Jeopardy and the Other Greatest Game Shows on TV, Ranked

Ah, game shows, the chance to play and win big money. Just think, you start the show as the everyday average person, complete a few “simple” puzzles or answer a few questions, and you walk away with tons of extra cash. Easy, right? What’s just as much fun as appearing on them and winning money? Why, watching them of course, if viewership statistics is any indication. Many people love to watch games shows and dream about what it would be like to win money and have your life forever changed. That’s the reason why game shows have been so successful over the years. It’s fun to watch, play along, guess the answer on Jeapordy or ‘The Wheel,’ and root for your favorite contestants as they either win big or strike out.

While some game shows require extensive knowledge of random facts, many game shows simply require a little luck and probability skills. So, they are games that anyone could win. After all, it’s more relatable to watch a normal person win than some genius mastermind. However, there is something equally enticing about watching an episode of Jeopardy and seeing its contestants spout random but brilliant facts that often lead to them winning thousands of dollars. Either way, game shows are always entertaining, and along with Jeapordy, these are the best of the bunch.

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8

Family Feud

Viacom Enterprises

In Family Feud, families battle it out for money by guessing answers to survey questions provided in advance by the audience. The game is played by two families consisting of four or five members. Each round begins with a face-off, where one member from each family is asked a question and whosever answer is higher on the survey board wins. The host then asks the rest of the family the same question. The family’s goal is to try to guess all the answers without striking out and getting three X’s. With Steve Harvey as the current host, mayhem and shenanigans are sure to ensue, and Celebrtiy Family Feud takes it to the next level with famous faces playing the game.

7

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

20th Television

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? You can find out by watching this quiz game show which first aired in 2007 and ran for four seasons. Join host Jeff Foxworthy as he tests contestants in common school subjects to determine if they are smarter than a 5th grader. Players would start with a 1st grade subject then work their way to the top, winning money along the way. After successfully answering all the questions, contestants would then face a bonus question and if answered correctly, in addition to the prize money, they won the honors of facing the camera and saying the winning words, “I’m smarter than a 5th grader.” If contestants failed to answer the final question or dropped out earlier in the game before reaching the bonus round, then they would have to face the camera and humiliatingly say, “I’m not smarter than a 5th grader.”

6

Deal or No Deal

Endemol / NBC

In this game, suitcases are your best friend. The rules are simple: there are 26 cases containing various amounts of money ranging from a penny to $1 million. Your job is to pick the case with the winning $1 million. Simple, right? From there, you choose cases to open to eliminate the amount from the playing board, hoping to increase the odds of the million dollars being in your suitcase. Then, after opening a certain number of suitcases, the round is over and a mysterious banker tempts you with a monetary offer. The banker’s job in Deal or No Deal was to ensure you left with as little money as possible by offering you amounts based on the probability of your suitcase containing the million. In the words of Howie Mandel: “Open the case.”

Related: The King’s Man Director Is Working on an R-Rated Game Show

5

The Price Is Right

Viacom / CBS

It pays to shop in The Price Is Right. In this iconic game show, contestants play for a chance to win cash by guessing the retail prices of various merchandise. Each round starts with four different players who all make guesses on the same items. The winner of the round is the player who guesses the closest to the retail value without going over. Then, that player gets to play another round for a chance to win money or a prize. The game varies, but it always has to do with guessing prices. The Price Is Right first started in 1956 with 2,223 episodes before being revitalized by Bob Barker in 1972 with over 9,000 more episodes. It continues to be popular with new episodes still airing, hosted by Drew Carey, who revitalized its popularity in 2007. In addition, the show has been adapted into several international versions in the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, and Vietnam.

4

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

Disney / ABC

Do you think you have what it takes to be a millionaire? In this game, luck is not on your side as you’ll need to rely on your wits and knowledge to win. In Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? contestants answer a series of questions of increasing difficulty, working their way toward the million-dollar question. Unlike most game shows where the setting is colorful and there is fun music playing in the background, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is intense, and features dark lighting and suspenseful music. Before starting each round, the lights go dramatically down and dim, creating the perfect backdrop for this thrilling show. Before recently being canceled, the show ran on and off for over 20 years with various hosts.

Related: Why Mayim Bialik Is Perfect to Succeed Alex Trebek as Jeopardy Host

3

Wheel of Fortune

King World Productions / CBS

Does fortune favor you? Find out by playing Wheel of Fortune, the game show where contestants solve word puzzles and win cash prizes determined by spinning a giant carnival wheel known as the wheel of fortune. The beloved nighttime version which stars Pat Sajak and Vanna White as host and co-host has been running since September 19, 1983. The original version of the show started as a daytime series in 1975 and bounced between NBC and CBS. Today, the show is still going strong and even sparked two spinoffs (pun intended), Wheel 2000 and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune which just recently aired in January 2021.

2

Let’s Make a Deal

ABC Films / Fremantle

Let’s Make a Deal is a fun and wacky game show where everyone wants to make a deal. Contestants dress up in outrageous costumes with the hopes of catching the attention of host Wayne Brady and being chosen to make a deal. Deals vary, but typically, contestants are offered small amounts of cash and can either keep that or choose what’s in a box, or behind a curtain. The catch? The price can either be good and worth more than the money offered or be a zonk and be a goofy, worthless prize. Common prizes include cars, vacations, furniture, and technology. What makes this show even more fun are the comedic personalities of Wayne Brady and announcer Jonathan Mangum, who team up to bring touches of humor to every deal. The show first aired in 1963 with Monty Hall, but CBS successfully revamped it in 2009 and 13 seasons later, it’s still going strong.

1

Jeopardy

King World Productions / CBS

Jeopardy is perhaps one of the most beloved game shows of all time. It first aired on March 30th, 1964 and has over 8,000 episodes to date. Alex Trebek hosted the show for 37 of its seasons until he passed away in 2020. In this quiz show, things are flipped as the answers are provided, and the contestants must give the questions. Three players work their way through a series of topics and questions trying to collect the most money. They battle it out for two rounds: Jeopardy and Double Jeopardy, until the last round known as Final Jeopardy. In Final Jeopardy, one final question is asked. Players then write down their guesses as the famous Jeopardy music plays in the background before the answer is revealed. Today, the show has a new host in Mayim Bialik, but none can replace the legendary Alex Trebek.