User:Daniel Benfield/Unsold Pilot Theatre

Given the ever-changing landscape of radio and TV, it's no surprise that various game shows have gone unsold. In some rare cases, the pilot gets aired as a one-off special (Grill Me and What Are My True Colors? come immediately to mind). This includes pitchfilms, sales presentations, and sizzle reels.

LEGAL STUFF SO I DON'T GET SUED: I'm only linking to these videos, none of which were uploaded by me, for the purposes of research and as a public record. All footage is copyrighted by their respective copyright holders, and I'm using that wording because there's way too many of them to list here.

2 Heads are Better than One
Taped October 6, 1990; hosted by Peter Tomarken

Kinda slow, boring, and hard if the uploaded footage is any indication. Peter's always a bright spot, though, and the sound effects and think cue are recycled from Supermarket Sweep (which had debuted them about a month earlier when they started Season 2).


 * October 6, 1990 (La Rue & Kim vs. Alex & Chris; montage)

The $10,000 Sweep
Taped August 4, 1972; hosted by Jack Clark

Nice idea that would've been a good pairing with Jeopardy! Also notable for having its recording date on a giant check in the opening, which matches existing tickets of the taping.

Interestingly, one player is Bob Lyon, who later appeared during the debut week of The $10,000 Pyramid.


 * August 4, 1972 (Coleman & Tom {Game 2} vs. Cindy & Sue, with Judy & Joe and BOB LYON & Jackie playing later; taped from GSN, with "Raise the Dead" intro and closing bumpers {alternate copy... thing, audio/video issues throughout but still watchable})

$50,000 a Minute
Taped 1985 (at least two pilots); hosted by Geoff Edwards and Meredith MacRae

Pretty good, except for the "you have to get two consecutive stars to win" rule. As Adam Nedeff pointed out, it'd make for a great series of games if the contestants are top-notch but an excruciating time if they stink up the place.


 * 1985 (Pilot A: Shelley Smith & Charlie Siebert; Faith vs. Kevin {alternate copy})
 * 1985 (Pilot B: Markie Post & Ed Begley Jr.; Claire vs. Andrea {alternate copy})

Babble
Taped February 3, 1984; hosted by Tom Kennedy

Not even Betty White can save this one. Uses the Celebrity Charades theme.

Thanks in part to Adam Nedeff and Matt Ottinger, this (pretty surprisingly) ended up being aired by GSN on October 5, 2014 as part of their "Tylenol Time Capsule" stuff. Got about 80,000 viewers, which isn't bad for a crappy star-studded unsold 1980s pilot but ranked below pretty much everything else on the network schedule.


 * February 3, 1984 (Montage including slate, open, and close)

Banko
Taped 1986; hosted by Wink Martindale

Barry-Enright's attempt to stay on the air as Tic-Tac-Dough and The Joker's Wild (and Headline Chasers, since Wink's involved) were meeting the axe.


 * 1986 (Montage, including open)

Beat the I.R.S.
Taped 1985 at WESTERN Video & Film; hosted by Bob Goen

In July 1989, Pat Sajak walked downstairs from his CBS talk show to the CBS daytime Wheel of Fortune, chatting with Goen and Vanna White. During this, Bob talked about a few of his prior shows, mentioning one called Beat the I.R.S., to which everybody had a good laugh.

In December 2012, it popped up on YouTube, having been recorded by videoarchives1000 (suggesting it was a one-off syndicated special). So yeah, turns out that's actually a thing that happened.

As for the show itself, the game and set aren't too bad (the contestant area looks like it was recycled from The Cross-Wits), although whether it's actually a pilot is unclear: there's a disclaimer at the end which indicates that the show is for entertainment and educational purposes only with no prizes actually awarded, but "nothing shown was actually awarded" is standard procedure for pilots.

And if it's not actually a pilot, they went to some good measures to make it seem like one (including the presence of John Harlan as announcer).


 * 1985 (Sabrina vs. Jim {Part 3})

Beat the Odds (1975)
Taped February 7, 1975 (at least three pilots); hosted by Chuck Henry

A Bill Carruthers revamp of the 1960s game for ABC which isn't bad, although the set feels a bit too bland given the general push for pastels and flashiness at the time.


 * February 7, 1975 (Pilot #3: Doralyn vs. Linda {Part 4})

Birds of a Feather
Taped ?; hosted by Howard Q. Stevens

I...have no idea, other than that it was a Nicholson-Muir show. Probably early 1980s.


 * 1980s? (Bartenders {Champs} vs. Bodybuilders; intro)

Body Talk
Taped October 11, 1990; hosted by Vicki Lawrence

Goodson's third attempt at Showoffs, and as far as I know it's his last pilot. According to Mike Burger's review of the pilot, the bonus round...kinda sucked.


 * October 11, 1990 (Bill Kirchenbauer, Richard Simmons, Elayne Joyce, Marcia Wallace; intro)

Boggle
Taped 1987; hosted by Bill Rafferty

Based on (or later became) a Dutch series.


 * 1987 (Russ & Susie {Champs} vs. Tammy & Art; montage including open and bonus round)

The Buck Stops Here
Taped 1985; hosted by Jim Peck

A race against time that should've had a chance, even if the 1985-86 season was so overrun by games. Jim does his usual good job here.

The intro shows clips of three other teams, possibly hinting at another pilot or two having been done.


 * 1985 (Lisa & Matt vs. Sara & Jerry {Part 3}, with the Big Bucks Bonanza at $15,000; kinda-dark video, audio issues during intro, no credits)

Cash Tornado
Taped April 5, 1994 at Television City (very likely Studio 33); hosted by Jim Perry

A lottery game intended for licensing to various states (most notably in the form of Illinois Instant Riches), although it would've made a great companion to The Big Spin.

Probably the most notable element is how close it is to the Doug Davidson Price Is Right, showing a transition between the 1993 pilots and '94 series. Several of these clips feel like Jim hosting Price with Gene Wood announcing, particularly some of the intro and from about 6:43-55.

Oddly, the official Television City website has no listing for this show.


 * April 5, 1994 (Sales Presentation: Onstage players are Edna, Bettye, and ROGER DOBKOWITZ!)

Catch Phrase (2006)
Taped February 5, 2006 (two pilots); hosted by Todd Newton

An attempt to bring the show back to the States, only offering cash this time. The main difference is in the bonus round, thankfully using the traditional "five-in-a-row" rules rather than the "make a left-to-right connection" the original British version had post-Roy Walker: $1,000 is awarded for each solved Catchphrase, with $10,000 for five-in-a-row and $20,000 for five-in-a-row with the M.

While the sales reel below doesn't directly mention the format originator, it's definitely hinted at (plus the Pasetta Productions logo is at the end) and basically puts forth that since this is sleek and all-new and updated for the 21st Century, plus all the success the format's had around the world, All-New Catch Phrase will do way better than the 17 weeks the original American version got.


 * February 5, 2006 (Sales Reel with clips of the pilots: Kiana vs. Matt and Kate vs. Jay)

Caught in the Act (1975)
Taped November 10, 1975; hosted by Jim Peck

Neat Match Game-esque format that might not have sold due to not showing a pretty important part of the format: namely, what happens when a wrong guess is made in the front game, because that never happens!


 * November 10, 1975 (Anne Meara, Bill Cullen, Anita Gillette, Clifton Davis, Stephanie Braxton {Part 3, Part 4, Part 5}; Karen vs. Mike)

Caught in the Act (1979)
Taped April 29, 1979; hosted by Jack Clark

Interesting fill-the-list game with some goofy prizes...as well as a clear sign that they didn't think anybody would give all the correct answers on a said list.


 * April 29, 1979 (Chris/Meme/Holly)

The Celebrity Game (1968)
Taped 1968; hosted by Bert Parks

An attempted revamp that isn't bad, although as far as I know this was the last game show Parks hosted.


 * 1968 (Michael Landon, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jan Murray, Abby Dalton, PAUL LYNDE, Gypsy Rose Lee; Sally vs. Pat)

Celebrity Table Tennis
Taped 1971 at Television City (Studio 31); hosted by ?

Uh...Isaywha? Seriously, you'd think this was a joke...but no, it's legit. Based on Johnny Gilbert's intro, it's four celebs playing in doubles (two-on-two) and singles (one-on-one) matches, likely for charity.

The opening appeared during a montage of game shows taped at Television City during the 50 Years from Television City special (April 27, 2002). I once read a theory that the researchers stumbled across this and thought it so strange it had to be included...and evidently, whoever was compiling the lists for the official Television City website thought it was a joke because it's not even listed!


 * 1971 (Peter Lawford, Bob Crane, Jo Anne Worley, Greg Morris; intro)

Combination Lock (2006)
Taped 2006; hosted by Marc Summers (Pilot #1) and Ty Treadway (Pilot #2)

Started as a 1996 pilot hosted by Ross King, and turned into a much fancier show that'd be pretty nice to see in full.

For whatever reason, Ty Treadway was picked for the second pilot despite Merv Griffin's Crosswords also being in development for the same upcoming season. And since Harry Friedman's involved, I can't help but wonder how he felt at seeing the guy who left Wheel and Jeopardy! to him pull out both the sell and the host. (Granted, Crosswords wasn't all that great, but still...)

Even so, I have to wonder who decided a noob host would be better than an established one. It was around this point that Price was doing host tryouts, with CBS denying Marc a chance because...because; I have to wonder if replacing him here was connected to that, especially since CBS owned the show's distribution arm King World (later folded along with "older show" syndication arm CBS Paramount Television into becoming CBS Television Distribution).

In the end, only a clip of the onstage vault opening to show the money got airtime, as a Mystery Round intro sequence on Wheel.

Marc Summers
 * July 13, 2006 (Runthrough #2: Montage)
 * August 31, 2006 (Pilot #1 {Jackpot: $185,000}; montage)

Ty Treadway
 * Late 2006-Early 2007 (Sales Tape)

Concentration (1985)
Taped May 1985 (ten pilots); hosted by Orson Bean

The theme, graphics, and bonus round of the eventual series coupled with a weird set and logo plus a really stupid word-connections format. And they did ten of these?!

Based on a recollection from one of the pilot players, this version did two five-show taping days. It's possible these were meant to be aired as a "tryout" period, but holy crap they were insistent on this format!


 * May 1985 (Lori vs. Hap)
 * May 22, 1985 (#1-002: Cindy vs. Joel; seems a bit more polished, with Gene introducing the players, but there's no opening logo)

Classic Concentration II
Taped November 1992; hosted by Alex Trebek

One of NBC's planned schedule changes for the start of 1993 was replacing the Classic repeats with an hour-long version, and this is very likely what was planned – a tournament-style format, with a new preliminary jackpot-building game based on the '85 format (matching words to make phrases). Also notable is that the sound for making a match is from the Narz era.

More of an office runthrough than an actual pilot, but hey...


 * November 1992 (Montage)

Cop-Out!
Taped February 15, 1972; hosted by Geoff Edwards

Dull, boring, and broken. Eight celebs is way too much, and the game hinging on the last question probably wasn't the best idea.

Barris' "Themes From TV Game Shows" album shows a photo of another pilot on a much smaller set with just four celebs.


 * February 15, 1972 (Ann Elder, James Farrantino, Michelle Lee, Bill Bixby, Lois Nettleton, Larry Hovis, Della Reese, Richard Dawson {Part 3}; Cheryl vs. Frank; taped from GSN)

Crossword
Taped 1966 (at least two pilots); hosted by George Fenneman

Basically the predecessor to The Cross-Wits, just a lot lamer and tamer. Oh, and nobody on the production side (including Fenneman) seems to know what they're supposed to be doing.


 * Early 1966 (Pilot A: Carolyn Jones & Michael Landon)
 * Early 1966 (Pilot B: Tippi Hedren & PAUL LYNDE!)
 * [George notes that Paul will soon be seen in the new Doris Day film Glass Bottom Boat (released 6/9/66).]

Decisions Decisions
Taped 1979 (at least two pilots); hosted by Bill Cullen

A long game that was eventually simplified into the bonus round of Hot Potato.


 * 1979 (Joyce Bulifant & David Letterman)

Doctor I.Q. Jr.
Taped 1953 at the Little Theater in New York City; hosted by ?

A revival attempt, now for television, four years after the radio version (hosted by Jimmy McClain) ended. As with the radio show, children are asked questions for various amounts of quarters.

The big problem is with the host: not only is his name never given, but he's pretty nervous and clearly overrehearsed. Seriously, you have Art Fleming right there; he even appears at the end. If he had been host (minus the gaudy outfit the actual host wore), I'm pretty sure it would've been far more watchable. Granted, I remember reading that the reason it didn't sell is because ABC couldn't get any sponsors, but still...


 * 1953 (Part 2)

Dollar a Second (1981)
Taped February 7, 1981; hosted by Bob Eubanks

Given the success of reviving Treasure Hunt, Barris opted to revive another Jan Murray game (presumably to pair up with the upcoming 1980s Treasure Hunt)...although in this case, it's even more strange than it was in the 1950s.

Probably the most notable element is Bob outright saying it's a pilot less than five minutes in.


 * February 7, 1981 (Begins with Lori {Part 3}; taped from GSN)

Double Cross
Taped November 16, 1975 at Television City (Studio 33); hosted by Jack Barry

All things considered, this was probably CBS' attempt to make amends with Jack after canning The Joker's Wild in favor of Spin-Off and this mess.


 * November 16, 1975 (Paul vs. Tammy; montage, including open)

Double Dare (1987 spinoffs)
Taped July 29-30, 1987 (at least four pilots: two Celebrity, two civilian); hosted by Bruce Jenner

Ron Greenberg tried, he really did. Both with celebrities and without.

For whatever reason, someone in a position of power decided traditional Double Dare just wasn't gonna cut it outside of cable – the set's dull, with the Obstacle Course in particular being a haphazard mess; the stunts are dull and devoid of any real messiness, especially the traditional slime; and the focus seems to be on the Q&A rather than the stunts.

The main problem was trying to make the show for adults, whereas the parent show made it a selling point early on that Double Dare was for kids. These attempts are too far removed from the show that at this point had been airing for the past 10 months, and so I'm not really surprised that neither of these sold.


 * July 29, 1987 (Celebrity Pilot #2 {based on the opening clips}: Heidi Bohay & Scott Baio {alternate copy})
 * July 30, 1987 (Adult Civilian Pilot #2 {based on the opening clips})

Double Up (1987)
Taped 1987; hosted by Jamie Farr

Shot for NBC, as Jamie was promoted as being "from Double Up" when he appeared during Game Show Hosts Week on Scrabble.


 * 1987 (Sizzle Reel)

Duel in the Daytime
Taped August 23, 1981 (at least two pilots); hosted by Peter Tomarken

Way too loud, noisy, and nonsensical, although Peter's always a bright spot.

According to Mike Burger's review of the pilot, they did three takes of the bonus round: the first had a win that was evidently deemed too fast, while the second time the player failed to guess the subject even with two extremely helpful clues.


 * August 23, 1981 (Pilot #2: Slate and intro)

Eavesdroppers
Taped 1988; hosted by Tom Kennedy

Players had to figure out the person, place, or thing being discussed in a displayed conversation. Eventually became the bonus round of Rodeo Drive, and amusingly Louise DuArt is also present here.

Oh, and the "people" in the logo look freaky.


 * 1988 (Montage, including open)

Every Second Counts (2009)
Taped 2009; hosted by Mark L. Walberg

Not related to the 1980s obscurity, for better or worse.


 * 2009 (Montage)

Everything's Relative
Taped April 19, 1980 at Studio TV-15 in New York (at least two pilots); hosted by Jim Peck

Probably the most notable thing about this (aside from Jim hosting a show that's miles better than 3's A Crowd) is that the set looks like a 1970s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? No, seriously.

(Amusingly, this was shot for ABC's benefit.)


 * April 19, 1980 (Egan {Marty/Pat/Monica/Craig; Champs} vs. Rosenthal {Bob/Helen/Larry/Michele} {Part 2})

Eye Q
Taped August 14, 1988 at Television City (Studio 33); hosted by Henry Polic II

Another attempt at reviving Eye Guess, now on a recycled Money in the Blank set, but this time the players don't even get to see the board of answers first! As a result, there's a lot of fumbling around in the dark that I'm sure was meant to be fun, but really just slows things down and makes no sense.

The bonus game has the winning team picking numbers off a 16-space board with their backs turned, hoping to make a straight line within a certain number of guesses (doing so in the minimum of four is worth $50,000)...which I'd expect from a lottery game show.

You'd think Bob Stewart would've learned after Punch Lines not to mess with Eye Guess...


 * August 14, 1988 (Pilot #1: Montage, including open)

Finders Keepers (1985)
Taped 1985; hosted by "Nee-Fi" and "Sci-Fi"

JM Productions' attempt to stay around after The Video Game met the axe, in which kids went on a real-life treasure hunt. Not connected to the more well-known game show.


 * 1985

Fortune Hunters
Taped August 19, 1983 at Television City (Studio 33); hosted by Bob Hanley

Jay Wolpert tries his hand at another series, this time with a format similar (in its basic form) to Dirty Rotten Cheater. The closing spiel is a bit derpy, though.


 * August 19, 1983 (Partial open, partial Round 1, and close)

Gambit (1979)
Taped October 19, 1979 (at least two pilots); hosted by Wink Martindale

Nice set and uses the eventual Las Vegas-era theme, but the front and end games feel out-of-place (yes, even more than the Big Numbers did in '81). The skeeball-esque game was good in its simplified form on The Price Is Right, but here it looks overly complicated.


 * October 19, 1979 (Pilot #2: Van Sandt vs. ?; intro)

Gambit (1990)
Taped October 20, 1990; hosted by Bob Eubanks

Slightly different front-game format, with monitors for the contestants' cards. The bonus round became a "beat the dealer" game. Might have had a chance if the 1990-91 season wasn't so overrun by games.


 * October 20, 1990 (Karla {$5,200} vs. Tony, with Jim playing later {Part 3}; no credits)
 * 1990? ("Runthrough" opening animation)

Get Rich Quick!
Taped October 30 or November 30, 1977; hosted by Steve Edwards

Bob Stewart's first attempt at what eventually became Go!, with a bonus round he oddly never used in any other show.


 * October-November 1977 (Lynnie Greene, Debralee Scott, Robert Urich, John Ritter; Kevin vs. Karen; taped from GSN {alternate copy, with "Raise the Dead" segments})

Going Going Gone!
Taped 1959; hosted by Richard Lewellen

A Ralph Edwards game presumably shot for KTLA, with Tom Kennedy as the announcer.


 * 1959 (Part 2; missing end of Game 2 and entirety of Game 3)

The Gong Show (2001)
Taped 2001 (two or three pilots); hosted by Tom Arnold

Adds segments where audience members show off their (alleged) talent; a very America's Got Talent-esque "Tom visits the homes of some performers" bit; and a "Clip of the Week" contest (the winner gets flown to the show), but that's about it. There's also a recurring character in John Farley, with a disturbing bit shown.

The format is classic Gong Show, with each panelist giving a score from 1-10 and the highest score winning. Intended for late-night syndication in Fall 2001, so it retains the "edge" of Extreme Gong minus the "let's mock ATGS" crap.


 * 2001 (Sales Reel, with clips of both pilots: ?/Nicole Sullivan/Jimmy Kimmel {although a few clips have an African-American lady in Jimmy's place; not sure whether that indicates a third pilot or something that happened during this one}, and Martin Mull/Kathy Griffin/Tommy Davidson)

Hollywood Teasers
Taped 1993; hosted by Robb Weller

An attempt to fuse All-Star Blitz and Hollywood Squares without the bonus round of either.


 * 1993 (Ed O'Neill, Pamela Anderson, Don Rickles, Mayim Bialik, Mark Curry, Rita Rudner; Michelle vs. Mel; montage including open and close)

The Honeymoon Game
Taped October 3, 1970; hosted by Jim McKrell

Couples compete in three different games over the course of 90 minutes. The first was a lame Newlywed Game clone, which creator Jack Barry realized and excised from the circulating copy (aired by Metromedia stations as a one-off special). The fact the other two parts are a slightly altered Joker's Wild only makes the first look even lamer.


 * October 3, 1970 (Bob Crane, Jaye P. Morgan, Edmond G. Brown, Don Drysdale, Mark Copage; Judy & Felix/Anita & Rod/Denise & Jim/Rebecca & Charles; parts of Rounds 2 and 3)

Idiot Quest
Taped 2007; hosted by Ryan Stout

Real oddity where being dumber than your opponents (and managing to fool the lie detector you're hooked up to, it seems) is what wins. Imagine if It Pays to Be Ignorant was played completely straight and actually serious, and you're halfway there.

Then again, this may have been an April Fool's joke by MTV, so hey...


 * 2007 (Open and Round 1)

''I Predict
Taped 1987; hosted by Monty Hall

Pretty interesting, although the "wild guess" part of the format ("I'm thinking of a chess piece."; cue six or seven guesses) feels a bit off. Probably meant to replace Split Second.


 * 1987 (Pitchfilm, with Laura Chambers as a contestant)

Jackpot! (1984)
Taped June 9, 1984; hosted by Nipsey Russell

Returned to using riddles after Lin Bolen's overhaul killed the original series, with a nice set (designed by Ed Flesh) and good host...but who thought it'd be a great idea for the riddles to be a flat $150 each, drop the Super Jackpot, and add a bonus game (Riddle-Grams)?


 * June 9, 1984 (First Queen of the Hill: Lorna {Laura?})

The Joker's Wild (1968)
Taped December 8, 1968/January 1969 at Television City Studio 41/31 (two pilots); hosted by Allen Ludden

"The Savers" is present, as are the Joker slides, but nearly everything else is different.

The official Television City website lists the 1968 pilot as "Joker's Wild Preview".


 * December 8, 1968 (Pilot #1: Don Drysdale, Rosemary Clooney, Rich Little, Irene Moran, Pat Paulsen; Carol vs. Craig, then Sandra vs. Richard {Part 4, Part 5})
 * January 5, 1969 (DRESS NO-CLEB'S: Dinah vs. Charles, then Debbie vs. Doug)

Keynotes (1986)
Taped August 4-5, 1986 at Television City Studio 33 (three pilots); hosted by Kevin O'Connell

A great format that found success in the UK and Australia. A later American attempt in 1990, hosted by Clint Holmes, added celebs.


 * August 5, 1986 (Pilot #3: Rochelle/Rod/Toni {Champs} vs. BEN WONG/Linda/Paulette; open and close)

King of the Hill
Taped February 7, 1975 at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York (at least two pilots); hosted by Robert Earle

A solid word game with plenty of variety, a proven host, a great set and audio package, and a bonus game that later became the Card Sharks Money Cards.

I'm guessing that, since 1975 had so many game shows, there were so many getting on the schedules or being piloted that this one was lost in the shuffle.


 * February 7, 1975 (VTR #2: First King is Eileen {$3,400}, with challengers Honey/Bill/Sharon {Part 3})
 * [For those curious, the categories are Five In Common (open)-The Name Game ($25)-Spelling ($50)-Initial Descriptions ($75)-Song Lyrics ($100)-What's Missing? ($125)-Back Words ($150, open)-Scrambled Phrases-Anagrams-The Numbers Game.]

Lucky Numbers
Taped May 18, 1985 (at least two pilots); hosted by Alex Trebek

The first attempt at revamping High Rollers for the 1980s, with a front game that could last forever. Still better than Heatter's quizless Dice Fever, though...

Interestingly, these pilots have the "dummy company" of Blitz Productions, the one used for All-Star Blitz.


 * May 18, 1985 (Pilot #1: Vicki vs. Jeryl)
 * May 18, 1985 (Pilot #2: Michael vs. Vicki {same one as above!})

Malcolm
Taped 1983; hosted by Alex Trebek

Format's okay, but the main draw was the titular cartoon character (pun not intended). Oh, and Jack Barry was interacting with cartoons 30 years earlier on Winky Dink and You.


 * 1983 (Part 2)

M'ama Non M'ama
Taped December 7, 1984 (two pilots); hosted by Alex Trebek

The show that became Love Me, Love Me Not, and while it's not bad the whole "daisy" motif was a bit weird.


 * December 7, 1984 (Women's Pilot: Danny vs. Mitchel; Panel: Carynn, Mim, Pamela, Suzan)

Match Game (2008)
Taped July 22, 2008 at Television City Studio 33 (two pilots); hosted by Andrew Daly

Same set as Gameshow Marathon, but who thought it'd be a good idea to do this with a barely-responsive audience? And who thought it'd be a good idea to completely botch Super-Match?


 * July 22, 2008 (Clips of both pilots)

Matchmakers
Taped 1957; hosted by Ted Brown

Nice format, but the sponsor (New Pink Jazz) is definitely...something. Namely, nonexistent, with the most generic commercials you'll ever see.


 * 1957 (First 3:39 and another bit of gameplay)

Matchmates
Taped 1985 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California; hosted by Michael Burger

Michael's first appearance as a game show host, although the format needs some tightening unless they intended to straddle. Grundy later recycled the bonus round into the Winner's Big Money Game on Sale of the Century, for better or worse; he also recycled the theme music for the Scattergories pilot.

According to Michael, "at the end of our taping, the president of daytime television, Brian Fronz said to Bob Noah who was the executive for Reg Grundy the production company behind the show, and yours truly, "Congratulations it looks like you have another show on the air!""

NBC chose Family Ties repeats instead.


 * 1985 (Lori & Al {Day 5 - $18,000} vs. Sandy & Kirk {Jackpot: $10,000})
 * [Michael notes that $10,000 is the Jackpot's base value and that the champs "stuck us for 18 grand yesterday". The champs are on their fifth day, suggesting that the Jackpot increases by $2,000 per day.]

Million Dollar Bowling
Taped ?; hosted by Ralph Story

Where bowlers can win $25,000...or $256,000...or an unprecedented $1,000,000! (Per the uploader, nobody won the Million.) I'm listing this here because my searches have turned up nothing and I'd like to think a game show offering One Million Damn Dollars would've been notable even if it was a local series.

Based on the prizes at stake and who's hosting, probably late 1950s.


 * ? (Intro)

Monday Night Quarterback
Taped late 1970 or early 1971; hosted by Jerry Kramer

I'm guessing (read: hoping) that someone told Bob Stewart "I bet you can't produce a really, really boring game show!" and Stewart took him/her up on it. I'm not into football, but I can understand its appeal; I don't even think football lovers could watch this.

The game itself has two teams (one celebrity and one football player) watching footage of the St. Louis Cardinals (specifically, the games of September 27 and October 25, 1970) and, when the action freezes, trying to predict the outcome of the current play. This kind of thing works much better on shows based around hidden-camera footage, although Dick Martin's always a bright spot.

GSN aired this a couple of times: one as part of some football-related programming, the other as part of a "Game Show Turkeys" marathon. And just like turkey, this has the power to make you fall asleep.


 * 1970-71 (Dick Martin & John Hadl vs. Peter Lawford & Myron Pottios {Part 3, Part 4}; taped from GSN)

Money in the Bank
Taped 1980s at KOIN (Portland, Oregon); hosted by Mark Richards

It's pretty much The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime minus nearly all the fun. Don't get me wrong, I like Mark Richards, but why does he insist on shoehorning the either-or question format into everything he makes?

Also, and this isn't really relevant to anything, but a superimposed desk? Really? (It's obviously two unfinished podiums with Mark standing between them, as can be seen at 1:34.)


 * 1980s (15-minute "edited demo")

Money in the Blank
Taped July 26, 1987 at Television City (Studio 33); hosted by Kevin O'Connell

Pretty nice idea, and Kevin's always good to see. In a touch that's simultaneously nice and odd, the bonus game is the Three on a Match board!


 * July 26, 1987 (Pilot A: Teresa Ganzel & Nathan Cook; Frank vs. Gail)

Money Words
Taped February 8, 1974 (at least two pilots); hosted by Mike Dar(r)ow

Pretty fun word search game, at least based on the available footage.


 * February 8, 1974 (Pilot #2: Ralph/Helen/Dick; montage including open and close)

Now You See It (1985)
Taped October 19, 1985 (at least two pilots); hosted by Jack Clark

Someone, long ago, nicknamed this attempt "Now You Pyramid It". The last thing I'm aware of that Jack hosted prior to his retirement in 1988 (itself likely due to the health issues that took his life shortly afterward).


 * October 19, 1985 (Pilot #2: Laurel & Alysen vs. Ronata & Tony)

Oddball
Taped February 1, 1986; hosted by Jamie Farr

Well, since 1960s long-runner Match Game worked so well by being supersized in 1973, why not try to supersize 1960s obscurity Get the Message in 1986?


 * February 1, 1986 (Pilot #1: Marla Gibbs, Lydia Cornell, Vicki Lawrence, Nedra Volz, Anson Williams, Tom Poston, Daniel Greene, Dick Martin; slate and open)

On a Roll
Taped February 23, 1986 at Television City Studio 33 (at least four pilots); hosted by David Sparks

...Boy, what a mess. I'm not saying "Hangman with dice" couldn't work, but with Wheel of Fortune already on for the past eleven years and this format being a bit complicated it's really no surprise this didn't sell. The "Doublemint Twins" don't help things.

Audiovisuals are nice, though (main theme is the same as Star Words and the Body Language pilots), for whatever that's worth. Also noteworthy: David somehow managed to lose his ability to host between this and when The New Cross-Wits began taping in June.

Notably, the Mark Goodson logo seen here is the 3D style used on the TV's Funniest Game Show Moments specials.


 * February 23, 1986 (Pilot #3: Sharon vs. Bret)

Party Line
Taped 1983; hosted by Gene Rayburn

Gene's first game show following the demise of Match Game turned out to also be the first attempt at Hot Streak, albeit with a different (and pretty hard) bonus round.


 * 1983 (Laurie/Judy/LAURA CHAMBERS!/Sue/Evelyn {$4,500} vs. John/David/Stu/Wayne/Bob, with Gene indirectly referencing Match Game during his intro)

Pass/Fail
Taped 1986; hosted by Edwin Newman

Fail.


 * 1986 (Carol Lawrence & David Groh)

Pass the Line
Taped 1954; hosted by Cliff Saber

A professional drawer draws a line, then a panelist copies the line; said line is then copied by the next person, and so on for ten lines. While the video quality is good and the split-screen effect is pretty well-done for the time, not even Jonathan Winters can save this.


 * 1954 (JONATHAN WINTERS, Erica White?, Jeff Kane, Marge ? {Artist: Ray White}; includes a sales pitch, for whatever that's worth {not much, actually})

Pindemonium
Taped 1992; hosted by Ken Ober

Game based around bowling. And hey, Ken's always nice to see.


 * 1992 (Sales Tape)

The Plot Thickens
Taped 1963; hosted by Jack Linkletter

John Guedel's next (and last, by all indication) way to keep Groucho in the spotlight after Tell it to Groucho tanked in '62. Nearly everything here is fine, partly due to the names pulled in on the production side: Rosemary's Baby producer and three-decade B-movie director William Castle in charge alongside Guedel, Psycho author Robert Bloch wrote the film-within-the-show, and the actors from said film who not only turn in a decent showing but somehow managed to keep a straight face and stay in-character while Groucho was questioning them.

So what's wrong with this? Jack Linkletter, who clearly took after Bert Parks in the "hosting style" department minus the charm and sincerity. It's particularly bad when he interacts with Groucho, who's clearly there to be himself (i.e., funny) – Jack decides to try and keep him in line, even chiding the sexist remarks to the bailiff-in-a-catsuit. And then Jack makes a sexist remark to said bailiff, making him (say it with me) a hypocrite.

As Michael Burger (not the game show host) put it, "You have Groucho Marx on your show, so let him be funny. If you don't want funny, don't have him on the show, and kiss any longevity goodbye because even the strictest of panel shows like To Tell the Truth relied on some amount of levity." I honestly think Jack's hosting was the no-sale factor.

And this isn't really related to anything, but I found it amusing: the film-within-the-show has a 1963 Screen Gems copyright credit when its logo appears.


 * 1963 (Murder in the Crystal Ball: Dick Halley, Stan Ross, Jan Sterling, Groucho Marx)

Pot O' Gold
Taped 1979; hosted by Art James

A game with a pachinko element, where even though only $500 is needed to win the outermost slots are worth $50,000.


 * 1979 (Montage, including open and close)

Puzzlers
Taped March 14, 1980 (three pilots); hosted by Pat Sajak

A Goodson-Todman format with a lot of variety...possibly too much, although it could've made for a good testing ground of other formats. Uses the Mindreaders theme.

Three pilots were taped, all to test different outcomes.


 * March 14, 1980 (Laurie/Tom/April; Champ: Ann {$6,000} {alternate copies: open; round seen during Game Show Moments Gone Bananas})

Pyramid Rocks
Taped Fall 1999; hosted by Bil Dwyer

Shot for VH1, with a few minor changes: singing was disallowed, getting a score of 21 awarded a bonus prize (in this case, a "fully loaded" personal computer), and the Winner's Circle (also the front-game board) was played for $5,000.

A shame this didn't sell, since it would've definitely made a good companion to Rock & Roll Jeopardy! Might have also been known as Rock & Roll Pyramid, as I vaguely remember seeing the name on a couple of sites long ago.


 * Fall 1999 (Ellen Cleghorne & Riki Rachtman; Michael vs. Jen; ends shortly after second category)

The $100,000 Pyramid (2000)
Taped December 6, 2000; hosted by Donny Osmond

Shot for syndication, which it did eventually get...just not like this. The set's darker, the logo's different, Randy West is announcer, the celebs actually walk out (albeit not together), and most of the classic format is intact (7-in-30, only the "essence" is needed for credit in the Winner's Circle, and there's returning champs). There's also a $500 bonus for getting 7-out-of-7, although it's not clear whether that's particular to one category (like the Big 7 of long ago) or all of them.

The main format change is with the Winner's Circle: while the sizzle reel below suggests awards of $10,000-$25,000-$45,000-$70,000-$100,000 (hence the fifth and final win awards the titular amount), it was actually an admittedly far more sane $10,000-$15,000-$20,000-$25,000-$30,000. Hence, the fifth and final win results in a grand total of $100,000, which sounds like how they paid out cash in the Donnymid Tournaments.

Still better than the $1,000,000 pilot shot for NBC at the same time, though, where the first Winner's Circle was worth $125,000 and the choice to leave or play another front game, as said money was taken away if you lost a front game or Winner's Circle (and hence why the front game paid $1,000 per word). Because massive heartbreak from an accidental illegal clue is great television according to NBC!


 * December 6, 2000 (Sizzle Reel, narrated by Don Lafontaine!)

The $1,000,000 Pyramid (2009)
Taped June 2009 in New York (two pilots); hosted by Dean Cain (Pilot #1) and Tim Vincent (Pilot #2)

The franchise returned home after 28 years and went back to what worked between 1973-91: classic-style set with neon tubing and bright colors, classic-style logo, and classic theme "Tuning Up" (in a nice touch, the New York-era original for Pilot #1 and the Television City-era version for #2). Also in a nice touch, Alan Kalter returned to the mic long after having seen off the New York era by replacing Steve O'Brien on $50,000.

The 7-11 also made its triumphant return after being unceremoniously kicked out in April 1991, further restoring its original element of having a choice: go for all seven and $11,000, or play it safe and take $500 per word. The Winner's Circle was worth $25,000 for the first attempt and $50,000 in the second, with the four best times and the four biggest money winners returning for a $1,000,000 League of Champions.

While CBS didn't pick it up (choosing Let's Make A Deal that year and The Talk in 2010), Michael Davies had proven that Pyramid as Bob Stewart had guided it and Jim Ryan/Ed Flesh had designed it could in fact work in the present day.


 * June 2009 (Pilot #2: Caroline Rhea & Norm MacDonald; open and Winner's Circle #1)

The $25,000 Pyramid (2010)
Taped June 23, 2010 in Hollywood, California (two pilots); hosted by Andy Richter

Shot for TBS, with a slightly altered format for an hour-long slot: the first two Winner's Circles were played for $10,000, with the front-game winners playing again for a shot at $25,000. The front game was also altered in two ways: the third and fourth categories of each game offered a bonus for 7-out-of-7, and each team had a "Double Down" option allowing them to play a category for double points.

The 1982 "Tuning Up" is still present, and the logo has been given a 3D makeover with an odd-looking opening animation (the center piece swivels around between $500,000, $100,000, and $25,000 before slowing down to $25,000) that suggests a tournament which isn't explained in the available footage. I don't remember seeing anything at the time which even hinted at it, either.

By far the biggest change is to the set, now far more basic with seven screens surrounding the players and, in a weird bit of reasoning, had the players standing for the front game; per Davies, it was "bringing the show to its feet". I would've said the show had been brought to its feet in 2009 after the 1996-2004 attempts that, barring Pyramid Rocks, tended to miss the point, but hey...

And this isn't really relevant to anything, but I found it amusing: Greggo had been using the tournament-style format for his version at least three months prior to this taping session.


 * June 23, 2010 (Mo Rocca & Aisha Tyler; intro and Winner's Circle #2 of one pilot, or possibly a combination of both)

A Question of Scruples
Taped late 1980s?; hosted by Richard Kline

Based on the board game of the same name, but not to be confused with this pilot. That said, I'm pretty sure one of the scenarios (would you light up in a no-smoking area if there was nobody around?) uses footage of the Hindenburg explosion.

Unfortunately, the "Sizzle Reel" below is so haphazardly put together that I couldn't make sense of the format...assuming, of course, that they actually taped two or so pilots and didn't just record these bits.

On a side note, Rob Paulsen is the announcer. No, seriously.


 * 19?? (Anthony Newley, Lisa Hartman, Louie Anderson, John Ratzenberger; Players: Stacey, Zack, Joanne, Darla; Sizzle Reel compilation)

Rate Your Mate (1951 TV)
Taped 1951; hosted by Joey Adams

A planned CBS-TV adaptation of the concurrent radio game also hosted by Adams, with a nice visual element added.


 * 1951 (Part 2)

The Riddlers
Taped November 4, 1977 (two pilots); hosted by David Letterman

Kinda-slow game based around riddles, with a team of five celebs competing against a team of five civilians who have the same job (such as dance instructors). 1970s Dave is always fun to watch, and in this case he's really the only thing that makes it worth watching.

Much later, in a 1991 Late Night interview with Michael McKean, the two briefly discussed this show after Michael brought it up. Oddly, Dave notes that there was no second pilot – instead, after #1, the producers came up to him and said "Iiiii think we got what we need, Dave..."


 * November 4, 1977 (Pilot #1: Jo Anne Worley/Robert Urich/Joyce Bulifant/Michael McKean/Debralee Scott {$0} vs. Dance Instructors {Sherry/Rocco/Joan/Mark/Hartley; $4,000+} {Part 3}; taped from GSN {alternate copy, with "Raise the Dead" segments})

Run for the Money
Taped 1987; hosted by Bill Rafferty

Later became the long-running Going For Gold.


 * 1987 (Doug/Nancy/Christi/Steve)

''Says Who?
Taped May 28, 1971; hosted by Geoff Edwards

A game where celebs can answer questions as themselves, or as one of the other celebs. Likely meant for a primetime slot, since two contestants stay for the entire show and switch partners for each game.

I think Adam Nedeff summed it up best: "Two great emcees, one hosting and one playing, and both suffered back injuries from carrying this pilot."


 * May 28, 1971 (Betsy Palmer, Anne Meara, Peter Lawford, Bill Cullen; Lynne vs. Nathan; taped from GSN)

Scrabble (1990)
Taped August 1, 1990; hosted by Steve Edwards

Different host, a different (much less fun and much more annoying) intro, the clues have categories attached, and the letters are chosen through some number graphics rather than the tiles. All in all, not too surprising the changes here didn't stick for the eventual '93 revival.

Still, unlike the eventual revival, the Scrabble Cube is still rotating here.


 * August 1, 1990 (Montage, including open and Bonus Sprint)

The Scrabble Challenge
Taped 2002; hosted by John O'Hurley

Sticks pretty closely to the board game...which might have been its undoing.


 * 2002

Second Guessers
Taped December 29, 1969 at Miami Beach, Florida; hosted by Jack Carter (in-studio) and Jack Clark (on-location at the Miami Seaquarium and Miami International Airport)

...Well, I'm sure it looked good on paper. Only six questions are asked, and the thing's so bad that some of the 1,000-person audience can be seen leaving!

Easily the best part of this pilot is Jack Clark. Mind you, this pilot isn't as boring as Monday Night Quarterback, but it's pretty close.


 * December 29, 1969 (Second Guessers: Judy, Roberta, Harry, Don, Jerri, Dinah; Special Guest: Brenda Vaccaro; taped from GSN, with "Raise the Dead" segments)

Shopper's Bazaar
Taped September (October 9?) 1973; hosted by Chuck Woolery

Holy crap, what a mess. Merv didn't like it, then-NBC head of daytime Lin Bolen didn't like it, test audiences didn't like it, and nearly everybody who's seen it since it surfaced in 2012 doesn't like it.

An overhaul later, and we got Wheel of Fortune. Even later, Harry Friedman revived the Shopper's Special bonus round as the Prize Puzzle...and nobody likes it. :P


 * Fall 1973 (Pilot #1: Marilyn/Dawn/Maureen; full opening segment)

Simon Says...
Taped 1971; hosted by Bob Barker

Yes, Barker hosted a game show that didn't get past the pilot stage. In fairness, the concept's kinda weird anyway: Truth or Consequences with a giant computer, pretty much.

The show was created by Wesley J. Cox for DUNDAS, although neither name seems to have any other credits. Mike Burger, who reviewed the pilot, theorized that this may have been a production by Barry and/or Enright since the theme is "The Savers".


 * 1971 (Intro)

Slingo
Taped 2008; hosted by Michael Burger

Based on the slot game of the same name, with a top prize of $250,000.


 * 2008 (Montage including open and close)
 * 2008 (Sizzle Reel that explains the format)
 * 2008 (Behind-the-scenes footage)

Spell Binders
Taped August 16, 1978; hosted by Bill Anderson

Interesting, from what little is around.


 * August 16, 1978 (Intro)

Split Decision
Taped July 11, 1985 (at least two pilots); hosted by Jim McKrell

Pretty nice pilot. Not sure why it didn't sell.


 * July 11, 1985 (Pilot #2: Montage including open and close)

Star Play
Taped 1988 (runthrough and pilot); hosted by Tom Kennedy

Interesting combination of charades and You Don't Say!.


 * 1988 (Runthrough: Teresa Ganzel, Charlie Callas, Florence LaRue, Richard Simmons, Marcia Wallace; Carolyn & Gary vs. Gail & Nancy, with a brief pitchfilm)
 * 1988 (Pilot; montage)

Star Words
Taped June 2, 1983 (at least three pilots); hosted by Nipsey Russell

Interesting, from what little is around.


 * June 2, 1983 (Pilot I: close)
 * June 2, 1983 (Pilot III: intro)

Stop Me if You've Heard this One! (1991)
Taped October 17, 1991 (two pilots); hosted by Larry Anderson

A 1940s game that had become well past obscure by this point yet, for whatever reason, decided to attempt a return for the 1990s. If this had been tried after Whose Line Is It Anyway? was brought to the States, it might have had a chance.


 * October 17, 1991 (Brief clip)

Take....5
Taped May 6, 1973 (at least two pilots); hosted by Tony Hernandez

Don Pardo announces, although whoever was responsible for the sound mixing did a poor job.


 * May 6, 1973 (AIR B: Montage including open and close)

Talking Pictures
Taped February 25, 1968; hosted by Allen Ludden

A "hidden celebs" game that comes lawsuit-close to Eye Guess. Amusingly, it seems turnabout was fair play, as Bob Stewart used the "numbers hide celebs" idea for his Eye Guess revival attempt Punch Lines in 1979.


 * February 25, 1968 (AIR: Ann Miller, Peter Lawford, Angela Cartwright, Lorne Greene, Jan Sterling, Stubby Kaye, Agnes Moorehead, Tom Smothers, Carol Burnett, Paul Winchell; Rachel vs. Dick)

TKO
Taped November 10, 1989 at Television City Studio 33 (at least four pilots); hosted by Peter Tomarken

Interesting little game, and Peter's always good to see. And hey, Mark Goodson makes a cameo!


 * November 10, 1989 (Pilot #4: Montage including open and an audio pickup that wasn't actually edited into the pilot)

Top Secret
Taped March 4, 1988 (at least three pilots); hosted by Wink Martindale

A clue-filled game of hidden identities that was so close to making CBS' schedule, they released a board game tie-in that got pulled shortly afterward!


 * March 4, 1988 (Pilot #3, "Short Version": Sharon/Mike/Wendy)

Trivial Pursuit (1987)
Taped 1987 (at least four pilots); hosted by Steve Morris & Linda Marr

The first attempt, produced by Jay Wolpert with an interesting format. Also has an animated intro, pretty much a staple of his work.


 * 1987 (Montage, including open)

Twenty One (1982)
Taped May 4, 1982 at Television City; hosted by Jim Lange

Intended to replace the heading-out-the-door Bullseye. Only real difference is the addition of a bonus round, whose Number Jumbler was recycled for the 1980s Break the Bank.


 * May 4, 1982 ("Tie" Pilot: Steve Naideth {$20,000} vs. Marie Lee; slate! {alternate copy, average quality and no slate})

Twisters
Taped October 23, 1982; hosted by Jim Perry

Bob Stewart takes a whole bunch of elements from games he's done (including the Chain Reaction and Shoot For the Stars themes), puts them in a blender, and adds in a shuffleboard just because. Plus, hey, anything with Ed Flesh involved is worth a look.

Why this didn't sell is beyond me, although the timeframe suggests that if it had then Jim might not have been able to host Sale of the Century.


 * October 23, 1982 (Wednesday: First King of the Hill is Meme; taped from GSN {alternate copy, with "Raise the Dead" segments})

We've Got Your Number
Taped May 13, 1975 (at least two pilots); hosted by Jack Barry

Interesting format that's kinda hampered by only using real dice in the bonus round – the front game uses giant projected dice that, to their credit, look 3D until they turn around for said bonus round.


 * May 13, 1975 (Show B: Bill vs. Susan {Part 3, Part 4})

What's My Line? (2000)
Taped 2000; hosted by Harry Anderson

25 years after the syndicated version went off the air, CBS had a choice between this and Survivor. Given what's happened in the years since then, I think they chose...poorly.


 * 2000 (Katherine Bell, Bryan Cranston, BETTY WHITE, Al Franken; first 90 seconds)

What's the Law?
Taped between November 1967 and February 1968; hosted by Henry Morgan

A panel of celebs is given an unusual case by announcer Chet Gould (taken from a syndicated newspaper column), and give how they would have ruled.

Also, feel free to insert that Judge Dredd meme in response to the question of the title. I know you're thinking it. :)


 * November 1967-February 1968 (Linda Lavin, Barry Nelson, Joan Rivers, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.; begins with "The Case of the Shapely Broad" {no, seriously})

Winfall
Taped 1988 or '89; hosted by Clint Holmes

Interesting game built around phrases, with a better use of pachinko than Pot O' Gold. Rolf Benirschke also hosted at least a runthrough, but moved up to Wheel of Fortune...and interestingly, it seems CBS nearly gave this the green light before NBC canned Wheel.

Sometimes referred to as "Windfall", as it was when Rolf was hired for Wheel.


 * 1988-89 (Edie McClurg & Fred Willard; Judy vs. Nancy)

Word for Word (2012)
Taped 2012; hosted by Martin Cole

Based around word games, although not related to or based on Merv's game of long ago.


 * 2012 (Part 2)

You Bet Your Life (1988)
Taped August 4, 1988 (at least three pilots); hosted by Richard Dawson

I think Adam Nedeff said it best: if they had tried this 13 years earlier, it would've sold before it even finished taping. Unfortunately, they were done well after the freewheeling, flirty, and young "Dickie Dawson" had become the older, married, and essentially-retired-for-three-years "Mr. Richard Dawson".

Richard referenced these pilots on a 1994-95 Family Feud Divorced Couples show after You Bet Your Life was an answer to a question about Groucho Marx.


 * August 4, 1988 (Pilot #3: Sigrid & Mel vs. Melissa & Dan {Secret Word: Sports})