The 1980s were truly an amazing time to be alive. Life was simpler back then, and there were actually shows on television that allowed us all to escape the realities of life and have some fun.
Anyone who was alive in the 1980s knows that one of the best parts of the decades were the game shows, which brought hours of entertainment to millions of Americans. That’s why we decided to do a list of five of the best game shows from this incredible decade.
‘Press Your Luck’
Hosted by Peter Tomarken, “Press Your Luck” premiered on ABC in 1983 and ran for three seasons. It remained so popular in reruns that it was later brought back to television in 2019.
“A game show where contestants answer trivia questions and then have to gamble their winnings on a randomly flashing game board,” reads the show’s official description on the Internet Movie Database.
In order to win, contestants had to avoid the “Whammy, which caused the contestant to lose all he/she had accumulated in that game. The Whammy was an animated devil who starred in the sequences, which played when a contestant lost his winnings.”
“Any player who lands on four whammies is eliminated from the game; the high scorer after two rounds is the winner and returns,” the description continues.
“Press Your Luck” was a ton of fun to watch, particularly for children, so it comes as no surprise that it’s still so beloved to this day!
‘The $100,000 Pyramid’ With Dick Clark
“The 100,000 Pyramid” premiered on Fox and ran from 1985 until 1988. It was hosted by the beloved Dick Clark, and included celebrity guests paired up with contestants.
“Big budget nighttime syndicated game show where a contestant has a chance to win the $100,000 grand prize,” the game show’s IMDB description reads. “Two teams (each with one Celebrity Guest and one Contestant) play 2 games where though 6 categories, the winner of each game goes to the winners circle for a chance to win the grand prize.”
This show was so popular in the 1980s that it has been brought back to television various times over the years. The most recent iteration was hosted by Michael Strahan, and it ran from 2016 until 2023.
‘Double Dare’
Hosted by Marc Summers, “Double Dare” was on Nickelodeon from 1986 until 1988.
“One in a long-running series of game shows, where two-member teams of children compete to answer questions and complete stunts,” the show’s IMDB description reads.
“The team in control could answer a question asked to them or “Dare” the other team, letting them try to answer for double the money,” stated TV Tropes. “The other team could then “Double Dare” in return, doubling the value again (i.e., four times the original amount). Once a question had been Dared or Double Dared, an incorrect answer would award the money to the opposing team.”
“Once the question had been Double Dared back to the first team, they had to either answer or take the Physical Challenge, where they competed in a timed stunt in order to win the money and retain control of the round,” it continued. “These challenges, and the whole show in extension, were famed for being very messy and ridiculous, and of course getting people Covered in Gunge. Contestants also competed in messy stunts at the beginning of each round to see who would get the first question, as well as in the Bonus Round.”
“Double Dare” was so popular during its run that it has been brought back multiple times over the years, most recently in 2018-2019.
Related: Game Show Host Pat Sajak Says ‘End Is Near’ After 40 Years Of Hosting ‘Wheel Of Fortune’
‘Scrabble’
Hosted by the beloved Chuck Woolery, “Scrabble” aired on NBC from 1984 until 1990.
“A game show based on the popular board game of the same name, hosted by Chuck Woolery,” reads the program’s IMDB description. “Given a clue and a set of blank spaces, contestants must choose letters to fill in the blanks until they can guess the mystery word. Winners move on to a speed round where they must face a previous champion for a chance to win the grand prize.”
Unlike the other game shows on this list, “Scrabble” has never been revived in the years since it went off the air. However, that’s about to change, as Deadline reported back in February that the CW has picked up a new version of both “Scrabble” and “Trivial Pursuit.” There is no word on when exactly they will air, but they will definitely be worth checking out!
Related: Game Show Host Chuck Woolery Says He Deserves An Award For ‘Surviving 45 Years Of Liberal Hollywood’
‘Win Lose Or Draw’
“Win Lose Or Draw” aired on NBC from 1987 until 1990, and it was hosted by Bert Convy.
“Two teams of three men and three women competed, one person from a team was given the name of a famous person and had to communicate the name to the rest of the team by drawing pictures,” the show’s IMDB description reads.
It really was as simple as that!
While “Win Lose Or Draw” has never been revived in the decades since it went off the air, it is still played at home by countless American families to this day. Perhaps someone in television should consider reviving this classic game show!
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