Game Shows FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Pioneers, the Scandals, the Hosts and the Jackpots

by Adam Nedeff

(FAQ). TV game shows are an American pastime, broadcast ratings champ, and cultural institution. Lavishly illustrated and filled with entertaining titbits, Game Shows FAQ presents an unprecedented look at how the game show genre has evolved in the past hundred years. From its earliest days as a promotional tool for newspapers, to the high-browed panel games on radio, to the scandalous years of the quiz shows, to the glitzy and raucous games of the 1970s, to the prime-time extravaganzas of the modern era this book examines the most relevant game shows of every decade, exploring how the genre changed and the reasons behind its evolution. Packed with photos and mementos to give a feel of how game shows evolved over the years, the book includes interviews and insights from the shows' beloved hosts, including Wink Martindale and Marc Summers, executives Bob Boden and Jamie Klein, and producers Aaron Solomon and Mark Maxwell-Smith, among others. Game Shows FAQ offers a richly detailed lineage of this American television institution.

Genres: Tv

365 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2018

About the author

Adam Nedeff grew up in Vienna, West Virginia, and spent his childhood infinitely more interested in late night comedy & game shows than afternoon cartoons.

He majored in radio & television at Marshall University and spent a few years toiling as a disc jockey before moving to Los Angeles to see if he could make a career out of his childhood obsessions.

He has appeared as a contestant on three game shows, worked behind-the-scenes for "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Price is Right," and even co-founded a small business, Home Game Enterprizes (www.homegameenterprizes.com), which stages live game shows for private parties and corporate functions.

With encouragement from late night star Conan O'Brien, he finally began writing books about game show history, starting with "Quizmaster," a comprehensive biography of beloved game show host Bill Cullen, and followed that with the four-volume set "This Day in Game Show History."

Reviews

[Steven Rossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decidedly not an FAQ, despite the title. A thorough history of game shows, fun to read.

[Jill Weber]

Lots of fun!