The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: mmb5 on March 08, 2005, 10:18:19 PM

Title: Meta Game Shows
Post by: mmb5 on March 08, 2005, 10:18:19 PM

A discussion topic at dinner this evening -- is Remote Control the first meta-game show? By meta, I mean that it was self-aware of being a television show and was mocking with love the standard game show conventions.  A possibility I thought of was The Cheap Show, but I don't know if it was loving tribute.

Discuss (or not).


--Mike

Title: Meta Game Shows
Post by: Jimmy Owen on March 08, 2005, 10:37:58 PM

I think there were a couple of shows in the 50s that were spoofs, "It Pays to Be Ignorant" (revived in the mid-70's) and "How To" with Roger Price.

Title: Meta Game Shows
Post by: DrBear on March 09, 2005, 12:15:13 PM

I think you'd have to add "The Gong Show" to the list, as a parody of amateur-hour type shows.

Title: Meta Game Shows
Post by: tvwxman on March 09, 2005, 03:19:04 PM

"That....Quiz Show", hosted by those midget twins who now sell real estate on infomercials....

I have no clue as to what the format was ,though as a youngin', i thought the mini podium they stood behind was adorable!

Title: Meta Game Shows
Post by: uncamark on March 09, 2005, 04:50:03 PM

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Mar 8 2005, 10:37 PM\']I think there were a couple of shows in the 50s that were spoofs, "It Pays to Be Ignorant" (revived in the mid-70's) and "How To" with Roger Price.

[snapback]77547[/snapback]

[/quote]

"It Pays to Be Ignorant" was a straight-ahead parody of "Information Please," the first of the erudite quiz shows where listeners sent in stumpers to a distinguished panel of experts for the chance at winning book store gift certificates if they stumped them.  As such, the show was 100% scripted (I don't know if in the radio version the cast read their scripts on-stage and broke the effect for the studio audience) and the audience members that picked the question out of the Dunce Cap always got their modest cash reward for "stumping" the panel with the "Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?" questions.  (And I'm sure that in the 70s TV version there was always just one card in that Dunce Cap for the contestant to pick, since it wasn't a real game show.)

Title: Meta Game Shows
Post by: parliboy on March 09, 2005, 04:56:25 PM

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' date=\'Mar 9 2005, 03:19 PM\']"That....Quiz Show", hosted by those midget twins who now sell real estate on infomercials....

I have no clue as to what the format was ,though as a youngin', i thought the mini podium they stood behind was adorable!

[snapback]77598[/snapback]

[/quote]

Horanizing...

The show was basically YBYL, cept with the shorties reading scripted material instead of Groucho.  4 questions each for two couples, multiple choice, high scoring couple played one more question for a bonus, either cash or a trip.