Favorite vs. Greatest Game Shows

[gameshowfan]

The numerous "Greatest Game Shows" list over the years (on GSN and elsewhere), along with the "50 Greatest Game Show" listing that the Game Show Forum did last year, got me thinking about this topic.  

If you were asked to list the "Greatest Game Shows of All Time" (whether it be top 10, 50 or whatever) how much would your personal favorites influence the list?   And what other factors would you use to determine "the best of the best" -- Would it be shows that have stood the test of time, shows that you like, shows with good hosts and/or formats?  

I've thought about this several times over the years, because I would be able to rattle off a personal "Top 10" pretty easily if it were just my personal favorites, but I honestly don't know what I'd say if asked "What are the greatest game shows of all time?" or something similar -- how much my personal preferences would (or should) influence it.

[SpeedAndStrategy]

There are definitely some shows that would not make my personal top 50 (or might just barely make it), but that I'd feel obligated to include if I was being more objective. Beat the Clock, The Dating Game, Tic Tac Dough, The Joker's Wild, Deal or No Deal, and Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? are some of the shows that come to mind.

[gameshowfan]

I pretty much agree with that, although there are a few really long-running, successful game shows where I'd have lots of trouble answering if someone asked me "Why is this show great?" The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game are the first that come to mind. They certainly wouldn't make my Top 50; In fact, they'd probably both be in my Bottom 10. And I know they were both extremely popular; I just don't get 'em. Even pushing favorites aside, there just doesn't seem to be much to either of 'em, except "Let's ask a bunch of questions about your sex life and see how many references to 'making whoopee' we can squeeze in a half hour.

If I were making a "greatest" list, I might squeeze 'em in at the bottom, just for longevity and the fact that they have inspired so many other shows over the years.

Deal or No Deal probably wouldn't make my Top 50 Favorites either, and I'd have a little easier time justifying if it didn't make my "Greatest" list. Going purely on personal tastes, I will admit that the suspense is definitely there, particularly when you reach 6 figures. But when all's said and done, what you have is "pick a case" repeated round after round...for an entire hour. I don't care for shows that are entirely luck-based that well anyhow, but if you're going to do it, at least go the "Let's Make a Deal" route and add some variety so it's not the same deal over and over and over.

I think shows like "Deal" -- which had a pretty good but not enormous run -- are where personal tastes and judgement really start to kick in. I mean obviously you're going to include "Wheel" even if you hate it, because it's been on the air continuously since 1975. But shows like "Deal" and "5th Grader" (really successful for several years, and then petered out) are harder to call.

[Mandoli]

Aug 27, 2017 17:11:57 GMT -5 gameshowfan said:

If you were asked to list the "Greatest Game Shows of All Time" (whether it be top 10, 50 or whatever) how much would your personal favorites influence the list?

If it were me ranking game shows, I don't think my personal favorites would even be mentioned. I look at game shows based on longevity, and the general public's opinions. A show that doesn't get enough love (and considered underrated) by experts would probably be on the list. Obviously, Match Game, Family Feud, and other timeless shows would be on this list.

I also rank shows based on hosts and formats. Family Feud from the 1970s and Dawson's return to host are two different things, and should be ranked as such. Same with Match Game: The original, 90s, Burger, and the current format are all different; they should be separate.

I hope people understand this, because I think I made this completely chaotic.