Toss Up Question

The above video (used also in the introductory post) is the opening theme song to The Wizard of Odds. Your question is in two parts:

1. Whose American game show hosting debut was this, and who is the singer of the theme song?

Avoid Wikipedia, cheaters.
Real contestants don't have the ability to research questions before giving answers. Let's see how much you know. Post your guess in the comments.

Come on Down........

Survey says....you are the Weakest Link...Goodbye!

Yes.....it's time for a summer of fabulous prizes and famous celebrities as I Deny You the Nidus! counts down the Top Ten Game Shows of All Time (that I've seen).

I have taken my years (and years) of watching TV Game Shows and have put those shows through an exhausting scientific formula to arrive at the Top Ten Game Shows of all Time (that I've seen). Said formula consists of:

1. Me watching actual episodes of a game show.
2. Deciding if the game show is worthy of being in the Top Ten of all time.
3. Ordering the resulting shows in a Top Ten list.

"But FDot," you say, "how do I know your list is definitive?" Well....back off hater! My finger has been on the pulse of the zeitgeist for a long time. And after a Lysol wipe it was more than ready to order some game shows in a definitive list. You don't agree with me? Comment away. I'll prove you wrong.

Not only will we be looking at the Top Ten shows, we'll take a look at some Honorable Mentions, some that just missed the Top Ten (ie. #11-), some that never came close and a little bit of trivia here and there.

And it's quite possible that the contestant who answers the most trivia questions correctly will win some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies! (contingent on me finding time to bake them).

Let's get started......

Daddy?

Being adopted, I have occasionally wondered who and where my birth father is. Never really have had much of an interest in finding him, maybe someday. More often, however, I think of how cool it would be if he turned out to be a celebrity. And who would be cooler than Jim Perry? Sure, there are some game show hosts that might be more famous than him, but between Card Sharks and Sale of the Century (two of my favorites), well....I just think it would be neat.

Above is one of my favorite clips, the only time a contestant shot the moon on the Big Money cards.

How sad is it that all the great hosts will probably be gone in the next decade or so? Ludden, Cullen, Barry, Rayburn are already gone. Kennedy, Barker and Hall are in their 80's and Perry, Dawson, Eubanks and Martindale in their 70's. Only Chuck Woolery is still in his 60's and just barely.

Maybe I should do more game show posts? It's one of my favorite topics.

Plinko Schminko

Looking back at my post of the Tic Tac Dough dragon a few days ago got my mind going on all the game shows I used to watch growing up. Nothing would make me happier than for daytime TV to return to a game show filled schedule. Joker's Wild, Card Sharks, Blockbusters, Hot Potato, Deal of the Century, Tic Tac Dough, Match Game....the list goes on. I could easily spend 24 hours straight watching old episodes of these shows. At least The Price is Right is still on.

I kind of like Drew Carey as the new host. He's still a little green when it comes to hosting: he doesn't explain the rules of the games that well and doesn't have quite the level of contestant rapport that Barker had, but I think he'll get there. I do miss some of the games though. Penny Ante was my favoirte, where the contestant had to guess the right price for an item and pushed the button lighting up a row of pennies with the sound "BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUP!" to reveal a yes or no answer. Hurdles was also a favorite, probably why I became a hurdler in high school.

However, there is one game on TPIR that I have never been a fan of, and have still never understood it's appeal.



I truly fail to get Plinko. When a contestant is shown a car as a prize, I fully expect them to jump and whoop around the stage. However, whenever Plinko is announced, the contestant goes even crazier, as if a genie has granted them as many wishes and he/she can wish.

Plinko is one of the few games on TPIR that doesn't require some type of skill, it's purely a luck based game. The chip can be placed anywhere on the board and has a chance to go anywhere, like an old pachinko game. First, the contestant has to win Plinko chips, otherwise they only get 1 chip, so the possibility immediately exists to earn much less than $50000 if the contestant can't price. I've seen people miss on 2 or 3 chips and therefore start off being able to earn much less. I've seen people drop 3 or 4 chips into the $0 slot, walking away with almost nothing. In fact, most of the Plinko games I watch end up with the contestant winning $5000 or less; which is no great shake. According to Wikipedia, the most anyone has won on the $50000 Plinko board (replacing the $25000 board in 1998) is $30100. Good for them, so they earned 60% of the maximum total, not the greatest percentage. I just don't like the idea of a game where it's possible for the contestant to get all the Plinko chips and still be able to walk away with $0. Even in Punch-A-Bunch, the worst a contestant can do is $50.

I guess the thought of a possible $50000 is enough to make people spazz out. I'd rather play Hole in One-Or Two!

(Totally unrelated thought: How awesome would it be to have a TPIR Game Show Host Guest Host week? If Drew Carey ever goes on vacation, have old hosts like Monty Hall, Tom Kennedy, Wink Martindale, Jim Perry and Richard Dawson come in to each do a show. That I wouldn't miss.)