Game shows have been captivating audiences for over a century — and their story is wilder than most people realize. According to The Strong National Museum of Play, the genre traces all the way back to 1923 when The Brooklyn Daily Eagle launched a radio quiz called Brooklyn Eagle Quiz on Current Events. What started as a simple newspaper promotion became an entirely new form of entertainment.

The Early Days (1920s–1940s)

Early shows were modest affairs. Programs like Professor Quiz and Ask-It Basket gave the highest-scoring audience member a grand total of $25. But producer Ralph Edwards changed the game with Truth or Consequences in the late 1930s — and when commercial television launched on July 1, 1941, a special broadcast of that show was part of the very first programming lineup.

After World War II, the stakes shot up. Shows like Break the Bank, Stop the Music, and Hit the Jackpot offered life-changing prizes. Mark Goodson and Bill Todman — names that would become legendary — created Winner Take All, introducing concepts we still see today: returning champions and buzzing in.

The Scandal That Almost Killed Everything

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that game shows were not illegal lotteries, clearing the way for CBS to launch The $64,000 Question. Big-money quiz shows flooded the airwaves — but there was a problem. They were rigged. Contestants were being coached, answers predetermined. When former contestants came forward with proof, the entire genre collapsed. Laws were enacted, careers were destroyed, and game shows went into survival mode.

The 1970s Renaissance

The genre bounced back spectacularly. During 1972-73, CBS gave game shows a complete makeover with larger sets, vivid colors, and funky soundtracks. This era introduced The New Price Is Right with Bob Barker, Match Game '73 with Gene Rayburn, and The $10,000 Pyramid with Dick Clark. At one point in the 1970s, the three major networks had 19 game shows on the air simultaneously.

This decade also gave us two shows that would become syndication powerhouses: Wheel of Fortune (originally with Chuck Woolery) and Family Feud (with the inimitable Richard Dawson). It was also a time of firsts — Adam Wade became television's first Black game show host on Musical Chairs, and Betty White won the first Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy awarded to a woman for Just Men!

Syndication, Cable, and the Modern Era

In 1983, Wheel of Fortune with Pat Sajak and Vanna White became the biggest hit in syndication history. The following season, Jeopardy! with Alex Trebek was paired with it, creating an evening block that millions of households still watch nightly. Cable opened new doors: MTV gave us Remote Control, Nickelodeon delivered Double Dare and Legends of the Hidden Temple, and PBS had Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?

By 1994, network game shows had all but vanished except for The Price Is Right. Game Show Network launched that year to keep the flame alive. Then, as the millennium approached, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? roared onto ABC and proved the genre still had massive mainstream appeal.

Today, prime-time reboots of Press Your Luck, The $100,000 Pyramid, Match Game, and others are thriving. A-list celebrities now host game shows. And Buzzr delivers vintage reruns around the clock for fans who can't get enough of the classics.

After more than a hundred years, game shows aren't just surviving — they're thriving.

This article draws on research published by The Strong National Museum of Play's National Archives of Game Show History.