeK on September 13, 2012, 01:55:22 PM
While talking with a forum member on IM last night, the topic of if my sister was a game show fan came up.  I shared some stories about my sister in relation to game shows, and said person relayed his experiences with his brother.  Were/are any of your siblings into game shows as much as you?

Sis wasn't as big into it as me, though we both enjoyed playing the Winner's Circle when The $25K/$100K Pyramid reran on USA about 20 years ago and we tried out for Lingo in 2006.  We used to watch FAM's game show block somewhat religiously, only because she wanted me to win her a clarinet during the play breaks.  The fandom definitely didn't carry over to Game Show Conventions and Congresses; my sister gave me a virtual eye roll when I texted her that I met Wink Martindale in '06.  She's too young to remember that, until Jeopardy! returned in 1984, Tic Tac Dough was mandatory viewing.

Note:  The Mackeys are exempt from answering. ;-)
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: aaron sica on September 13, 2012, 02:51:05 PM
I had two older brothers; one was indifferent to game shows, the other (with the exception of Wheel of Fortune), HATED game shows - especially Family Feud.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: beatlefreak84 on September 13, 2012, 02:57:06 PM
I have two younger brothers, and, while they certainly picked up random, obscure facts about game shows thanks mainly to hearing about them from me (e.g., both know what "Bumper Stumpers" is, and both know the story of Michael Larson), neither of them got into game shows.  They may have watched them with me from time to time, but only when they were bored.

Now, one of my brothers does occasionally watch TPIR, but the other doesn't watch any game shows except for Big Brother.  Yeah; it's more reality than game, but I'll take it.

It's my mom and my grandma in my family that have a taste for games and game shows.  Both are huge fans of Jeopardy! and watch it pretty much every day.

Anthony
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Don Howard on September 13, 2012, 04:24:09 PM
Were/are any of your siblings into game shows as much as you?
Nope. Neither of my six sibs. They couldn't have cared less about Ken Jennings during his run, either.
This could be because I was adopted and Bob Barker is my real father. Sure feels like he is.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Matt Ottinger on September 13, 2012, 04:29:11 PM
My two younger brothers were never into game shows, and were vaguely annoyed with my efforts to recruit them to play my homemade efforts with other kids in the neighborhood.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: geno57 on September 13, 2012, 05:20:46 PM
On very rare occasions, I could get my two older brothers to play a game.  My grandmother was a little more open to it.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: BrandonFG on September 13, 2012, 06:46:34 PM
I'm an only child, but whenever my cousins from Maryland would come visit (or vice versa), we'd watch a few shows together; I have memories of us all watching TPiR, and distinctly remember on Christmas Eve 1993, I somehow got control of the TV and we ended up watching the Family Channel's block of reruns, as well as a special $25,000 Pyramid that CBS aired that day.

An older cousin reminds me of how I always talked about becoming a game show host, a memory that I've since pushed to the furthest corner of my mind. :-P
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Dbacksfan12 on September 13, 2012, 06:48:21 PM
I had one sister and not only did she have 0 interest in watching game shows, she had no interest in playing board games either.

I still have a couple games I received as gifts collecting dust that I never opened.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Winkfan on September 13, 2012, 07:24:02 PM
In the summer of 1974, my older sister and brother often played along with me while watching Now You See It; but otherwise, they didn't care one way or another.

Cordially,
Tammy
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Jay Temple on September 13, 2012, 08:31:16 PM
One of my favorite evenings was my wife, my mother, my sister and her husband playing out a bunch of P+/SP puzzles. Nevertheless, I'm the only one in my family who would even be called an enthusiast.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Jimmy Owen on September 13, 2012, 09:12:40 PM
My brother is deceased, but my 46 year old sister has never been a fan.  In fact, she went as far as to program out GSN on her remote, so she doesn't accidentally happen upon it.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: DjohnsonCB on September 13, 2012, 10:05:13 PM
I was watching Name That Tune one night a long time ago and my younger brother, while watching the big wheel spin and the two contestants jumping up and down and screaming, said, "They're just actors!"

When The Newlywed Game first came on, it was locally scheduled opposite Concentration, which I wanted to watch.  Of course, my sister won out and got to watch her dumb NG.
She also used to lament that on the '70s Match Game, a player could walk away with five grand just for making a simple match, but on Jeopardy! with Art Fleming, everyone had to rack their brains to win maybe $750.  She never shared my enthusiasm for It Takes Two...but then, she thought EVERYTHING I liked on TV was stupid.

My father was once laid up in a hospital with nothing much to do but watch daytime TV.  After he was released, he spent one night at the dinner table complaining about the game shows like Eye Guess with their "toothy announcers" (ie: hosts).  One memory that remains permanently sealed in my brain, unfortunately:  The week in July 1969 that we spent in Vero Beach, FL due to interest in the first moon landing, was the last chance I ever had to watch the '60s MG since WDAF kept me from watching it at home in Kansas City.  One day in the motel room it was about to come on and I asked to change the channel without telling anyone what was on.  I switched just in time to see one celebrity team captain come on with the 1969 theme playing in the background.  That moment of euphoria lasted about 45 seconds, whereupon I heard Dad going "*mumble*mumble*grumble*grumble*eegda-mignity-GEEEM!", and Mom made me switch it back to some other station showing The Galloping Gourmet.  So much for that and any future attempts to watch the late '60s MG while I would have had the chance...
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Twentington on September 13, 2012, 10:21:34 PM
My sister doesn't watch them often, but she'll sometimes play along to Wheel and Jeopardy! I know she's beaten me to a couple bonus puzzles and a lot more Final Jeopardy! questions.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: pyrfan on September 14, 2012, 01:37:56 AM
In 1987, when I passed my "Pyramid" auditions, my brother helped me practice, and he got pretty into the game -- to the point where before long, he was the one bugging me to rewind that day's tape and begin practicing. When the Davidson show started production in 1990 and I passed again, my brother and his wife both practiced the game with me. Pretty soon, she was watching the reruns on USA by herself, unprompted by me. Even though I never got on the show, I still have fond memories of all the fun we had playing the game as a family.


Brendan
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: TimK2003 on September 14, 2012, 02:28:11 AM
I have 2 younger sisters -- neither of them (as far as I know) never were fans of game shows.  In fact, there was always an after-school battle that whoever got off the bus, into the house, and to the TV dial first had first dibs on what to watch.  So in many cases, it was MG/HS vs. General Hospital.
 
I don't even think my parents nor grandparents have ever been fans of any game shows, come to think of it.  They probably let me watch all the game shows I wanted because the colors, lights and sounds would mesmerize me for hours on end, and that was one less kid they'd have to chase after.

Thank goodness my wife was into game shows even before we met!!
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Craig Karlberg on September 14, 2012, 04:10:56 AM
Ny older siblings never understood why I was so nuts about game shows when I was a toddler.  Maybe it was the bells & whistles, the pretty colors & the flashing lights that drew me in.  My older brother was very addamant about that stuff.  One day in 1976, I was watching TPIR & my brother was teasing me every time a lady was seen on Contestant's Row.  That was the worst day I ever had back then.  My older sister was more tolerant, but she wasn't a big fan either, but that's the nature of the beast I guess.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Johnissoevil on September 15, 2012, 04:03:13 AM
My brother watched game shows with me growing up.  But unlike me, he never became the type of fan of the genre that we all are.  He's one of those rare people who actually HATES Jeopardy because to him, it's "a nerd show."  He never understood why I'm impressed by the knowledge of those contestants.
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: clemon79 on September 15, 2012, 04:04:29 AM
My brother watched game shows with me growing up.  But unlike me, he never became the type of fan of the genre that we all are.  He's one of those rare people who actually HATES Jeopardy because to him, it's "a nerd show."  He never understood why I'm impressed by the knowledge of those contestants.
I'm sorry your brother is a douchebag! :)
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Johnissoevil on September 15, 2012, 04:07:21 AM
I'm sorry your brother is a douchebag! :)

A jealous douchebag, at that (yes, I think his hate for J is jealousy) :-)
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: stutzunoon on September 15, 2012, 08:13:19 AM
My dad liked them - but my brothers didn't really care about them.  In fact they stopped me from taping a really big win once...

I remember one day we were all home from school for some reason, and they decided to watch a tape of "Hamburger: The Movie" on the only VCR we had in the house.  I wanted to tape Break The Bank (Farago) because the bank was over $50k at the time & I had a feeling there was going to be a big win.

After 10 minutes of arguing with them to get off the VCR & let me tape my show - mom & dad intervened & they won.

So I was forced to watch on a little 9" b&w tv while the record breaking bank was broken that day.

I carried that resentment until the clip was posted by someone on YouTube...
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: Ian Wallis on September 15, 2012, 09:49:12 AM
When we were all young in the mid-'70s, frequently my sisters would watch some shows with me, but as time went on they seemed to lose interest.  Not that they didn't really like them, but they wouldn't go out of their way to watch a game show.  One of their husbands said he doesn't really like game shows at all - which I don't understand.  I can get people not being as fanatical as us, but not to like them at all...
Title: Game shows and your siblings
Post by: The Pyramids on September 15, 2012, 10:32:16 AM
My younger sister and I went went to Los Angles to see Bob Barker & Randy West in action at a 'TPIR' taping in 2003. In 2007 she came over to watch a tape of Bob's last show and later Drew's first.