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. Even those that do sell tend to not air their pilots, and in some rare cases the pilot is all that gets aired (Grill Me and What Are My True Colors? come immediately to mind). This page will also cover rehearsals, pitchfilms, and generally-unaired footage.

LEGAL STUFF SO I DON'T GET SUED: I'm only linking to these videos, none of which (barring two exceptions) 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.

Sold Pilots
Those that got made into a series. Shows where only the pilot was aired are listed under Unsold Pilots.

Aired
Pilots that aired during their respective shows' runs, typically first but in some cases (such as You Deserve It and Take the Money & Run) last. This does not include pilots that were aired by GSN, but were originally not meant to be televised.

3's A Crowd (1979)
Aired September 17-19, 1979; hosted by Jim Peck

Has a more "full" set, plus Jim doesn't have that goofy-looking "perm" he'd sport in the series. (Listings are Husbands, Secretaries, Wives.)


 * September 17, 1979 (Pilot #1/Premiere: Guy/Art/Bob, Joy/Judy/Rose, Christy/Tina/Jane {taped 12/78}; taped from GSN)

He Said She Said
Aired 1969; hosted by Joe Garagiola

A celebrity couple competes against three civilian couples. Not entirely sure whether this aired during the show's original run, though.


 * 1969 (Gene & Helen Rayburn/Thor & Marnie Stratton/Bob & Jean Babblewall/Newt & Beth Koll; taped from GSN)

How Do You Like Your Eggs?
March 23-31, 1977; hosted by Bill Cullen

A local show from Columbus, Ohio, broadcast on four nights through Warner's QUBE cable service.


 * March 23, 1977 (Premiere: Sue & Larry vs. Lenore & Bob)
 * March 30, 1977 (#3: Andy & Sara vs. Jim & Maureen, now with four choices per question instead of five; last 9:34)
 * March 31, 1977 (Finale: Carl & Gayle vs. Charles & Sue; uploaded by me)

I've Got a Secret (1976)
Aired June 15-22, 1976; hosted by Bill Cullen

The first two episodes of the four-show Summer run, taped September 28, 1975. The other two episodes were taped June 11, 1976, the only difference being the presence of Phyllis George instead of Elaine Joyce.


 * June 15, 1976 (Pilot #1/Premiere: Elaine Joyce, Richard Dawson, Pat Collins, Henry Morgan; Special Guest: Rodney Dangerfield {taped 9/28/75})

Make Me Laugh! (1979)
Aired 1979; hosted by Bobby Van

No real differences from what I can tell. Not entirely sure whether this aired during the show's original run, though.


 * 1978 (Johnny Dark, Bill Kirchenbauer, Roger & Roger; Contestants: Pamelia, Edward, Sharon Lee; no credits)

The Newlywed Game (1984)
February 13-17, 1984; hosted by Jim Lange

One of the many, many week-long things ABC tried plugging into the schedule around this point. Has a slightly different set from the eventual series.


 * February 13, 1984 (Premiere: Charlotte & Don Walker/Hareen & Jeffrey Goydell/Sherry & Cole Grade/Angie & Russ Bragg; taped from GSN)
 * February 17, 1984 (Finale: Maria & Kelly Murphy/Brenda & Chet Capps/Lydia & Mike Johnson/Lisa & John Engen; taped from GSN)

The Parent Game
Aired September 4-5 or 11 (not sure if it was weekly or daily), 1972; hosted by Clark Race

The first two episodes to air were also the pilots, with a slightly different set and Charlie O'Donnell announcing.


 * September 4, 1972 (Pilot #1/Premiere: Mike & Sherry Dekovsky/Chuck & Marina Mosier/Louis & Tracy Davey; open and first 7:30 of gameplay, taped from GSN)

To Tell the Truth (1990)
Aired September 3, 1990; hosted by Richard Kline

More basic set (combining elements from the Collyer and mid-1970s sets), and a different host. Two pilots were made, but weren't supposed to air – NBC mistakenly fed Pilot #2 to the East Coast instead of the premiere!


 * September 3, 1990 (Pilot #2: Morton Downey Jr., Cindy Adams, Lynn Swann, Lynn Redgrave {taped 1/19/90}; Subjects: Robin Mormello {Wall Street worker who posed nude for Playboy}, Harley Lou Cobb {put a sign on his lawn to attract a wife}; no credits)

You Bet Your Life (1947)
Aired December 28, 1949; hosted by Groucho Marx

Not really a "pilot" in the traditional sense, but a test film presumably designed to show what a TV version might look like. As mentioned by Groucho at the end of the show, it was also the last episode with original sponsor Elgin-American; the next week (January 4, 1950), DeSoto took over sponsorship and remained until about 1957.

The "primary" copy is from a Marx Brothers DVD or compilation of some sort, and has some edits to remove flubbed lines and the pre-intro banter; the "alternate" copy has slightly lower quality, but no edits and is about two minutes longer as a result. Both are nearly an hour long, per standard recording practice of the series.


 * December 28, 1949 (#49-13: Howard & Arlene Scala/Evelyn Fredricksen & Larry Steams/Dr. Mar Elia & Jess Swope {taped 12/5/49}; has commercials, albeit read offstage {alternate copy, see above for differences})

You Don't Know Jack
Aired July 18, 2001; hosted by Paul Reubens as Troy Stevens

Given how downright-weird this show was, it's not really a surprise that they'd air the pilot (with a slightly different set and graphics) last.


 * July 18, 2001 (Pilot/Finale: Stewart/Vivicca/Terry)

Unaired
For pilots and such that didn't air, despite the show itself selling. This could be due to a format change, a host change, or the pilot itself not being too good. Occasionally, though, pilot footage gets aired by the show or in a special (or, in one odd instance, as a semi-gag in a film).

100%
Taped 1998; hosted by Mark Henning

The British loved this show, making a franchise out of it. America, though...? Boredom. This is a pretty good example of how a straightforward quiz does in fact need something to prop it up.

And this isn't really relevant to anything, but this show was cheap in the States – they touted a $100,000 top prize, but the actual payout was $10 per right answer. A perfect score awarded an extra $99,000, and the closest anybody got in the British franchise was a 94.


 * 1998 (Pitchfilm with some amusing claims {100% is more exciting than the internet? Seriously?})

Bedtime Stories
Taped March (May 27?) 1979; series aired June 18 - August, 1979

It's...inspired by The Newlywed Game, I guess.


 * Spring 1979 (Open)

Blackout
Taped November 1986 at Television City; series aired January 4 - April 1, 1988

Hosted by Robb Weller, with a slightly different set.


 * November 1986 (Partial intro, spotted during the opening of the 1994 ABC TV-movie The Stand)

Blankety Blanks
Taped February 10, 1975 (at least three pilots); series aired April 21 - June 27, 1975

Letters hide parts of the description, and that's about it really.


 * February 10, 1975 (Pilot #3: slate and open)

Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
Taped October 19, 1984 (at least three pilots); series aired January 6 - April 4, 1986

Very different set, Rod Roddy announcing, and a more generous bonus round.


 * October 19, 1984 (Pilot #2: Jini/Susan/Karen/Becky/Wanda {$2,500} vs. Jack/Scott/Peter/Patrick/Peter)

Bullseye
Taped November 1979; series aired September 29, 1980 - June 25, 1982

Used "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" as the theme (the series used a similar-sounding piece), and Bonus Island used just Bullseyes and Lightning: stop a small display on Bonus Island itself to determine how many spins you get (3, 4, 5, or Bullseye), spin three Bullseyes to double your main-game winnings, and possibly take out over $1,000,000.


 * November 1979 (Gale {$13,000} vs. Scott, with Kei playing later)

Celebrity Sweepstakes
Taped January 23, 1974 (two pilots); series aired April 1, 1974 - October 1, 1976

Not much different from the series, at least from what I've heard.


 * January 23, 1974 (Pilot #2: John Astin, Lucie Arnaz, Ted Knight, Dean Jones, Patty Duke-Astin, Jane Withers; Sandi/Cy/Jackie)

Chain Reaction
Taped October 28, 1979; series aired January 14 - June 20, 1980

Married couples played (albeit with the husbands and wives alternating), the front-game board looked different (no Eggcrate displays), and Instant Reaction offered up to $100,000! (The payout structure was one red cent-shiny dime-dullar-tenner-Franklin-grand-Grand Game-One Hundred Thousand Damn Dollars.)


 * October 28, 1979 (Nipsey Russell and Joyce Bulifant; Lynn & Allen vs. Bob & Judy)
 * October 28, 1979 (Instant Reaction playing that didn't make it into the finished pilot, for good reason!)

Dirty Rotten Cheater
Taped 2002?; series aired January 6 - April 14, 2003

Cheaters, taped for NBC on the Weakest Link set (hence the much higher dollar values).


 * 2002? (Alysha/Kevin/Dennis/Tricia/Matt/Mann; open and Round 1)

The Face is Familiar
''Taped September? 1965; series aired May 7 - September 3, 1966''

Hosted by Jack Clark, with a somewhat different set and slightly different format (each game's winner got $200, and winning the bonus game awarded an extra $500).


 * September? 1965 (Betsy Palmer & Bill Cullen {alternate copy uploaded by me, cleaner video but low audio and missing the first second or so})

Family Feud
Taped 1975; series aired July 12, 1976 - June 14, 1985

A goofy-looking set, different Strike symbols, and a lot of other oddities. Clips appeared in the opening and Finale of CBS' Gameshow Marathon in 2006.


 * 1975 (Speir vs. Madvig)

Taped August 1987 at Television City (at least two pilots); series aired September 19, 1988 - May 26, 1995

Yes, the syndicated version was developed first. The set's clearly a "halfway point" between how it was in 1985 and what it became when the CBS version began taping in June 1988. Oh, and Fast Money has a little wrinkle that should be on the show now: losing awards $10 per point.


 * August 1987 (Pilot A: Perry vs. Mandic; montage including open, Fast Money, and credits)
 * 1987? ("Spotlight" profile of host Ray Combs, with clips of other pilots {which have a slightly different set from Pilot A})

Fun House
Taped February 6, 1988; series aired September 5, 1988 - April 13, 1991

Slightly different set, no Tiny, and finding the right tag awarded over $25,000 in cash and prizes!


 * February 6, 1988 (Jaimie & Daniel vs. Rachael & Douglas)

The Great Getaway Game
Taped 1989 in New York City; series aired June 1 - July 25, 1990

Hosted by Jim Caldwell, with a different logo and slightly different set.


 * 1989 (Cary vs. Dan)

High Rollers (1987)
Taped December (October 21?) 1986; series aired September 14, 1987 - June 10, 1988

Has a bluescreen behind the players, but that's about the only difference.


 * Late 1986 (Carol vs. John; includes a pitchfilm with a game never used on the series!)

Hit Man
Taped 1982 (at least two pilots); series aired January 3 - April 1, 1983

Different theme, more Hit Men in Round 2 (a publicity shot had noticeable black splotches on the Hit Men that were removed between pilot and series), and a far different pacing. Clips were used in a debut promo.

From what I remember reading many years ago, Jay Wolpert himself hosted the first pilot.


 * 1982 (Pilot #2: Melissa/Skip/Valerie {Champ: David; Subjects: Gone With the Wind and Harry Houdini}; montage)

The Hollywood Game
Taped May 14, 1991; series aired June 19 - July 10, 1992

Slightly different set, randomized categories, and Peter Allen hosting.


 * May 14, 1991 (Julie & Don vs. Jim & Sharon)

Hollywood Squares
Taped April 21, 1965 at Television City; series aired October 17, 1966 - June 20, 1980

Hosted by Bert Parks, with a pretty different contestant area and celebrity nameplates...and, generally, a feel that this is from the 1950s. Clips were shown during the week of November 3, 1975.


 * April 21, 1965 (Wally Cox, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Gisele MacKenzie, ROBERT Q. LEWIS!, Vera Miles, Charley Weaver, Abby Dalton, Jim Backus {center square}; Pam vs. John, with Fern playing later)

Taped December 12, 1985; series aired September 15, 1986 - September 8, 1989

Slightly different format, with blue nameplates.


 * December 12, 1985 (Burt Reynolds, Loni Anderson, Marla Gibbs, Dick Butkus & Bubba Smith, Steve Landesberg, Apollonia, Tony Danza, Jackie Collins, Dom DeLuise; Steve vs. Karla)

Hot Seat
Taped January 17, 1976; series aired July 12 - October 22, 1976

Slight graphical differences, and the bonus round was played like the front game with a twist I'd expect from Barris rather than Heatter-Quigley: the husband saw three prizes (a washer/dryer combo, an expensive sports car, and a cheap iron with ironing board) and said "No, I would not like that prize." for each; after the third reaction, the wife chose which prize they'd win.

Per Randy Amasia many years ago, the twist was that the third prize was modeled by a young lady in a bikini, and the lie detector shot to the far end of the scale; the wife chose that, and she screamed in agony at what the show had pulled (not to mention her husband being a pig).

Clips aired in a series-debut promo.


 * July 12, 1976 (Debut promo, with clips of the pilot)

How Do You Like Your Eggs?
Taped 1976; hosted by Howard Blumenthal

Listed as "EGGS PILOT" by the uploader, and certainly qualifies as more of one than the aired episodes do.


 * 1976

Jeopardy!
Taped March 5, 1964 in New York; series aired March 30, 1964 - January 3, 1975

The beginning of a classic. What more can I say?


 * March 5, 1964 (Brief clip)

Taped September 18, 1983/January or February 1984; series aired September 17, 1984 - present

Pilot #1 is the '78 set upgraded to the "personal computer" craze of the era. Pilot #2 has things looking way more like the series, although not quite there yet.


 * September 18, 1983 (Pilot #1: Karen Muranaka/JACK CAMPION/Cynthia Grove)
 * January-February 1984 (Pilot #2: JACK CAMPION/Cynthia {same as before!}/Michael)

The Last Word
Taped 1989 at ABC Television Center; series aired September 18 - December 15, 1989

Pretty much the same as the series, except with Jana White as hostess, Burton Richardson announcing, and each word simply being worth $100.


 * 1989 (Leeann Hunley and Michael Corbett)

Let's Make a Deal!
Taped May 25, 1963; series aired December 30, 1963 - July 9, 1976

Way more sedate, with a Zonk in the Big Deal and some quirky deals that must have influenced the current version.


 * May 25, 1963 (First trader is Maggie {Big Deal: $2,005}; taped from GSN)

Match Game
Taped December 5, 1962 in New York City; series aired December 31, 1962 - September 26, 1969

Slightly different set, a different version of "A Surfin' Safari" (the show's original theme), and a different scoring system. The pilot had been circulating for years before GSN aired it on December 25, 2012, kicking off a 50th-Anniversary marathon/salute to the franchise.


 * December 5, 1962 (Arthur/Peggy Cass/Ronni vs. Rick/Peter Lind Hayes/Mary; has commercials, amusingly {alternate copy, better quality but no commercials})

Taped May 19, 1973 at Television City (at least two pilots); series aired July 2, 1973 - April 20, 1979

"The 1973 edition", with a slightly different set and Super-Match called "Jackpot Match". Pilot A had been circulating for years before GSN aired it during the aforementioned marathon.


 * May 19, 1973 (Pilot A: Bert Convy, Arlene Francis, Jack Klugman, Jo Anne Pflug, Richard Dawson, Betty White; Susan vs. Wendy {alternate copy, taped from GSN})
 * May 19, 1973 (Pilot B: Bert Convy, Arlene Francis, Jack Klugman, Jo Anne Pflug, Richard Dawson, Betty White; Carol vs. Susan {same one as before, winnings and all!})

Taped October 1, 1989 (five pilots); series aired July 16, 1990 - July 12, 1991

Bert Convy hosts, the intro uses a circular version of the classic 1973-82 flipping-box one, and there's no Match-Ups. GSN aired this to conclude their aforementioned marathon.


 * October 1, 1989 (Pilot #3: Brad Garrett, Marsha Warfield, Charles Nelson Reilly, Khrystyne Haje, Jerry Van Dyke, Teri Copley; Michelle vs. Harley; taped from GSN)

Taped 1998; series aired September 21, 1998 - May 21, 1999﻿

A pitchfilm concentrating on host Michael Burger's career and showing man-on-the-street clips plus footage of the 1973-82 era. Probably not the best idea given the changes made for the 1998-99 series...


 * 1998 (Pitchfilm)

Monopoly
Taped September 28, 1987/1989 (two pilots); series aired June 16 - September 1, 1990

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! Sure, Pilot #1 wasn't the greatest (although props for the game board and idea of randomly getting a set of properties from one of several envelopes), while Pilot #2 had a better host and format than what eventually aired but got shot down by most stations due to the presence of Patty Maloney as Rich Uncle Pennybags.

In the end, what we got was a 12-episode flop hosted by Mike Reilly that managed to do very slightly better as a regional show in the UK.


 * September 28, 1987 (Pilot #1: Claire/Larry/Isie, hosted by Marc Summers with Don Morrow announcing...and is that Harry Friedman as the male assistant?!; montage including open and close)
 * 1989 (Pilot #2: MIKE REILLY! {Day 4 - $22,570}/Jennifer/Richard, hosted by Peter Tomarken; begins with a partial pitchfilm by Merv)

The $25,000 Pyramid (1974)
Taped around May 1974; series aired September 9, 1974 - September 9, 1979

A pitchfilm that doesn't try to sell stations on the format, instead preferring to have an intro and close by Bill sandwiching a bunch of $10,000 wins (including, interestingly, the one Television City episode GSN's never aired of the November '73 three-week stay). It worked.


 * May? 1974 (Pitchfilm with ten $10,000 wins!)

Second Chance
Taped November 9, 1976 (three pilots); series aired March 7 - July 15, 1977

More money on offer, with a single 64-square pattern and the Devils on lights behind the players.


 * November 9, 1976 (Pilot #3 {"There was a FIRST CHANCE/And then a SECOND CHANCE/Now this is our LAST CHANCE"}: MAGGIE BROWN/JACK CAMPION/Lyn Kline)

Press Your Luck (1983)
Taped May 18, 1983; series aired September 19, 1983 - September 26, 1986

Slightly different Big Board, somewhat different theme, and only one Whammy animation.


 * May 18, 1983 (JACK CAMPION/MAGGIE BROWN/Matt Dorf)

Whammy!
Taped February 13, 2002 (two pilots) at Sony Pictures Studios; series aired April 15, 2002 - July 26, 2003

Had a slightly different contestant area (using "Whammy lights" and tiny score displays), and there was a Whammy Guard if a player managed to get 12 spins in a Question Round. Peter Tomarken hosted Pilot #1, with Todd Newton hosting #2.


 * February 13, 2002 (Pilot #2: ?/Dion/Ariane; all three clips put on Game Show Central)

Shop 'Til You Drop
Taped 1991; series aired July 8, 1991 - September 30, 1994

Hosted by Scott Herriott, with a lot of differences from the series including a way more basic set, a contestant area I'm pretty sure is from Fun House, a hostess(!), and a bonus round cash display that counts downward.


 * 1991 (Curt & Debbie vs. Pam & Mel; montage including full first segment and most of bonus round, prefaced by intros from Wink Martindale and Pat Finn)

Split Second
Taped October 27, 1971; series aired March 20, 1972 - June 27, 1975

Way more basic set, and a different theme that sounds like the '72 one is being played upside-down.


 * October 27, 1971 (#SPS-43: Maggie {Day 3 - $580}/Shirley/Tom {Jackpot: $3,000}; montage including slate, open, and close)

Temptation (2007)
''Taped November? 2006 (two pilots); series aired September 5/10, 2007 - May 23, 2008''

Oh, boy...taped on the set of the Australian version with a bad host, a pitchfilm so focused on "ooh shopping" that the whole "quiz" element was an afterthought, and pre-debut promos that showed they had the crappy format changes from the start.

Apparently, the pilots were offered on eBay at one point, so someone has them.


 * November 4, 2006 (Pitchfilm with clips of both pilots {Pauletta/Chris/Tina and Helen/Caitlin/Vi; yes, only one male}, plus an attempt to use the Aussie version as proof the American one will do well; there's just two problems with that – one, that version had good hosts and two, one of the clips is of the legit Fame Game)
 * September 2007 (Debut promo with clips of the pilots, including Knock-Off and the neutered Fame Game)

Tic Tac Dough (1990)
Taped 1990; series aired September 10, 1990 - March 8, 1991

Slightly different intro spiel, a very different method of Patrick Wayne making his entrance, and a worse bonus round (pick a box, stop the flasher and get X or O; no Dragon).


 * 1990 (Intro)

Twenty One (1956)
Taped March 1956; series aired September 12, 1956 - October 16, 1958

Taped for CBS, with a different logo and "SPONSOR" where "Geritol" was in the series.


 * March 1956 (Marian Swintor vs. Maurice Pilabbey)

Wheel of Fortune (1975)
Taped August 28, 1974 (two pilots); series aired January 6, 1975 - June 30, 1989

Hosted by Edd Byrnes, with a somewhat different set from the show as it debuted a few months later. Clips of the first pilot appeared during the ceremonial 3,000th nighttime episode in 1998, albeit with claims that it was the pilot.


 * August 28, 1974 (Pilot #1: Marge {Champ}/Gary/Roseanne)
 * August 28, 1974 (Pilot #2: Tanya {Champ}/Frank/Lois; ends during Round 2)

WinTuition
''Taped July? 2002; series aired December 9, 2002 - April 1, 2003''

Hosted by Marc Cohen, with a very different set and logo.


 * July 3, 2002 (Pitchfilm)

Wipeout (1988)
Taped September 2, 1987; series aired September 12, 1988 - June 9, 1989

Slightly different rules, very different everything else (set, theme, logo, the presence of a hostess and the usage of trilons...).


 * September 2, 1987 (La Dawn {$2,300}/Chuck/Nan {Car: Chevy Corvette})

Wordplay
Taped October 12, 1986; series aired December 29, 1986 - September 4, 1987

Hosted by Peter Tomarken, with Rod Roddy announcing and a different setup for the front game board.


 * October 12, 1986 (Stuart Pankin, Betty White, PAT SAJAK!; Patrick vs. Luana {Bonus Round, not called Speedword, is at $5,000}; montage including open)

Unsold Pilots
The pilots that didn't make it, for one reason or another.

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

Pretty good, except for the "wins have to be consecutive" rule.


 * 1985 (Pilot A)

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)

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 only)

Boggle
Taped 1987; hosted by Bill Rafferty

Based on (or later became) a Dutch series.


 * 1987 (Montage, including open)

Cash Tornado
Taped April 5, 1994 at Television City; 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 1994 series.


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

Concentration (1985)
Taped 1985 (five 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.


 * 1985 (Lori vs. Hap)

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).

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


 * November 1992 (Montage)

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.


 * 1966 (Pilot A: Carolyn Jones & Michael Landon)

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)

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)

Double Cross
Taped November 16, 1975 at Television City; 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)

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)

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; 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.


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

Gambit
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 only)

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; no credits)
 * 1990? ("Runthrough" opening animation)

Going Going Gone!
Taped 1959; hosted by Richard Lewellen

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


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

Hollywood Teasers
Taped 1993; hosted by Robb Weller

An attempt to revive All-Star Blitz without the bonus round.


 * 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 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)

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 (two pilots); hosted by Allen Ludden

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


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

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...


 * May 18, 1985 (Pilot #1: Vicki vs. Jeryl)
 * May 18, 1985 (Pilot #2: Michael vs. Vicki)

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)

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

Same set as Gameshow Marathon, but who thought it'd be a good idea to do this without an audience (or at least not a responsive one)? 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)

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)

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)

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. Everything here is fine (especially the actors from the film-within-the-show, who somehow managed to keep a straight face and stay in-character while Groucho was questioning them) except Jack Linkletter, who clearly took after Bert Parks in the "hosting style" department minus the charm and sincerity.

The main issue I have with Jack is his interaction with Groucho. Groucho's clearly there to be himself (i.e., funny), so Jack decides to try and keep Marx 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. I honestly think Jack's hosting was the no-sale factor, because like I said everything else here is fine.

Amusingly, the film-within-the-show has a 1963 Screen Gems copyright credit when its logo appears.


 * 1963 (Murder in the Crystal Ball)

Puzzlers
Taped March 25, 1980; hosted by Pat Sajak

One of those unique Goodson-Todman formats that didn't sell. Uses the Mindreaders theme.


 * March 25, 1980 (open and round seen during Game Show Moments Gone Bananas)

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

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)

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

Interesting, from what little is around.


 * August 16, 1978 (Intro)

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

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


 * 1988 (Runthrough)
 * 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)

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)

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)

Twenty One (1982)
Taped April 24, 1982; 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.


 * April 24, 1982 (Steve vs. Marie)

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.


 * 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.


 * 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 Week show following his return, after You Bet Your Life was an answer to a question about Groucho Marx.


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

"Not-For-Broadcast" Stuff
Even with shows that sell, there's things typically not meant to air: rehearsal games, host auditions, self-parodies, etc.

Break the Bank
 * May 20, 1976 (#[illegible] 'A'-BKB-76: Foster Brooks, Gunilla Hutton, Jaye P. Morgan, Buzz Aldrin, Jan Murray, Gail Fisher, Liz Torres, Greg Mullavey, Abe Vigoda; Karen vs. Ron, with Irene and Nancy playing later {Bank starts at $8,500})
 * [Taped alongside the ninth ABC week with the same celebs, this episode was done to test a rule change (a wrong guess gives the chosen box to the other player unless it would lead to a win or block) and had at least one player who had been on the show before (Irene had been on May 12-17 or 18). This was also before a change to make the Bank increase by $2,500 per game, rather than the original $5,000.]

Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak
 * December 2, 1985 (Test Episode: Ivana/Pat/Taylea/Ingrid/Linda vs. Howard/Brian M./Paul/Brian P./Larry)

Decades
 * Late 1995 (Clips of a New Year's Special {Pilot?} that may not have aired, taped on the Wheel of Fortune set)

Game Show Network
 * 1996 (Pitch tape hosted by Pat Sajak)

The Great Getaway Game
 * 1990 (Jim vs. Howard, neither of whom even buzz in for any questions...but there's a good reason, as Wink soon discovers; open and most of gameplay)

Headline Chasers
 * 1985 (Rehearsal episode hosted by Johnny Gilbert, with that week's couples rotating!; begins with Jamie & Michael vs. Lee & Richard)

High Rollers
 * April 1988 (Rehearsal game on the final day of taping: full open and other various clips)

Jeopardy!
 * 1985? (Rehearsal game hosted by Mark Richards, with Randy Amasia as a contestant!)
 * 1985? (Another rehearsal game, also hosted by Richards)

Let's Make A Deal
 * 1990-91 (Compilation of clips and behind-the-scenes stuff from the Disney/MGM Studios Live!-esque version of the show, using the same set as the actual program)

Name That Tune
 * 1976 (Bid-A-Note round from a "Holiday Gag Reel" where everybody got into the raunchiness {WARNING: Strong language and sexual references})

Press Your Luck
 * April 17, 1984 (#150: Joe/LaVerne {Day 2 - $9,895}/Diana, the first take with some awkward/funny/awkwardly funny moments; said take is aborted soon after the fourth question is read, but for a pretty good reason... {full second take, with Peter making a brief reference to the first})

Whammy!
 * 2003 (Rehearsal game on the final day of taping, hosted by Mandel Ilagan!)

Pyramid
 * December 30, 1974-January 3, 1975 ($10,000: Adrienne Barbeau & Tony Randall; uncensored clip of Tony flooring Dick!)

Split Second
 * 197? (Clip of a rehearsal game, hosted by Jack Clark!)

Trump Card
 * 1990 (Tommy Mazza doing an audience warmup by singing)

Wheel of Fortune
 * August 1988 (Clips of Tim Brando's audition to replace Pat Sajak as host of the daytime version, done on the nighttime set: David/Jennifer/Ellen)
 * August (or so) 1988 (Clips of M.G. Kelly's audition to replace Pat)
 * April 26, 2012 (#MDI-1/"The LOTTERY EXPERIENCE Game": Mary/Eric/Guy, with a unique Prize wedge, the rarely-used "$1,000 bill" Gift Tag, and an onscreen Bonus Round timer among several other oddities)