Double Dare (Summers) vs. Break the Bank (1976): Clearly a no-contest here. Double Dare was a rite of passage for me. I was a little too young to remember the original, but watched Super Sloppy and especially Family Double Dare, and later enjoyed the earlier episodes on GAS reruns to show that was as just as good as when I first started watching it. What other game show actually has action taking place before the name of the show is even announced? Lots of variety of stunts and obstacles that are still discussed about which are easiest, most difficult, and the popular difficulty spikes of questions that almost always result in a physical challenge. The music is definitely top notch, and Marc Summers makes it enjoyable to see. Break the Bank on the other hand is a decent show that has a good mix of skill and luck along with some decent celebrities and perhaps should have lasted a bit longer, and Tom Kennedy was a good host and I always like straddling formats, though the self-contained one wasn't bad. But its not even the best Break the Bank version, that would be the now mostly destroyed 1948-1957 version that had some good audience play segments and was one of the first popular game shows.
Overall: Double Dare (Summers) 8, Break the Bank (1976) 3
Double Dare (Trebek) vs. Concentration
Trebek's Double Dare had a lot going for it, mainly the progression of clues that vary in difficulty which made strategy important. It also had a cool set going for it, and most importantly the theme that later became associated with Jim Perry's Card Sharks. But its not as fun as some better shows which probably led to its short run, but at least it helped train Alex for his record-hosting run on that other show.
Speaking of Alex, I had fond memories growing up and watching Classic Concentration on the air, and at the time memory matching was my favorite game to play with my mom as we had a Lord of the Rings-themed set. I even played a PC game with a friend involving the show during the show's run. I wasn't good enough at the time to get the rebuses, but it still draws a challenge watching it today. I wish they would have stuck with the original format, but it was still enjoyable to watch. The Jack Narz version and the original versions were also great the time, the former using some Price is Right cues and having a brief but fun bonus round, and the original responsible for returning Game Shows to respectfulness in the wake of the scandals. Too bad an episode hasn't been run on TV for over 20 years!
Overall: Concentration 8, Double Dare 3
