By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
60 years ago, this month—October 17, 1966, to be precise—game show fans first laid eyes upon the largest tic-tac-toe grid ever constructed, an 18’ by 18’ arrangement of boxes and lights from which some of the funniest gags in game show history would emit. The Hollywood Squares with Peter Marshall debuted on NBC.
Creators Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley had been dabbling with variations on an idea in recent years; […]
Search by Category
Name That. . . Game Show Contestant
What would game shows be without contestants? We watch them, cheer for them, and sometimes even compete with them. But we seldom know much about them. I recently had the opportunity to learn about one remarkable game show contestant.
Now Let’s Meet Our Contestant
Born in the early 1940s, Candy Lee demonstrated an aptitude for performance at a young age. With her mother, Vilma Laska, as her promoter, she won her first beauty contest at age three and was singing for a […]
The $25,000 Pyramid Game Show “Bible”
By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
When the production staff of a game show needs some guidance about what to do, they turn to the bible.
Among many papers recently donated to the National Archives of Game Show History is the bible for The $25,000 Pyramid, as aired on CBS from 1982-88. Not to sound irreverent, but somehow, “bible” is the industry accepted name for an important document that television viewers never see or hear about. […]
Continue Reading about The $25,000 Pyramid Game Show “Bible”
Game Show Gifts
By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
This month’s column isn’t so much for game show lovers as it is for the people who shop for them. Because of their love of game shows, fans of the genre have impossibly high expectations when it comes to “fabulous merchandise,” and that makes holiday shopping difficult. So, for those of you who have a game show fan on your gift-buying list, here’s a handy little guide to […]
The Card Sharks Shuffle
By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
At the museum’s recent Play Ball fundraiser, the silent auction featured treasures from all realms of play, including game shows. Among the goodies that went on the block were actual show-used card decks from the game show Card Sharks—blue card decks measuring 12”x18”, and gold decks measuring 17”x24”. That raises a reasonable question…
How do you shuffle cards that big?
Whether it was Jim Perry, Bob Eubanks, Bill Rafferty, Pat […]
Robert Redford…and Quiz Show
By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History, and Howard Blumenthal, co-founder of the National Archives of Game Show History
On September 16, film lovers mourned the loss Robert Redford, star of The Sting, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, and many other popular movies. For game show fans, the name Robert Redford is connected with one film where he never stepped in front of the camera: he directed 1994’s Quiz Show, […]
Next Game Show Creators
By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
It’s back-to-school time, so this is a reminder to the parents and guardians out there to make sure your students are all stocked up on class supplies—pencils, notebooks, folders, buzzers, and bells. Wait, buzzers and bells?
That’s right. Game shows have gone back to school. In 2024, National Archives of Game Show History co-founder Bob Boden and longtime Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! executive producer Harry Friedman established a curriculum […]
Apple II Powered Game Show
By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
After its founding on April 1, 1976, Apple Computer Company had one of the fastest rises ever for an upstart company. Their first computer was named, simply, Apple I, but in June 1977, the company changed the world with the Apple II. With an external shell for containing the components, a built-in keyboard, game paddles, cassettes for saving data, and glorious full-color graphics, the Apple II was credited […]
Pee-Wee Herman…the Game Show Star?
By Adam Nedeff, researcher for the National Archives of Game Show History
The two-part documentary Pee-Wee as Himself, now available for streaming on HBO Max, chronicles actor Paul Reubens’ unexpected rise to fame as the character Pee-Wee Herman. As the documentary explains, game shows had a small role in the rise of Reubens and his bizarre alter ego.
Reubens’ earliest shots at the big time came from The Gong Show. He and actress Charlotte McGinnis appeared on the daytime show as […]
