Top GameShows of All-time

Number 9 on our list

If you are a child of the 80's as myself, then I'm sure game shows were a large part of your life. My reasoning is as follows: During the summers, with soap opera's being off limits, sportscenter being over, Nintendo being banned due to a recent fight what else did you watch between the hours of 10:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.?

Game shows are an American icon. Where else could useless knowledge win a person thousands of dollars? Think about it. You mean if I guess the right price of that sofa, then I win the sofa and the globe! That's correct! The knowledge will get your nowhere in life, but it sure is fun. Not only did the contestants play, but you could play along at home. Not to mention the host became household names around the Sorgenfrei home. Over the next week I will share my game show love with our readers by ranking the top 10 game shows of all time.

10) Video Power - I'm going out on a limb on this one. Most normal people in the world probably didn't watch this surprisingly short-lived game show.
Host: Terry Lee Torok (Rating - 1) Nothing else needs to be said here.
Game Format: using your knowledge of video games and playing ability contestants would answer quiz questions and play various video games (Rating - 2)
Grand Finale: The "Prize Round" was the name of the game. The winner would clothe himself in a Velcro suit and run wild through a "store." Every game he could pick up and Velcro to his suit would be his if he made it to the finish line in the appropriate time. (Rating - 4)
Overall: (1.7) Let's be honest, one had to be a true video game geek to enjoy this one (I'm raising my hand). I mean how many quiz questions about Donkey Kong or Paperboy can one really answer? The enjoyment of the show for me came as I dreamed of being on the show. I was sure I could destroy those kids in "Excite Bike" and the thought of running through a store with a velcro vest was beyond me. Ok, it was a terrible show...but good times.

9) $20,000 Pyramid - Longtime favorite of daytime TV fans. It combined celebrities with contestants in a primitive game of Taboo
Host: Dick Clark (rating - 8) It doesn't get much better than the one and only Dick Clark. His signature salute along with "This is Dick Clark saying So Long." will always be remembered
Game Format: (Rating - 3) I probably would have enjoyed it more in my elder years. However, sitting around giving clues trying to get your teammate to come up with the answer gets old. Some celebrities would crack a few jokes here and there, but overall it was like watching Taboo....without the Taboo words.
The Grand Finale: The Winner's Circle(Rating - 5.9) - It was difficult and intense. The clue giver would actually use arm straps to keep himself from using hand signals. In 60 seconds, the team would have to guess 6 words in different categories and win $20,000
Bonuses: The set was great. I always wanted to look into one of the red boxes the players used to get their word. Also, the winner's circle with chairs facing one another was classic. It was also one of the only games I know of that the timer actually counted upwards from 0 - 30. Lastly, the game used bonuses on the board.
Overall (5.5) - Fun game to play at home, but I needed a little more humor from Dick Clark. I did always enjoy the Winner's circle followed by Dick Clark leaning over the rail to give a few more helpful clues. Credit the Pyramid with bringing in big money prizes and celebrities.

That's all until next time...as Dick Clark would say "So long."