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We just love the game shows on TV, don’t we? The extraordinarily popular Supermarket Sweep, the grocery store game show in its latest avatar shows how fond we are of TV game shows. It stars SNL alum Leslie Jones who joins the ABC troop immediately after Sunday Night Football moving on to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the Card Sharks later. There are a plethora of game shows on TV and all of us are hooked on them. What have been the best TV game shows ever, we have often wondered. We have ranked what we feel are the three best game shows TV has gifted us lighting up our drawing rooms.
The Price Is Right (1972 till date)
Bob Barker during “The Price is Right” 34th Season Premiere – Taping at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Jesse Grant/WireImage)
Bob Barker says that many people harbor the notion that it’s easy to conjure up a game show. He goes on to say “nothing could be further from the truth.” Barker, essentially a beauty pageant emcee, would greet contestants thrilled to bits and charged up to underbid with great improvisation. That’s why, CBS was glad to find its new host, Drew Carey. Joining the team after Barker retired, Carey, the star of the hilariously witty Whose Line Is It Anyway? displayed his nimbleness on the show with élan in 2007.
Jeopardy! (1964-75, 1984 till date)
Isn’t it natural to find Jeopardy! find its way into our list of the best TV game shows ever? This unique quiz show with Alex Trebek as the lively host is packed with excitement. You can gauge a game show’s popularity by how often it finds mention in pop culture. There have been innumerable TV spoofs and in White Men Can’t Jump, Rosie Perez performed the role of an aspiring contestant. Again, David Foster Wallace came up with a short story where a character uses what she wins to look after her brother suffering from autism. With 39 Emmy awards already in its kitty, there’s no halting this show’s march!
Wheel of Fortune (1975 till date)
There simply could be no game more basic, yet more satisfying than this. One of the longest-running game shows in television’s history, this variant of the hangman spelling game has Pat Sajak as its host for many, many years. The show made a star out of Vanna White, a former beauty pageant who was the charming turner of tiles on the show. The creator, Merv Griffin, a daytime talk mainstay for many long years could read the pulse of not just daytime audiences, but also those who would watch only the jackpot hour after the nightly news just before prime time.
Conclusion
These three TV shows with their smart, witty, and vivacious hosts have ruled the popularity charts for years. They have been running for decades and their popularity remains sky-high. The shows have made celebrities out of their hosts who went on to become household names. People still line up to appear as contestants on these shows for their moment of fame. Keep tuning in and stay glued to your TVs as these game shows bring us some very entertaining viewing, the ideal stress-buster after a hectic day.
