| The Game Show Years 1978-80 |
| Ah, now we are getting to what I honestly think were the BEST years of my life; years that were SO GOOD (HOW GOOD WERE THEY??!!), that I didn't get a chance to relive them until about two years ago when I got Game Show Network, and subsequently did some game show trades with my good pal, Joe Madigan. My mother was the culprit who got me weaned on game shows, as she used to be a major fan of the genre (Now all she watches is Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and Cash Explosion Double Play). But then again, game shows were on all the time, daytime and primetime. My favorite shows during that period were Card Sharks, High Rollers (I saw that show simply to see the numbers in different colors and fonts each day; I also learned addition watching that show; I thought it was better that Sesame Street), and Whew! (it was exciting to see the cartoon opening and hear the shouts of "CHARGE!, BLOCK!, and LONGSHOT!!). Other shows that deserve honorable mention were $20,000 Pyramid, Jeopardy with Art Fleming, Password Plus, Jokers Wild, and Cross-Wits. Note: My favorite thing to shout when a contestant won big money was "GET OFF 'DEM DRAWZ!!!" I didn't know what it meant, but I always heard my oldest brother shout it watching an intense or exciting basketball game, so I just followed suit. The other thing I did was play along with game shows. For instance, during Card Sharks, I would set up my own deck of cards and would mimic host Jim Perry as the cards were in play. Or during High Rollers, I would roll my own set of dice along the coffee table and pretend the sides lit up when I got a double. Despite my 'net name, I was not a fan of Match Game as a child, as it's humor was way over my head. But I vividly remember the funky "wank" guitar theme music, the opening "spinny box" of the stars, Gene Rayburn, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Brett Sommers, the blue "confederate flag" set, and the "7x/PM" designation. The one episode I remember watching as a child was the New Years Eve '78 show when Brett & Charles changing the '78 sign to a '79. In preschool and kindergarten (Chicago Ave. School CLASS OF '79!!), I would watch game shows on various networks from 10 am until noon, then again at 12:30 until one, then I would be off to preschool or afternoon kindergarten until 3:15, and at 3:30 until 4:30, more game shows, and again at 7:30 for a weekly nighttime version of Price is Right with Dennis James or Match Game PM or Cross-Wits. But unfortunately, with the advent of my first grade school year, the all-day school schedule put a monkey wrench in my game show schedule, except for holidays and sick days. But it put an indelible memory and yearning for more game shows in my mind, one that has never been quenched. But I obviously did other things as a child than just watch game shows, as you can see here Back to page 2 Back to main page |