The entertainment industry has seen a plethora of genres over the years. One genre that remains popular among viewers of all ages is game shows. These give people the opportunity to win something while learning new information, challenging their knowledge of different facts, or engaging in adrenaline-filled activities.
While there are some new game shows on TV, few, if any, match up to those of the 90s. This remains one of the most exciting periods for the game show sector and heralded some of the changes that formed the bases of modern shows. The following are some binge-worthy game shows from the 90s, from both the US and UK, that you should check out if you missed out on them in the past.
Legends of the Hidden Temple
This show ran from 1993-95 under Nickelodeon. It was an action-packed adventure game show renowned for its talking mascot, Olmec. Teams of two were pitted against each other for the chance to explore a temple in which they could win prizes ranging from telescopes and boomboxes to trips to Space Camp. The most infamous part of the temple’s exploration was the Silver Monkey Shrine, where most contestants failed. Here, contestants had to put together a monkey shrine that fit into a podium in only one particular way.
What Would You Do?
This is not the primetime series based on a hidden camera recording people’s reactions to everyday situations. It was an afternoon Nickelodeon series that ran from 1991-93 hosted by Marc Summers. Summers chose random audience members to engage in crazy antics for the chance to win cash prizes. The show also had a pie pod, a chair in which contestants sat for pies to be automatically launched on their faces.
Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?
This ran from 1991-95 under the PBS network. The show was based on a computer game and saw three junior detectives help the chief and host track a thief that had stolen something important like a stadium. After the thief was captured, the detective that won the trivia rounds would trot the world’s map, trying to find Carmen by adding markers on the countries the host announced. If he/she did find Carmen, the prize was his/hers.
Man O Man
This UK show aired from 1996-99 and was much like an earlier version of the modern-day show Take Me Out. In it, ten men tried different challenges to prove their masculinity to a female audience. If they failed, the men were pushed into a pool until there was only one contestant left. That winning contestant won a prize, such as a motorbike.
Win Ben Stein’s Money
On this show, contestants would answer general knowledge questions for them to win $5000 from Ben Stein. Stein would also answer questions to defend his cash from being won by contestants. Winning someone’s cash is a concept that has happened more since this show. You can play deal or no deal lotto nowadays which in some ways follows a somewhat similar concept to this 90s games show. In it, you beat a banker to win up to one million pounds based on your chosen lucky numbers.
Gladiators and American Gladiators
Four contestants battled it out for the chance to earn the gladiator title on this game show. The contestants were two men and women who engaged in several physical contests with large, athletic muscle-bound gladiators, who were often ex-professional athletes. The Gladiators show ran from 1989-1996 in the US and 1992-2000 in the UK and remains among the most popular game shows of its time.
Get the Picture
This show on Nickelodeon ran for two seasons in the same year with over 100 episodes but in total was only on the air for about 9 months. Contestants on the show were meant to correctly answer trivia questions to unlock a mystery picture on a giant screen. The contestants would then have to guess what the mystery picture depicted. The finalists had to correctly remember where the pictures were on the giant screen to win the game.
Fun House
Originally starting in 1989, this UK favourite ran until 1999. It involved school kids sitting in the audience watching some of their friends engaging in fun filled and gunge-infested antics including go-karting and an assault course. Other popular reasons for watching were Pat Sharp’s hair and the twins that helped present the show.
If you are looking for something to fill your empty days while bringing some excitement into your life, the above game shows are worth considering. Thankfully, most are now available on YouTube, and a few TV stations have re-runs of the same. Moreover, most of the game shows from the 90s were family-friendly and will make a good option for your family fun night.