National Archives of Game Show History Archive

By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
The most prolific name in the history of game shows was a man who once admitted to TV Guide, “I’m certainly not the man who appeals to women ages 18-35.”
Bill Cullen was right about that. He appealed to everybody. For 40 years, he appeared on one game show or another; often one game show and another. His gigs overlapped and he had no qualms about taking on whatever work […]

Continue Reading about Bill Cullen: The Man Who Hosted 29 Game Shows Published on:
February 27, 2025

By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
While going through some filing cabinets filled with memos and paperwork from the CBS game shows of the 1980s, we found a marvelous document titled, “I Heard It on the Pyramid-Vine.” The authors, Jerry Martz and Tom Buchanan, were CBS audio technicians. Both of them worked many tapings of The $25,000 Pyramid and The $100,000 Pyramid. As a refresher on these shows, celebrities and contestants teamed up for a […]

Continue Reading about Hilarious Game Show Answers Published on:
January 29, 2025

By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
“We surveyed 100 people. The top six answers are on the board…”
You probably easily guessed those iconic lines come from Family Feud. But have you ever wondered who those 100 people are?
Writing material and building each episode is plenty of work for any game show. When Family Feud started production in 1976, the staff took on an even bigger challenge. Not only would they write the material (the […]

Continue Reading about Survey Says: How Family Feud Gets Its Answers Published on:
December 9, 2024

By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
It seems strange that game shows have a signature microphone. If you watch a comedy sketch spoofing game shows, then the host character is usually holding a long, pencil-thin microphone. Watch reruns of classic game shows, or even the game shows of today, and you’ll see that same long, thin microphone. What happened? Why did the game show genre develop an affinity for such a specific microphone design?
The early […]

Continue Reading about How *That* Microphone Became a Game Show Staple Published on:
October 30, 2024

By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
The National Archives of Game Show History has been fortunate to have many eager contributors donate their prized possessions to be preserved. Among the many treasures that have been donated: set pieces, handheld props, question cards, photographs and slides, tickets, and scripts.
“Wait a minute, scripts? Game shows have scripts?” you might be asking.
Game shows do have scripts, but not in the sense you’re thinking. It’s important for everyone […]

Continue Reading about Game Shows Have Scripts? Published on:
September 27, 2024

Among the treasures in The Strong Museum’s National Archives of Game Show History is the original flip-dot display used on Family Feud when it made its debut in 1976. So what’s the story behind the sign?

It all starts with Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, the undisputed kings of TV game shows. Their success started in 1946 with programs including What’s My Line?  and their influence continues on television today. One of their shows, Match Game, enjoyed a successful run from […]

Continue Reading about Reviving the Family Feud Sign Published on:
September 6, 2024

By Bob Boden, co-founder of the National Archives of Game Show History
On September 4, 1998, ITV network in the United Kingdom premiered a one-hour primetime game show called Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. It featured one contestant, sitting across from host Chris Tarrant, answering up to 15 multiple choice general knowledge questions of increasing values, from £100 to a top prize of £1 million. As long as the player answered questions correctly, they could remain in the “hot […]

Continue Reading about Birth of the Modern Game Show Published on:
July 30, 2024

By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
Board games and television don’t seem like they would go together. It would be hard to imagine millions of viewers tuning in regularly to watch people play a game of Risk or Settlers of Cattan. But 40 years ago this month, viewers across the country had a six-year-long daily habit of watching people play Scrabble every day on NBC.
The Scrabble game show originated with Exposure Unlimited, a prize […]

Continue Reading about Scrabble: A Television Hit? Published on:
June 27, 2024

By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
With host Pat Sajak’s departure from Wheel of Fortune after more than 40 years as host, one can’t help but reflect on the impact that Wheel of Fortune has left on popular culture. The average American knows how the game is played, whether they watch it or not. Our language itself has been influenced by the show. The consistency and simplicity of the game has led to many […]

Continue Reading about Wheel of…Shopping? Published on:
May 28, 2024