I would guess that most of the KIT listeners grew up watching Game Shows on television.  I remember looking forward to staying home from school when I was sick, hoping to rest on the couch so I could watch daytime game shows.  Today it's reality TV that dominates the tube, but today's reality is a lot less fun than the laughter and dreams of winning big back in the day.

What's Your favorite Classic Game Show?

An Insurance group recently did an online search to determine which game shows were most searched by residents of the 50 United States to determine each state's favorite classic game show.

As the Coventry Group phrased it, "For generations, friends and families have crowded around the television to try their hand at trivia, guess the next vowel, and hope there’s a car behind door number two....As hokey as they can be, game shows bring people together...tapping into the traditions of those before us....relics of a time when hopeful game players, charming hosts, and a soft pastel set design were all that we needed for an evening’s entertainment." 

Move Over Wink Martindale And Gene Rayburn

  

To be honest, I always thought it would have been fun to be a game show host and over the years various personality/employment tests have suggested that I would be a good fit. Back in my TV days, I hosted an episode of the high school kids quiz show called the Apple Bowl on KYVE, and it was a blast.  Alex Trebek wasn't worried! Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rogers took a turn hosting the popular and successful quiz show Jeopardy this Summer and is said to have really enjoyed the experience.  And now we hear that retired comedian and late-night talk show host Jay Leno is returning to TV hosting a new version of the 1950's quiz show You Bet Your Life.

The question before us is - What is the Most Popular Classic Game Show?  The report looked at a list of 20 classic game shows and search trends over the last 12 months for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.  In the end, they discovered winners for the most popular game show in each state and the most popular game show overall.

The Evergreen State's EVERGREEN Game Show

SO first things first.  What do our fellow Washingtonians think was TV's best?  Ask Bob Ewbanks and if you get it right, you could win a prize chosen especially for you!

The Newlywed Game is Washington's favorite game show flashback. It's California's favorite as well. " Viewers in Alabama and Louisiana liked the risk of a blind trade with Let’s Make a Deal, while Coloradans kept their lips sealed with I’ve Got a Secret. In Arizona and Delaware, viewers filled in the blanks with Match Game, and Arkansans got lucky with Jackpot. The answer to Who Wants to be a Millionaire? came from Montanans. Fans in Oregon tuned into Hollywood Squares for the celebrity zingers, and Mainers loaded their shopping carts with Supermarket Sweep".

And The Winner Is...

 

The top classic game show overall is still gathering big audiences today -- Survey Says- Family Feud!  It started in 1976 and had a number of reincarnations over the years but host Steve Harvey's personality and humor saved the show from cancellation and boosted ratings 40%.  With all due respect to Vanna White, talk about legs --Family Feud won an Emmy for best daytime game show in 1977 and again more than 40 years later in 2019!  Harvey has 3 Emmys as host.

Family Feud ranked number one for search interest in ten states...Name That Tune, The Price is Right, and Wheel of Fortune collected seven states each...Jeopardy! only ranked first in three states.  What about our neighbors? Oregon's choice is Hollywood Squares and Idaho is fond of Jackpot.

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