The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: SamJ93 on May 27, 2021, 09:40:46 AM
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Inspired by J! having a FICTIONAL GAME SHOWS category last night...
As we all know, most films and scripted TV episodes in which the characters go on a game show end up being ridiculously over-the-top--the host turns out to be evil, the contestants are forced to wear silly costumes, the losers are subject to some humiliating penalty, etc. While some artistic license will always have to be taken for the sake of the story, are there any media in which the fake game show is portrayed reasonably accurately? To narrow it down a bit further, stick to completely fictional examples--no Slumdog Millionaire or Cliff Clavin on J!.
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The children's quiz show that Cindy appeared on in that episode of The Brady Bunch seemed like a fairly realistic portrayal of a local show.
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Two that immediately spring to mind are Grab That Dough! from The Golden Girls and Riddle Quest on Arthur, the latter featuring the voice of Alex Trebek as, um, Alex Lebeck.
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In one episode of Lizzie McGuire, Miranda's cousin gets her, Lizzie and Gordo on some crazy game show in Mexico and while it looks like an exaggerated portrayal at first, once you look at actual footage some game shows south of the border, you'll see how dead on it was.
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Even though it wasn't in a sitcom or drama, from 2010 I nominate the fake French game La Zone Xtrême, part of the documentary Le Jeu de la Mort (The Game of Death), "a modern version of the Milgram experiment, with the additional factor of reality television's popularity and influence on the general public. ... Volunteers were given €40 to take part as contestants in a "pilot" for the fictitious show, where they had to administer increasingly stronger electric shocks to trained actors posing as players as punishment for incorrect answers, as encouraged to do so by the host and audience." (Wikipedia)
Entire show (French, no subs):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4vL89T4epI
NPR coverage: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124838091
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I second "Grab That Dough", if for nothing else, the set designer did something other than a curtain as a "set" for an 80s game show. I'm sure it was stock music, but the "theme" that show used was very catchy.
Doogie Howser did an episode called "Greed is Good" where Doogie appears on a show called High IQ. I haven't seen the episode in years, but I remember it being pretty realistic, although Doogie intentionally gives a wrong answer at the end to lose his chance at thousands in prizes. It actually seems rare that sitcoms have the contestant actually win*...I guess futility makes for better punchlines.
*/No I don't need examples
//I know there's exceptions
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I guess futility makes for better punchlines.
To that end, and I'm honestly a little mad at myself for forgetting this, Ralph Kramden on The $99,000 Answer.
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It actually seems rare that sitcoms have the contestant actually win*...I guess futility makes for better punchlines.
*/No I don't need examples
//I know there's exceptions
Well, actually…no, I agree with everything you say ;)
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and Class Act pretty accurately depicted College-Bowl like shows of the time.
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Loosely based on the game show scandals of the 50s, "Happy Days" did an episode where Richie went on a $64,000 Question-type show and was fed answers. As I recall, the set was not too over the top (it was a local Milwaukee TV show).
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One of the entries mentioned in that J! category: if you accept the concept of a long-running kids-versus-adults game show being broadcast live from Burbank every afternoon, then "What Do Kids Know?" in the movie "Magnolia" looks and feels very authentic.
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The one on Matlock was a good one. The show was called "It's About Time."
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Loosely based on the game show scandals of the 50s, "Happy Days" did an episode where Richie went on a $64,000 Question-type show and was fed answers. As I recall, the set was not too over the top (it was a local Milwaukee TV show).
That episode was never aired in ABC daytime repeats.
Maude had a good spoof. Conrad Janis was the host.
Ted Baxter travelled to NYC to host "The $50,000 Steeplechase" on MTM, and MTM herself went on a hilarious game show on the "Coast-to,-Coast Big Mouth" episode of DVD
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There was an episode of Sanford & Son where Fred, Grady and Bubba go on Wheel And Deal, an almost note-for-note copy of Let's Make A Deal hosted by John Barbour. Johnny Jacobs was the announcer. Fun fact (for me, anyway): this episode originally aired the day I was born.
Notable appearances in the ones Jimmy mentioned, too: Maude's game show (I think it was called Beat The Devil) had Johnny Olson as the announcer. The model on The $50,000 Steeplechase was Dian Parkinson, circa just about the time she started on Price Is Right.
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Yes, Maude was "Beat The Devil". Johnny Olson announced (Erin Gray was the model I think). Johnny at one point announced, "Jewelry by Morey of Amsterdam."
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Another plus for TGG's "Grab That Dough" was that a real game show host was used.
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Million Dollar Trivia Master from the "Games People Play" episode of Hardcastle and McCormick was pretty impressive. Plus, it was hosted by evil Tom Kennedy!
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One of the entries mentioned in that J! category: if you accept the concept of a long-running kids-versus-adults game show being broadcast live from Burbank every afternoon, then "What Do Kids Know?" in the movie "Magnolia" looks and feels very authentic.
I disagree. The production crew made the contestants tense and miserable.