Which, of course, gets me thinking: what are my top five favorite game shows of all time?
Here they are: a tribute to that uniquely American contribution to the human condition, the television game show.
5. Family Feud (Steve Harvey edition). I hate this one so much that I love it. While I was weaned on Richard Dawson, I think Steve Harvey has brought this show to a whole new level.
4. Password. Here’s why this makes the list: my mother was a contestant on this show in the late 1960s. The host asked her, “are you the Betty Davis WE know?” to which she answered, “well, I’m the only Betty Davis I know.”
3. $25,000 Pyramid. Providing clues for this one is more difficult than giving answers.
2. The Newlywed Game. My dad would watch this, much to my mother’s chagrin. After all, on Password you never had to answer a question involving the term “making whoopie.”
1. Jeopardy. When they say at the end of each broadcast that if you are ever in Los Angeles you can get tickets to taping . . . I want to go to Los Angeles and get tickets to a taping. And now, best of all, they gather all the former-genius-winners into a “Battle Of The Decades” edition.