Gamy Shows

Game shows have been around almost as long as TV has. Some have run for years. And then there are these:

You're in the Picture (1961): Celebrities poked their heads through a hole in an illustration and then, by asking questions, tried to guess the scene that surrounded them. A week after its premiere, Jackie Gleason apologized on screen, saying, "Last week we did a show that laid the biggest bomb—it would make the H-bomb look like a two-inch salute." Length of run: one episode. Host: Jackie Gleason.

Showdown (1966): Imagine the nonstop hilarity that ensues when a question is answered incorrectly and the contestant's chair falls apart, spilling him/her onto the floor. When all the members of one team find themselves chairless, the other team wins $100 and a chance at a vacation. Run: three months. Host: Joe Pyne.

How's Your Mother-In-Law? (1967): Three celebrities each make a case for one of three mothers-in-law, trying to convince a jury that the one they represent is most worthy of taking home. Run: three months. Host: Wink Martindale.

3's a Crowd (1979): A Chuck Barris show that pitted a man's wife and his secretary against each other to see who knew more about him. Yikes! The cheesy show with often tasteless questions drew complaints from both the United Auto Workers and National Organization for Women, leading soon after to Barris's demise as a TV game show producer. Run: six months. Host: Jim Peck.

And here are a few celebrities with game-show credits buried in their résumés:
Moss Hart: Answer Yes or No (1950)
Walter Cronkite: It's New to Me (1951)
Mike Wallace: Guess Again (1951)
Basil Rathbone: Your Lucky Clue (1952)
Al Capp: Anyone Can Win (1953)
Jim McKay: Make the Connection (1955)
Vincent Price: E.S.P. (1958)
Dick Van Dyke: Laugh Line (1959)
Carl Reiner: The Celebrity Game (1964)
Rod Serling: Liar's Club (1969)

Adapted from issue No. 10 of the Gadzooks Gazette • Updated Edition • 2000