“BIG FAN”
Last year, ABC aired four episodes of this Jimmy Kimmel-produced game show hosted by Andy Richter. Contestants had to answer questions about their favorite celebrities in order to win special prizes chosen by the celebs themselves. The first episode featuring Matthew McConaughey was a fun and surprisingly successful half hour with a concept unlike any other on TV. It’s a shame ABC didn’t move forward after just four episodes, because I think the concept and execution worked.
“CATCH 21”
The GSN original hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro aired from 2008-2011, but reruns are still on the network daily. It’s a fun game with a “catchy” concept: answering trivia questions and getting your cards to hit 21 exactly.
“HOLLYWOOD SHOWDOWN”
Entertainment news is at the forefront of our culture, and this game show hosted by Emmy-winner (and personal friend) Todd Newton focused on Movies, TV & Music… without all that over-saturated relationship gossip. [TBH, it’s the kind of game show I’d like to host.]
“WEAKEST LINK”
Brit Anne Robinson became a game show icon with her brash nature as the ringmaster of this circus. If there’s ever a show that would trend on Twitter every… single… episode, it’s this one – because of the unpredictable smack-talk of the contestants.
“WINNING LINES”
This short-lived CBS game show emerged at the height of “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?”’s popularity, but it wasn’t able to capture the same kind of ratings. There are some episodes of this Dick Clark-hosted quizzer on YouTube, with the game primarily focused on numbers. The middle round would need to be re-worked, but otherwise, I think it’s a viable option to return to TV.
“YOU DON’T KNOW JACK”
Much like Mike Myers has an alter ego on “The Gong Show”, Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman) had one too on this ABC cult game show. It was… quirky… but very memorable. Why not a revival?!