Starcade - "Major Havoc / Elevator Action / Snake Pit / et al." (Complete Broadcast, 4/27/1985) 📺 🕹️

[@billybatson8657]

I used to RUN HOME from the bus stop every day to watch this show!! It's the quintessential show of its time for what was the ORIGINAL video-gaming community.

[@chrisw6164]

Good to know this show actually existed and wasn’t a figment of my imagination. I remember seeing it back then.

I wondered why I never saw this but when I saw the Star Search 85 commercial I realized I was stationed over seas 84-86. So I didn’t see American tv for a few years.

[@AquarianNomadic]

Truth!

[@sideburn]

They are all (or almost all) on KZbin starcade channel

[@chrisw6164]

@@sideburn I wouldn’t have been able to tell you the name of this show before three days ago.

[@sideburn]

@@chrisw6164😂 fuzzy memories…

[@chrisw6164]

I loved Elevator Action as a kid.

[@brianm2850]

I remember watching this on TBS growing up. Good times.

[@tubesocksbrigade3031]

Everyone overlooks Geoff Edwards when it comes to great game show emcees. He definitely was, especially on Treasure Hunt and on this show as he actually put in the work when it came to the show's subject matter...video games. As Fuzzy mentioned, even long after Starcade finished, Edwards enjoyed and was an expert at video games. Also, he was a terrific DJ in Los Angeles on KMPC in LA where he was part of DJ line up that included Wink Martindale, Gary Owens, Robert W. Morgan among others.

[@wmbrown6]

Thanks to a "big brother," I attended a taping of "Shoot for the Stars" at 30 Rock in 1977. He was among the "new breed" of game show hosts (along with Alex Trebek) championed by onetime NBC head of daytime programming Lin Bolen whose machinations led to the cancellations of "Three on a Match" (hosted by Bill Cullen) and the original Art Fleming "Jeopardy!" Was given an informal tour of the NBC studios (not connected with their own studio tours) and saw where "Today" was based at the time, as well as the massive Studio 6B where WNBC Channel 4's "NewsCenter4" originated back then. What struck me about that was how some colors varied in person from what they looked like on the "telly" as captured by the RCA TK-44A/B cameras then in use there.

[@fromaggiovagiola9128]

Oink! Oink! We'll be Pigs!

[@theoriginaljrest]

He was asked to be the original host for Family Feud and turned it down stating he thought it would flop. Of course it ended up going to Richard Dawson. I really wanted to be on Starcade growing up in the 80's.

[@dpurves28]

I saw this as a kid when it was on WTBS, and absolutely loved it. I really wanted to get on the show one day, but it never happened.

[@Steelebourne]

I would always beg my mom to figure out how to get me on the show after each episode. :)

[@fitzgerald69]

Man I totally forgot about this show. I remember watching it as a kid. Thank you

[@renevaldez5717]

What a beautiful times.😭😭😭😭

[@alabastersmidge4692]

❤

[@BitScout]

Never seen this episode before! More Starcade please 🎉

[@ChuckD79]

Used to watch Starcade on WTNH as a kid, back in the day...thanks for sharing!

[@ken_danerdiest1]

And thanks to the magic of next-gen consoles and emulation, the games featured can be played on classic compilations for various next-gen consoles, including PS1 and on the MAME arcade emulator.

[@jesusnodal8948]

I remember this show and it was so very awesome!!! Thank you very much for this!! This is greatly appreciated!!👍👍👍👍💖💖

[@fromaggiovagiola9128]

Great Post! I enjoyed watching this.

[@Iscariot666]

This is amazing!

[@A1collect]

I saw a few episodes of this series on G4 back in 2003

[@askcommish]

wish I could get this on dvd or blu-ray - but thank you so much for sharing this ! ! Brings back great memories growing up in the 80s

[@ccateni28]

Saw some of these episodes on the short lived reboot of G4. Neat seeing a rerun from a station I know.

[@rstyeast73]

I used to watch Starcade every weekday afternoon after school when it was on TBS. Geoff Edwards was the second host, the original host was Mark Richards.

[@wmbrown6]

Mr. Richards, by all accounts, was uncomfortable in his hosting gig - and no video game fan whatsoever. It was that which led Mr. Edwards, when selected to replace him, to "get into" the video game culture as he had - and would.

[@billybatson8657]

@@wmbrown6 I remember that episode with the young highschool girl where Mark Richards says "they didn't have girls like you when I was in school".....creeped me out.

[@wmbrown6]

@@billybatson8657 - Small wonder Mr. Richards didn't last. Mr. Edwards definitely "clicked" more.

[@patrickfarfalle975]

Starcade the best game show I will always love from the 80's... Remember playing Snake Pit for the 1st time in Aladdin's Castle at the H.I.P 🙂

[@richardgazinia5482]

I saw "Track and Field" in the background when the show opened. I stunk at "Track and Field" I could never get past the javelin throw but it was great to beat the bejesus out the console during the opening(?) race.

[@mlang28]

Kid had a cool mom to come with him..she must been a gamer

[@chrisnizer]

Thanks for posting this show for us to enjoy my friend, good stuff indeed! 👍 👍

[@AquarianNomadic]

I was 9 and remember this show 😂

[@darrylh1971]

In Chicago, Starcade aired on WPWR Channel 60 1983-1985.

[@wmbrown6]

For some reason, I wouldn't be surprised that's where it landed in the "Windy City."

[@TELEVISIONARCHIVES]

Wow. Nice find!!!

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

Is this from your area?

[@TELEVISIONARCHIVES]

@@FuzzyMemoriesTV Yes from the New England area

[@J0r]

@@TELEVISIONARCHIVES Starcade was shot in San Francisco

[@surferbri5346]

Spent alot of time in arcades as a kid, remembering Aladins castle at the mall discouraged beverages and smoking and would escort you to the exit, Westfield mall had a different arcade with a snack counter and just didn't care for vulgarity

[@NYKensington]

As a kid watching this on Channel 50 in Chicago I never realized there probably wasn't an actual in-studio audience other than the crew.

[@sixfootfive6556]

The audience reactions do sound fake sometimes.

[@70s80s]

Geoff Edwards always had bad jokes on every show he ever hosted. That’s why I loved him so!😉

[@KevinCarlyle-q6y]

I also used too watch the show on TBS

[@fightingidiocy7724]

I put maybe a 100 into that Damn Major Havoc cabinet!

[@radionoakmont7756]

i think my older sister had that adorable rainbow brite looks pretty awesomes m8 that record would be wll records be worth a lot now days

[@NYKensington]

I lived in arcades back then and never encountered any of these particular games!

[@joshorjoshuaorjoshy]

If only SCTV was still on they wouldv'e had a great time with this

[@3BTV1976]

This show was EPIC!!

[@anniefinch6843]

I remember seeing the host from the big spin.

[@billybatson8657]

I specifically remember the all-Dragon's Lair episode where during the break they showed some background on the game, including a scene that wasn't even included in the arcade game! I remember doing everything trying to find that scene but come to find out it was never actually used in the game....I thought maybe it was some extra scene you could find if you did something just right in the game, like when I put all of the items in Atari Adventure against the right side wall so that it flashed to the point that you could pass through it. It's probably one of the most memorable gaming events in my lifetime as a 12 year old finding a "secret message" for the first time. It's understandable why they used it in that game movie a couple of years ago, anyone who actually discovered it by accident had a literal epiphany of what the future of gaming after the Atari 2600 and Intellivision held.

[@MickyGreen5]

I know the exact scene you're talking about. It was a pig with a crown and a spear or something.

[@lrsiv]

I have absolutely no recollection of this show. 😅

[@trinalopez589]

I remember once the final game was Dragon's Lair. Turns out the corporate entities, who really didn't know the games like the kids did, failed to realize that it's not a fair game for a short timed segment due to the randomness of where you would start. The kids knew this. The second kid to go was PISSED because he started at the stage with the rapids. Very slow & very few points to be made. Needless to say he lost.

[@johnmiller1667]

The host's jokes are so dad, they own a subscription to Golf Digest.

[@gabrieljjones1]

That Joey kid, knew what the mystery game was. I saw him mouth the game while the announcer said it. He cheated!

[@seanla38]

Yes he did

[@Wokevaccine]

And they NEVER win the major prize, letalone THAT easily. I smell 2 rats here.

[@smog-097]

Awesome.

[@kascnef]

They need to reboot it

[@jlassh]

I love that it’s hosted by what looks like a football commentator

[@chrisutley2859]

Geoff Edwards was a long time game show host. I used to watch him on Treasure Hunt & Jackpot as a kid

[@Jim-jd3xf]

It's like he already new what the mystery game was😂

[@Rlotpir1972]

Starcade was as good as Video Power but it was 10x better than Nick Arcade.

[@timotheegoulet1511]

I watched this show like a Zealot when I was a kid.

[@CreightonRabs]

Not to get nitpicky, but I think Marco was saying "S.F. State" as in San Francisco State since his nephew said he was a student at UC Davis, which is not too far from San Francisco.

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

Corrected, thanks.

[@_Majoras]

that music 🤣 actually sounds more like a 60s dating show theme

[@525Lines]

Elevator Action is a great game. Got to level 6 once.

[@JoshJohnson-yl7ll]

Little Hank Hill on the show tonight.

[@dankydiecast5686]

It’s so wild to think that the little kid with glasses is almost 60 years old now.

[@Rld764]

Uncle Marco!!

[@raidensama1511]

What the hell did I just watch?

[@alabastersmidge4692]

Starcade

[@EricSchryver-v8o]

My childhood...

[@cdldriver2348]

3:24 - 3:26 - Looks like Noe Reyes is actually saying the mystery game "Major Havoc", watch his lips. Then he proceeds to pick that game, looks to me like someone is cheating....

[@LeeFisherJr]

The original eSports

[@circusfreakRob]

Dude's 40yo uncle - "I'm 25".

[@daveincognito]

I was so super jealous of the people who got on this show.

[@alabastersmidge4692]

I completely agree with you.

[@burgertime72]

Noe Reyes was not kidding . He’s listed as a Zoological scientist and a huge resume

[@MariaHopkins-k8c]

Special Thanks to Geoff Edwards SubHosts of "The All New Let's Make a Deal!", Because Monty Hall has Laryngitis/Under the Weather Back in 1985!!!?

[@MMAfighter38113]

Didn’t WTBS show this back in the early 80s???

[@chrisutley2859]

Sure did. Thats where I watched it

[@alabastersmidge4692]

Yeth.

[@spartan4x]

E-Sports at its best

[@Fygee]

Rosie O' Donnell in the Star Search commercial there.

[@NEPatriot]

I remember seeing Starcade I think on WOR-TV Channel 9 in NYC. Ironically, before I had cable, WTNH Channel 8 and CPTV station WEDW -49 were the only CT stations I could get on the antenna...even if it was fuzzy. WTNH has been an ABC affiliate since 1954, the same year it went from channel 6 to 8. In 1948, the station signed on as WNHC-TV CT's first TV station, but not New England's...WBZ-TV Boston gets that honor about a couple of weeks before WNHC. Capital Cities bought WNHC in 1971 and the callsign changed to WTNH. In 1985 Cook Inlet bought the station before selling it to LIN broadcasting and then current owner Nexstar. My cable system had WTNH from its 1982 start until three years ago. And Geoff, for that bad joke someone should've played the Pac-Man fail sound!

[@andrewweisneck1102]

I used to get WTNH 8 in North Jersey in 1981. Most of the time it was very snowy and I could only watch it for a half an hour during The Six Million Dollar Man at about 5:30 pm, but one night (10:00 pm) it came in crystal clear during the "Shore Leave" episode of Star Trek. At the time, we had Wometco Home Theater (WHT The Movie Network) and I believe it's special antenna gave our regular antenna the extra boost in signal.

[@wmbrown6]

At would time would Channel 9 have run it?

[@jethrodupree]

Anyone order that Rainbow Brite record? That commercial lasted 8 years for me…

[@SatchelMcQueenVideo]

I remember this as a kid on tbs. When was the shows debut because I wonder now which came first. Was it this show or NWA wrestlings Starrcade 83?

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

Definitely Starcade was first.

[@Foxonian]

This was my local ABC station back then.

[@DarkNekoStudio]

The uncle cannot be 25 come on,I'm 38 and look so younger than him

[@amanoj318]

He's 25 in 80s years. Back then, you moved out at 10, had kids and a mortgage by 20 and were dead by 35.

[@bobgomez9481]

The whole shake hands thing was a mess.

[@damin9913]

What year this is

[@orlandeuce6567]

SEEING A YOUNG ROSIE ODONNELL ON 'STAR SEARCH 1985' IS CRAZY

[@wardengentles53]

I liked the one with Harley Race v Ric Flair

[@PhiloGant]

“Ice cream clone.” 😐

[@alabastersmidge4692]

😂😂😂

[@douglasdixon524]

4:40, I don't remember seeing Major Havoc when I was a teen in the 1980s. However, the storyline for that game sounds cool as hell. I also never saw this show but I'm enjoying it 40 years later here in September 2024.

[@andyrose5616]

8:12 Mark Elliott voices the Rainbow Brite commercial.

[@wmbrown6]

How many, over the years, confused this famed announcer with writer Marc Eliot?

[@andyrose5616]

Edit point at 14:05 after they forgot to reset the game for the second team.