1980s TV Game Shows -Whammies, Ceramic Dalmatians, and Betty White!

This is my list of the 25 best TV game shows from the 1980s. Do you agree with my picks?
• Wheel of Fortune's For...

[@RacerX-]

Thanks so much for stirring up such good memories. Staying home sick from school in the 80's would not have been the same without all the game shows. Price is Right, Pyramid, Press Your Luck - Oh Yeah 😁

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

Thank you so much!!!! I appreciate the super thanks and the comment. I had a lot of fun making this video. Watching 80s game shows are some of my favorite kid memories.

[@RacerX-]

@@mysocalledgenxlife You are welcome. I appreciate all the hard work that goes into videos like this. As for kid memories, same here. Game shows, old TV shows like Gilligan's Island, Lost in Space and all the so many shows that reran constantly on TV in the 80s that kids today just don't get to experience outside of streaming or specialty channels.

[@danielherrin]

Um....how is Price Is Right NOT #1!!!???!!!??? Back in the day it was Price Is Right, Young and the Restless, Noon news, Bold and Beautiful, As the World Turns, then Guiding Light, every single weekday at my Grandparents house.

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

It was close. But I just loved the pyramid so much. 😊

[@danielherrin]

@@mysocalledgenxlifewell, walk on like an Egyptian with your bad self then

[@foreignparticle1320]

I was a latchkey kid, and there was nothing I enjoyed more than making myself an afternoon snack and nestling on the couch to watch Double Dare + the Disney shows that were on my local station after school.

[@pika23]

Im an old soul and born in 78. I totally had the opposite effect for the name that tune and face the music. The answers were not easy easy but I did know some of them. Mainly bc we had my uncle's organs in thr rec room. There bunches of 60s and 70s hits that I learned from the accompanying song books.

[@threemarksat210]

If you had asked prior to watching this, how many game shows I watched as a kid, I would have said "I dunno like five or six." Apparently it's more like twenty.

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

Hilarious. 😂😂 This video was supposed to be a top 10. But once I started writing down my list, it became clear pretty quick that 10 wasn’t gonna cut it.

[@DXKramer]

24 here Only one on the list that I haven't watched is I'm Telling.

[@brenthays6539]

1. 80s Trebek was peak Trebek 2. Starcade was an overlooked gem that featured kids playing arcade games. It apparently ran from 82 to 84, but I caught it on G4 in the early aughts 3. Remote Control was required viewing in college- I distinctly remember all of the contestants missing the question on The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” because they were supposed to imitate Susanna Hoffs, but they forgot the way she would cut her eyes from side to side in the video. Rookie mistake.

[@nashvillan4lif]

Yes! Starcade! "Here's hoping all your troubles get zapped!"

[@Maximum_Warp]

The $25,000/ $100,000 Pyramid pre 2000's theme is my ringtone!!

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

Did we just become best friends?

[@Maximum_Warp]

@@mysocalledgenxlife this was an amazing list. I almost suggested Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego but that was 1991. It was just so different that I loved watching it.

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

@@Maximum_Warptrust and believe I checked the years on Carmen San Diego. She would have been on the list if it would have played one day in the 80s 😂😂 And thanks for your comment!

[@DankT9705]

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels. I love all the nostalgia.

[@katietoole8345]

I'm home sick today, and since I can't actually watch any of these shows, this is a great substitute.

[@jenniferbice8998]

Jeopardy should have been #4 on this list, Press Your Luck #3, Wheel of Fortune #2, and The Price is Right as the #1 game show of the 1980's.

[@jamesbonnen]

I also like Dream House even though it was on opposite The Price is Right

[@MrWildcat2009]

Sadly Dream House is gone forever. The tapes were stored in the producers basement after it went off the air and news broke out around 2013 confirming the master tapes were destroyed in a flood 😢

[@bluebear1985]

Remote Control looks like it was a good show. There was apparently one episode where Bob Eubanks made an appearance. He claimed that Bob Barker, Wink Martindale, and Alex Trebek had sent him to coach Ken Ober on how to be a good game show host.

[@TriviaChat]

Some interesting selections. I would have The Price is Right at #1 without question. The rest of my top five would be #2 Wheel of Fortune, #3 Press Your Luck, #4 Sale of the Century and #5 Pyramid. But like all lists it’s all about personal preference.

[@rstyeast73]

Thanks for the memories. I remember watching a lot of these game shows growing up, especially during summer vacation, teacher workdays, and during holiday breaks. There are some orher game shows you might have forgotten. There was a show called Child's Play which aired around the early 1980s, Starcade, which focused around arcade games, Bullseye, in which the contestants choose between two categories and the number of questions they can answer, Chain Reaction.

[@PGTransformed]

You are so right about The Price is Right!! This was the heyday of TV'S longest running game show in spite of the scandals and staff changes that happened over the years!

[@ToABrighterFuture]

And Laurie Faso, the emcee of I'm Telling, would later voice Raphael in 1991's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2."

[@Boss42n]

He was also Marlo from Marlo and the Magic Movie Machine. I watched that show every Saturday.

[@nashvillan4lif]

No love for "The all new Let's Make a Deal" with Monty Hall? :( I did enjoy "Fun House" with J.D. Roth, but I don't think that would have been top 25.

[@tnate6004]

80's LMAD pales in comparison to the 60s/70s version, imo.

[@Rossturnerphoto]

Game shows were required viewing for me as a kid. I actually tried to arrange to be home when some of my favorites were being aired. Most of the ones you mentioned were shows that I watched regularly, and still enjoy watching to this day. I love KZbin for having so many episodes of different game shows that I can watch whenever I want.

[@kingofmadprops]

Pretty solid list. My list would have had TPiR and Family Feud as 1 & 2 respectfully. Pyramid was a great show, as a 80s kid I was confused by the winner’s circle round. I also would have added Fun House in there somewhere as well. Overall though, great list! No honorable mention for MG/HS Hour? If it wasn’t for that iconic theme, what would be played on TPiR for brand new cars?

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

I considered the Hollywood Squares Match Game hour….i really should have mentioned it during the Hollywood squares segment. Good call! And honestly, I totally forgot about Fun House! Thanks for your comment 😊

[@kingofmadprops]

@@mysocalledgenxlife No problem!! This is a great channel. Definitely glad to have subscribed to it

[@bluebear1985]

In the last season that Bob Eubanks did for the 80s version of The Newlywed Game, I believe they changed to a blue set. For the final season of the run, for some inexplicable reason, he chose to leave and be replaced by comedian Paul Rodriguez. I've seen a couple of his episodes, and it makes me wish I didn't watch them.

[@alleahsasseville]

My FAVORITE game show - until some greedy contestant ruined it.

[@DocTrower1980]

A quintessential list, although I would swap out I'm Telling with Starcade. Also, if I were to expand your list by five, I would add: Chain Reaction Jackpot Talk About Hit Man Wipeout

[@starlight9804]

What a great list! You reminded me of a couple that I'd forgotten about. Oddly, the thing I remember most about Scrabble the most is the (pleasing) sound the numbered tiles made when dropped in their slots.

[@tnate6004]

The 80's was the last great era of network daytime TV, populated by classic game shows and soap opera - I miss it so much. There is no bonus round that will ever beat Pyramid's "Winner's Circle" for suspense and, having watched The Ptice is Right since Day One of the 1972 revival, the 70's and 80's Barker years are the best (don't care for Drew). Michael Strahan does a nice job on the Pyramid revival.

[@TonyLeadholm]

Outstanding topic and an even better list. Hard pressed to find anything missing or inflated. Just well done. Officially subscribed. BRAVA 👏👏👏

[@DXKramer]

Almost every one of these gameshows on this list i have fond memories of. One not mentioned that i enjoyed a lot as well was Card Sharks.

[@bluebear1985]

Also, about Card Sharks, have you ever seen any of the episodes from the 1986-1987 syndicated run? That version was hosted by Bill Rafferty. One thing that made it different from the CBS daytime version were the prize cards inserted in the deck. Those often included trips, electronics, appliances, and additional cash. If any prizes were found, the contestant only won them if they managed to win the best two out of three match.

[@paulpanfilowitz9922]

A few of my favorites from the 80s Hit Man Go! Battlestars Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour

[@Boss42n]

Hello. I am a new subscriber and looking forward to watching your other videos. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I belive that I have watched all those game shows. I guess the KZbin algorithm recommended this video after I watched several episodes of Press Your Luck. The 80s version of PYL is better than today's version. It's too slow paced today and I miss Peter and Rod.

[@bluebear1985]

In regards to Blockbusters, while it didn't get too long of a run in the States, it apparently became a huge hit in the UK, with their original version lasting around eleven years. It had the two versus one premise with high school age kids playing the game.

[@tuxedoraysmankoworldorder6761]

Chain Reaction was pretty decent too, especially the theme song. Geoff Edward's was underrated host

[@MrWildcat2009]

Never hit my mind exactly how many game shows actually aired throughout the 1980s which were eventually replaced with talk shows going into the 1990s. Some notable game shows which didn’t make the list include: Battlestars Dream House Bullseye Child’s Play Go! (Cheesy ripoff of Pyramid) Hit Man Just Men Jackpot Match game Hollywood Squares Hour (tried but didn’t work out) Pitfall (the Canadian game show which Alex Trebek didn’t get paid for after the production company went broke) Starcade Trivia Trap There’s others out there but didn’t do well compared to other versions made in different decades.

[@Ryanmo97]

One note about Win, Lose or Draw. Vicki Lawrence hosted the daytime version on NBC. Burt Convy hosted the syndicated version. Both aired at the same time.

[@travismiller4320]

7:33 my grandpa and I would watch this after the late local news when I spent to night at his place, for some reason he loved this show 10:37 I just realized this is kind of like the Newlywed Game except with siblings 21:31 I never knew someone actually won both Showcases, every time I stayed home from school I would watch this with my mom

[@jdcnow]

"This is Roooood Roddy, speaking for 'The Price Is Right', a Mark Goodson Television Production! Stay tuned for 'The Young And The Restless', next, over most of these CBS stations!"

[@thesegacampgamerandwerecam7504]

Fun Fact for Wheel of Fortune Vanna White said she NEVER wore the Same Outfit Twice! she had a Closet of 50,000 Dresses she could Pick from!

[@amywilson3593]

gerry wilson well i am a bob barker fan but bthe show's first host was the legendary bill cullen and deserved to be #1 though i liked thge clip you showed with brian mitchell as i am a big fan thanks for acknowledging the show's history

[@jamesbonnen]

18:38 If you watch the Millennials and Gen Z's do reviews of 80's Family Feud they complain about the kissing. After Watergate Vietnam and the Iran Hostage Crisis the kissing is not so bad

[@quizshow1977]

Thankfully, someone else remembers the "Chance of a Lifetime" show. I recommend its pilot on the Wink Martindale KZbin channel.

[@Jamessmith-xk3fh]

I was born in 84 and remembered watching a lot of game shows during the day on the USA network

[@fluffy_preacher]

The icon fast money round question has to be when does a woman look most pregnant, the answer? September 😂

[@TheOneandOnlyD-R-E]

I know you said it was outside the rules, but Match Game and its host Gene Rayburn was the best game show!

[@aylaeh]

I totally agree with this list. I loved sale of the century I also loved Double Dare and several of the others that you mentioned on this list.

[@matthewbaduria]

This is a great channel. nostalgia is the best. I've been a huge game show fan for all my life.

[@scotplemmons4209]

I forget about “I’m Telling”

[@robs1873]

Is that really your profile picture?

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

Of course! There are a ton of pics of me in my channel intro video. I’ll be doing some on camera work soon when I get my studio put together.

[@robs1873]

@@mysocalledgenxlife oh, I see the other pics of you now. You are so fine

[@ShuffleUpandDeal32]

How is TPIR not number 1?

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

Because I loved Dick Clark and Pyramid more. I only watched TPIR on sick days. But pyramid was on in syndication and I watched it every day!

[@quizshow1977]

I'd have likely also called Pyramid #1 for that decade. With all respect to trivia, Pyramid is about a universally essential skill: communication.

[@ShuffleUpandDeal32]

Nice, Bumper Stumpers!

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

So glad someone else shares my love of Bumper Stumpers!

[@ShuffleUpandDeal32]

@@mysocalledgenxlife Well I am Canadian

[@higgy04]

Excellent video. Not often do I hear someone someone pronounce the Bumper Stumpers' host's name correctly and you nailed it (yes I'm Canadian). Little known fact, former Barenaked Ladies lead singer Steven Page was a contestant on Bumper Stumpers. Didn't win much apparently.

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

Thanks for your comment! I credit my native English and six years of French in high school and college for my proper Canadian pronunciations 😊😂.

[@RetroMan4321]

Hollywood Squares???

[@onithedemonslayer3142]

I loved press your luck.

[@danielherrin]

And why did you leave off The Running Man 🤔

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

The one in the movie hosted by Richard Dawson? How could I forget that? 🤔😂

[@bluebear1985]

In addition to appearing on a number of game shows over the years, Betty White did briefly host her own. While "Just Men!" lasted only thirteen weeks on NBC in early 1983, she did win the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host, beating out fellow nominees Dick Clark and Richard Dawson.

[@RetroMan4321]

SuperMarket Sweep??? No mention?

[@katrinachance]

Supermarket Sweep was 90's and Early 2000's

[@tsukune007]

and you can't forget about Joker 90 which was hosted by Pat Finn who went on to host Shop Till You Drop, also there was a night time version of Card Shards hosted by Bill Rafferty,

[@cocoaorange1]

Do the talk shows of the 90's.

[@mysocalledgenxlife]

Good idea!

[@bluebear1985]

Press Your Luck is a pretty good show. I only discovered it when it was on Game Show Network. About the Michael Larson deal, in the early 2000s, GSN made a documentary about that situation, which was hosted by Peter Tomarken. Several people involved in it were interviewed for it, including some of the behind-the-scenes staff and Larson's opponents from this legendary match. There's actually a movie about it that's apparently in post-production, and actor Paul Walter Hauser (Richard Jewell, Cruella) is set to portray Larson. They haven't mentioned a release date for it yet as far as I know. As for the more recent version, Elizabeth Banks is doing a pretty good job with hosting so far.

[@katrinachance]

There was an episode of PYL that actually made a lot of kids mad, until the end. Search out the episode(Its on youtube) that is called the Sylvester episode. Let's just say 80's kids knew the answer to the question that the contestants gave was correct, but whomever did the research was wrong, and luckily, the legendary voice himself called at the end to give the correction and gave us all a big treat to end the show.

[@alfonsogreen2722]

There's my childhood. I loved them all

[@cocoaorange1]

This series brings back memories.