Jeopardy, 8-3. I won't go to the extreme and say that Jeopardy is the best game show of all time — it is mighty close though, IMO. But with what it has been and what it is… dare I say, it is Mr. Griffin's magnum opus. I strongly believe that Jeopardy saved game shows with that small little twist we now take for granted; how many other quiz shows have we seen a contestant have a Freudian Slip and answer in the form of a question? Mr. Trebek has not only fit the role as well as Mr. Flemming before him, this show has allowed him to become the gold standard of what we expect game show hosts to be… that is, when he's sober. And aside from one heinous mistake (J! 78/79), the changes have had little to no impact on the show, whether it be switching cards for monitors, increasing money amounts, or removing champion limits. It may not be as entertaining as it's competitors (outside of some celebrity events), but it is certainly as fit and polished as Mr. Griffin wanted it to be.
Comparing it against Hollywood Squares really isn't all that fair. On its own right, it is entertaining; helps when you have rotating celebrities to trade barbs with the contestants and the hosts. And for what it is, the questions are written right, allowing for an element of fun into the game. For what it is, I always felt H² was a decent show, especially the Bergeron years; but here, it's just unfortunate to face the quiz behemoth.
Wheel of Fortune, 6-5. Full disclosure: I am not, nor will I ever be, a "wheel watcher." Personally, not only am I bored by it, I think a blind monkey can win on that show. That said… respect has to be given not just for how long it's been on air, but also for Sajak and White for what they have done for so long. Even with the unnecessary gimmicks and changes, not just from daytime to syndicated, but within that latter itself (omitting the passing of O'Donnell, of course), the fact that it's still on air with the same talent has to count for a lot in my book.
I wish the same can be said for Family Feud, in terms of consistency. Though the hosts were good, if not serviceable (excluding the dreck that was Anderson), the rate the current series has switched them out has planted a fear in me that Harvey will be let go in a season or two; god, I hope not, because this is the best and most entertaining Feud I've watched since the Combs years. But more so than the emcees, I just wished the round scoring was consistent across the board. Bad enough that I had to figure out the pattern for the Dawson years; worse that they had the Bullseye round (twice); and now this sudden death round since the revival under… him. Without those two critical problems, I'd might have scored this match in Feud's favor, 7-4, but they're too big to ignore.
