Top 10 Game Shows That Wouldn't Get Made Today
#10: “Labor Games” (2015-)
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Do you want to win a $10,000 scholarship for your unborn child? Do you like trivia questions? How about answering these questions while delivering said child? In 2015, TLC released a game show entitled “Labor Games”, in which prizes and money were up for grabs. However, the questions had to be answered while the expectant mother was in the midst of labor. Although some women may be looking for some form of distraction during the arduous process, we’re not so sure we want to be present for it. It’s a fairly private affair, and watching the show on television just feels voyeuristic and unnecessary. And we assume we won’t want to anger a woman already in pain with a game loss...
#9: “Downfall” (2010)
“Downfall” was a 2010 show that had at least one critic basically calling less mentally stimulating than “Wipeout.” It was pretty much another run-of-the-mill trivia show - with a small difference. Prize replicas were on a large conveyor belt, and would go off the side of a building and crash down to the ground below should they not be won. If they wanted help, contestants could at some point replace an item with a person, who in turn would get thrown off - in a harness, of course - instead of the inanimate object if the correct answer isn’t given. Contestants themselves could also end up being thrown from the building according to another rule. It’s just… nonsense, and to be honest, a waste of time and resources - including that of host, Chris Jericho.
#8: “The Chair” (2002)
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Your ability to control your internal organs could win you $250,000! ABC’s “The Chair”, hosted by legendarily irate tennis legend John McEnroe, featured a series of trivia questions with the contestant strapped to the titular chair. The chair would monitor the person’s heart rate, and should it go above the “redline”, the value of potential cash prizes would lower and the contestant could not answer until his/her heart rate was lower. Confused? So are we. The show only lasted a few episodes. Maybe it was because all contestants had to undergo a series of medical exams prior to competing, which just seems excessive for a simple game show. But it also reduced accessibility to anyone with a health condition.
#7: “Hurl!” (2008)
This is… unfortunately exactly what it sounds like. Have you ever wanted to watch competitive eating with a twist? Neither have we. “Hurl” was a show in which contestants had to eat massive amounts of food, and were then subjected to various activities designed to make them nauseous - think carnival rides, mechanical bull and the like. As contestants were picked off one by one due to their inability to keep the food down, the victor was privy to $1000 cash prize. And if he or she also had achieved the total of the most food consumed, they’d get the “Iron Stomach” trophy. It’s amazing that this project was greenlighted. The waste of food was astronomical, and the appeal of watching a group of people binge and purge just wasn’t there. Unsurprisingly, the series was short-lived.
#6: “Man vs. Beast” (2003-04)
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In “Man vs. Beast”, humans were pitted against animals in a variety of physical challenges. The game show came in the form of televised specials, rather than a series. The first episode was widely criticized by animal rights activists, but nonetheless had a second episode produced. It featured such events as an eating contest with a bear, a tug-of-war between a sumo wrestler and an orangutan and a sprinter running 100-metre races against a giraffe and zebra. It’s easy to see the problem here: animals were essentially exploited for sensationalist entertainment. We can’t imagine how many PETA phone calls were made during this ethical debacle.
#5: “Identity” (2006-07)
Hosted by Penn & Teller’s Penn Jillette, “Identity” had a simple premise: guess who a person is/what a person does by their looks - and with a little help from a list of 12 possible characteristics such as jobs, ages, physical measurements, etc. The group did not speak or give out any hints, but stood there, ready to be judged. Therein lies the problem. The show was criticized for relying on stereotypes, such as an Asian sushi chef wearing a headband and kimono jacket. Contrary to the old adage “don’t judge a book by its cover”, the show encouraged its participants to do just that, in turn also reinforcing these prejudices. It aired between 2006-2007, and by the sounds of it, “Identity” likely wouldn’t fly by today’s social standards.
#4: “Three’s a Crowd” (1979-80; 1999-2001)
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This one is just… bizarre, as well as offensive. The tagline for the show was this: “who knows a man better, his wife or his secretary?” We wish we were kidding, but the 1970s was a crazy time. It’s screamingly obvious what’s wrong with this idea. The show’s producer, Chuck Barris, cites “Three’s a Crowd”’s as one of the main reasons he left the entertainment industry, as it was subject to protest. As well, it was pretty clear that contestants were not comfortable or enjoying themselves on air. Let’s leave the stereotype of the adulterous secretary and the jealous wife behind us.
#3: “The Moment of Truth” (2008-09)
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Want to potentially ruin lives and/or relationships in order to win money? “The Moment of Truth” is your outlet. Contestants were given a polygraph test prior to appearing, and then had to answer some of those same questions on air. Answers were compared to the polygraph results, and if they matched, contestants would advance further in the game and closer to the cash prizes. This made for some awkward reactions from family and friends watching from the audience. One contestant was questioned regarding her ex-boyfriend and her true feelings for her current husband. Thanks to this, audiences basically got to see what was a marriage falling apart on live television. We’ll stick to soap operas for that kind of drama.
#2: “Queen for a Day” (1945-2004)
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In this 1950s game show, women would tell their stories to the host. These were all women dealing with some tough times, financially or otherwise. They were asked what they needed most, and many cases, answers were things like medical equipment for sick children and similar necessities. The winner was determined via “applause-o-meter”; that is, the audience would cheer loudest for who they thought was the most deserving participant. In other words, the loudest cheers went to what was judged the most desperate or depressing situation. The show was subject to some backlash, as it was accused of exploiting the misfortune of these women for entertainment purposes. These days, it’s pretty difficult to imagine applauding in the hopes that little Timmy finally gets his hearing aid.
#1: “The Chamber” (2002)
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“The Chamber” was a literal torture chamber, in which contestants had to answer a number of trivia questions while conditions in said room grew increasingly difficult. Not only were they actually strapped into a chair and hooked up to muscle contractors and other devices, but they were also subject to either the “hot” or “cold” chambers, where temperatures would either rise to fiery heat or lower to icy chills. The show had medical staff on site, as contestants were essentially willingly putting themselves in danger for money. The one contestant who got the furthest in the entire competition was hospitalized for hypothermia following the show, and sued the network. This sadistic nightmare was a bad idea from the start.
