TOP 10: Game Shows

TV game shows have been around since the days of radio. Knowledge and skill towards cash rewards have always been a big part of our entertainment programming. The early days of TV saw games shows top the ratings chars and the $64,000 question becoming a #1 show.

But what game shows are the best? everyone has a favorite, but there are some that have tested the time and are still fun to watch/play today. Here is my list of the TOP 10 games shows of all time.

10) WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?
The youngest game show on the list, the series took the nation by storm, 1999, as a series of specials. It eventually became a hit  regular primetime series game show, soon after. It is the only recent primetime game show to make a successful transition into daily syndication. Now the series is in it's 15 year, with it's third host, Cedric the Entertainer, of the game.

9) FAMILY FEUD:
This is a game the people love, not matter who is the host. Officially, FAMILY FEUD has had six different hosts. It is a simple opinion game. guess how 100 people answered a given question. The first couple answers are always easy, but to get that 5th or 6th answer is killer and fun. FEUD has been on the air for nearly 40 years, with a three year gap in the mid-90's. I expect it to be on for many more years, with more people becoming hosts of the game.

8) HOLLYWOOD SQUARES:
HOLLYWOOD SQUARE could be viewed more as a comedy than a game show. The laughs are just as important as getting the right answer. The classic game, with Paul Lynde, Charlie Weaver, George Gobble and Rose Marie, was the best. But, like true great game shows, it found success in revivals. The fifth and latest version, HIP HOP SQUARES, is in it's second season, on MTV2.

7) $100,000 PYRAMID:
There have been a few attempts of bringing the game show back, but nothing really compares to the shows Dick Clark Hosted. The game is fun to watch and play and you don't even have to by the official board game. This game could rise again, if they could just find another great host.

6) PASSWORD:
One of the oldest game shows on the list, PASSWORD was simple and fun. With a one word clue, get you team mate to guess the word at play. Teams alternate back and forth guessing at the secret word. There have been five versions of the game show, but PASSWORD will always be Alan Ludden's game, he show's first, and longest running host.

5) TO TELL THE TRUTH:
The oldest entry on this list, to tel the truth had three or four individuals claiming to be the same person, but just one is telling the truth. Celebrities would have to figure out and vote who they thought the real person was. This was easy to play at home as you know just as much, or as little, as the celebrities. The game show originally ran from 1956 to 1978, but there have been five attempts to revive the series, the latest being in 2000-01, with John O'hurley as host.

4) MATCH GAME:
Like HOLLYWOOD SQUARES, MATCH GAME was just as much about getting laughs as it was the playing of the actual game. The great Gene Rayburn hosted the first three versions of the series, beginning in 1962. But it is the 1970's run is the golden era of the game show. Gene Knew how to deliver the questions to give it as much of innuendo as it needed to be funny. The celebrity panel (6) were just as important. The best ones were Charles Nelson Reily, Brett Summers, Richard Dawson and Fannie Flagg. It is one of the few game shows you can really watch and enjoy as repeats, over and over.

3) WHEEL OF FORTUNE:
One of the simplest game shows on TV, it is also one of the biggest. WHEEL OF FORTUNE grew to be the #1 syndicated show on TV. The game show didn't hit its peak until the original host (Chuck Woolery) and hostess (Susan Stafford) left the series in '81 and '82, respectively. It was not until Vanna White and Pat Sajak were brought on that the series became huge. Plus, you know you are a great game show when you survived Roff Benirschke (former NFL kicker) as host of the daytime version. This series is about to celebrate it's 40th year and it shows no signs of stopping.

2) JEOPARDY:
JEOPARDY had a couple of successful runs in the '60s and '70s, but it was not until 1984, when Alex Trebek became host, that the game show became one of the most watched game shows on TV. The game show is easily the smartest game show on TV as the questions delve into science, opera, history and pop culture. This show should have no problem transitioning to a new host, one Alex Trebek retires.

1) THE PRICE IS RIGHT:
This is the game anyone who has gone shopping can play. Since 1972, the current version of the game, it has been one of the most popular game shows on daytime TV. When Bob Barker, the host since '72, retired in 2007. THE PRICE IS RIGHT could have easily taken a nose dive once Drew Carey took over. But the show has continued to flourish and may be just as big with Drew as it was with Bob.