Top 10 Game Shows That Need to Be Revived

Nickelodeon was a hallmark station for fun and innovative game shows that were specifically geared towards kids and the younger set. "Legends of the Hidden Temple" might be one of the lesser known shows on this list, but it's fondly remembered by many for its combination of trivia, physical activity and adventure, along with its impressive Mayan setting. The game pit six teams against each other in skill challenges and Q and A sessions, designed to test their knowledge about history, mythology, geography and more. Learning never felt so fun, which is why we think "Legends of the Hidden Temple" should make a comeback!

Like music videos, quirky game shows were once a staple of MTV. The cult classic "Remote Control," ran for three years, but is still remembered decades later by fans who watched it during its original run. The show made the most of its couch potato contestants by placing them in recliners, and asking them to answer questions about television, movies and pop culture. What's more, "Remote Control" featured future stars Colin Quinn, Denis Leary and Adam Sandler in various skit roles on the show, making it something of a proving ground for emerging comic talent.

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#8: "Double Dare" (1986-93; 2000)

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Aw, Nickelodeon. "Double Dare" is widely regarded as one of the greatest Nick game shows of all time, and it continues to be referenced by fans all over the world as a stone cold classic. This might be due to a number of factors, one of them being how friendly and charismatic host Marc Summers was on the show, but "Double Dare" was also infamous for its "physical challenges," where teams competed in a series of messy stunts, with predictably wacky results. Whatever the reason, we think "Double Dare" could mimic its eighties success again, and is well deserving of a second … er, a third chance!

We're turning back the clock a little bit for our next entry, with the wildly popular '80s game show, "Press Your Luck." On the surface, this little game show that could doesn't seem to be more than your average trivia piece with a brightly colored, light up playing board. What set "Press Your Luck" apart from its peers was the presence of "Whammies," tiny animated creatures that would signal the end of a players turn and their winnings via a series of humorous skits. Today, the "Whammies" could be a welcome source of nostalgia for a "Press Your Luck" revival, or become the new Minions.

Keeping things retro, "Card Sharks" was a crazy popular game show in its time, and enjoyed a number of iterations since its debut in the late 1970s. The game show focused its play on contestants who answered trivia and made value guesses on a series of large playing cards. "Card Sharks" always seemed to be the little game show that could, appearing in syndication and on varying networks throughout the years, so why not make another comeback here in the modern day? "The classics," as they say, "never go out of style."

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#5: "Win, Lose or Draw!" (1987-89; 89-92; 2014)

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"Win, Lose or Draw!" was a highly popular game show with many different variations airing all over the world, drawing in viewers of all ages for over twenty years. It's been a while since the 2014 version, "Disney's Win, Lose or Draw!" aired for young adult viewers, and we think it's high time for a comeback. The show was based upon the classic parlor game of "Charades," where a group of people try to guess what another is acting out, without using any words. All "Win, Lose or Draw!" did was replace physical miming with drawing and voila! Instant classic. Funny, competitive and easy to play, this game deserves another chance on the small screen!

Maybe this was a little ahead of its time. "Geek culture" wasn't all that mainstream in 2001 when "Beat the Geeks" made its single year run back on Comedy Central. The show's premise was simple, as it pitted ordinary folk against super geeks who were well versed on subjects such as music, T.V. and film, while a specialized fourth geek would appear on each episode with a revolving area of expertise. This format could work gangbusters today, especially among the comic book crowd, so we think it's high time that "Beat the Geeks" is resurrected for another shot at nerd stardom!

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#3: "The Weakest Link" [U.S. Version] (2001-03)

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"The Weakest Link" remains a formidable example of game show goodness from the early millennium. The American adaptation didn't last too long on network television, or much longer in syndication, but the original British version ran for an impressive thirteen series, with a special charity episode of the show airing in November, 2017. This speaks volumes of this trivia show's international popularity, while also serving as an indication that perhaps "The Weakest Link" is due for another comeback in North America.

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#2: "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" (1991-95)

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PBS may not exactly be the first place you'd think to look for an exciting and fun family game show, but that's exactly where this beloved program hooked in audiences back in the '90s. "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" made geography fun for its young contestants, as they answered questions in order to track down various henchmen, and, hopefully, the criminal mastermind herself. The show combined skits, music, comedy and a real degree of difficulty in a series that is honestly nothing less than brilliant. Here's hoping that, somewhere, Carmen Sandiego is the midst of planning her next heist.


Before we name our number one game show, here are a few honorable mentions!



"Hollywood Squares" (1966-80; 1983-84; 1986-89; 1998-2004)


"I've Got a Secret" (1952-67; 1972-73; 1976; 2000-01; 2006)


"Win Ben Stein's Money" (1997-2002)

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#1: "Nick Arcade" (1992-97)

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We return to Nickelodeon for the mighty "Nick Arcade." There are a lot of reasons why this trivia and virtual reality show could do with a series reboot in today's market, not the least of which is the current public penchant for retro gaming. "Nick Arcade" was chock full of the stuff, including such consoles as the NES, SNES and Genesis used for the "Video Challenge" portion of the show. Sure, the TurboGrafx-16 and Neo-Geo might not be as memorable for today's audience, but who knows? One can never underestimate the power of nostalgia, and this was something "Nick Arcade" possessed in DROVES.