TPIR & Other Daytime Network Shows: Then And/Or Now

[SeaBreeze341]

Every-so-often when I’m in Discord 10 minutes before TPIR starts, complete with a live chat of the program, people are posting about the happenings of LMAD.  I usually don’t have the TV on CBS that early, but that (and several other things) had me thinking that Price is & was great whenever it was surrounded by other game shows.  Or to be more precise, whenever other gameshows preceded Price.

LMAD more-or-less filled a void left whenever GL ended its run, which was a great move for the network given the fact that ATWT exited a year later, with The Talk filling that spot.  Y&R is still around & is approaching its Golden Anniversary.  That, and Price, IMO, has held down the fort for CBS during a period where things were optional for one’s local CBS channel for 16 years between the end of Family Feud’s network run and LMAD.

The question for whoever wants to answer is: Which line up was your favorite?  Or which one was the most popular/successful?  Soon after the debut of TPIR in 1972, the most successful half-hour gameshows that aired in daytime include Match Game, $25,000 Pyramid, Tattletales, and Deal.  Whew is the first show that “opened” for Price since its move to 11 AM Eastern.  Then, save for a 2-year period, other gameshows became a thing for over a decade before local programming preceded TPIR.  FWIW, that might not have been a bad thing for those that didn’t have time for 2 hours of television.

If it were up to me, I’d keep Deal and Price in place going forward, as much as I enjoyed those classics & the classic lineups.  However, I think with the recent popularity of Pyramid & PYL, along with the current dominance of another G/T production in Feud, I wouldn’t have a problem with a different show leading into TPIR.

Feel free to discuss below.  I meant to ask this not too long ago, but I really should’ve posted this poll 18 years ago.  I think the majority of the everyday forum participants aren’t too familiar with the CBS schedules back in the day

[NewsDirector3287]

I voted for the Feud, Wheel and Price trio.  I can't say I have fond memories of watching the CBS Wheel, I was barely 4 years old when the daytime show ended it's second NBC run, however, what I have seen over the years, I have enjoyed. I do have memories of watching Feud, and Ray's version is probably my favorite.  I also think that if he were still around when Bob retired, he should have gotten an audition to replace him. 

My favorite area of TV history is Daytime TV, but I always tend to forget about the afternoon game shows in the 80s.  As for your other choices, I'd say second would probably be the Pyramid, PYL and Price trio then Feud, Card Sharks, Price.  It's not on your poll, but I found Blackout to be a fun show, and I'm sad it didn't get a longer run. 

As for today, my local station airs Rachel Ray before Price, and LMAD in the afternoon. I understand the economics of why they don't do it today, but I sometimes long for the days when the networks programmed daytime.

[TPIRZippy]

I voted for the Feud, Wheel and Price trio.  I can't say I have fond memories of watching the CBS Wheel, I was barely 4 years old when the daytime show ended it's second NBC run, however, what I have seen over the years, I have enjoyed. I do have memories of watching Feud, and Ray's version is probably my favorite.  I also think that if he were still around when Bob retired, he should have gotten an audition to replace him. 

My favorite area of TV history is Daytime TV, but I always tend to forget about the afternoon game shows in the 80s.  As for your other choices, I'd say second would probably be the Pyramid, PYL and Price trio then Feud, Card Sharks, Price.  It's not on your poll, but I found Blackout to be a fun show, and I'm sad it didn't get a longer run. 

As for today, my local station airs Rachel Ray before Price, and LMAD in the afternoon. I understand the economics of why they don't do it today, but I sometimes long for the days when the networks programmed daytime.

Somewhere on a VHS tape I have something recorded off WHDH-TV (or possibly late-era WNEV, but I think it was just after the WHDH changeover) with a local promo for Feud, Wheel, and Price.  It included something to the effect of "Back to back to back!  Will they solve the survey? See Vanna spin! Will they price the prize?  See them win, win, win!  Bringing families together, reinventing the wheel, and if you want to, deal, deal, deal...Bob is here and prizes he'll bring for players who do The Price Is Right thing!  So weekday mornings, let the games begin, on WHDH-TV Channel 7, beginning at 10!" with clips sliding by. 

Something with PYL and/or Pyramid leading into Price was always a favorite too; CBS was lucky to have so many solid game shows back in the day. 

[SeaBreeze341]

I voted for the Feud, Wheel and Price trio.  I can't say I have fond memories of watching the CBS Wheel, I was barely 4 years old when the daytime show ended it's second NBC run, however, what I have seen over the years, I have enjoyed. I do have memories of watching Feud, and Ray's version is probably my favorite.  I also think that if he were still around when Bob retired, he should have gotten an audition to replace him. 

My favorite area of TV history is Daytime TV, but I always tend to forget about the afternoon game shows in the 80s.  As for your other choices, I'd say second would probably be the Pyramid, PYL and Price trio then Feud, Card Sharks, Price.  It's not on your poll, but I found Blackout to be a fun show, and I'm sad it didn't get a longer run. 

As for today, my local station airs Rachel Ray before Price, and LMAD in the afternoon. I understand the economics of why they don't do it today, but I sometimes long for the days when the networks programmed daytime.

The Feud/WOF/PIR line up was pretty good.  By then I had gotten over the loss of Pyramid on CBS, and really, I was mildly upset at most in 1988, unlike when Pyramid exited the lineup earlier in the year (I’ll get to that later, which is fair enough since you referenced it).  I was too excited to see the return of Family Feud to care about any lineup change.  Plus, the syndicated version was still happening.  Even when Clark ended the run, like with PYL, it aired for several years on USA (both network and $100,000).  It felt like it was current, and that was okay for me.

Blackout kind of got a bad deal since it was the show that replaced a hit.  I remember people being upset about it, and fortunately the show returned, though it also helped that Feud wasn’t ready yet (and again, the SYN version was still airing.  FWIW, I haven’t checked the tape dates for Pyramid in a while).  I haven’t seen the show in some time at least, but it was okay.  I don’t think it would’ve lasted too long anyway; it probably would have fit better in the 10:30 spot.  On a related note, it was pretty awesome that Goen got the job for daytime Wheel.  I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was, IMO, a nice consolation for him

[vnisanian2001]

I wasn't alive until 1987, but the 1984-1986 schedule is my favorite.

[pannoni1]

IMO the best CBS game show lineup ever, and perhaps all-time among all networks was from April 1974 until June 1975, when you had MG7X, Tattletales, NYSI, Gambit, TJW, and TPIR. Even though the show was still just half an hour, enough newer games compared to the first season as well as the addition of the DSW rule started to give. MG was really starting to come into its own and was the #1 show in daytime for much of this run.

My favorite lineup from the '80s is the lineup from January-September 1986 when you had Card Sharks instead of Body Language along with Price, Pyramid, and PYL (may as well include it since Body Language was often an afternoon cast-off like PYL was in '86). PYL in the afternoon could have been more successful if shows like syndie SOTC, the all-new LMAD, or even Jeopardy! (still not as universally an evening show at the time) were anchoring it instead of talk shows, sitcom reruns, or extra news like many affiliates were doing at the time. Body Language instead of Price is a close second, but I like the CS set/atmosphere a bit more.

Despite LMAD's return with TPIR, there hasn't been a network with a daytime lineup of at least three game shows since 1993 (Scrabble, Scattergories, and Classic Concentration reruns).

[FanOfDrew87]

I voted for other.  Because I liked the "three Bobs" era that lasted three months early in 1988.  They included the short-lived game show Blackout with Bob Goen, Card Sharks with Bob Eubanks, and TPIR.

[GRWHAMMY the 2nd]

I voted for other.  Because I liked the "three Bobs" era that lasted three months early in 1988.  They included the short-lived game show Blackout with Bob Goen, Card Sharks with Bob Eubanks, and TPIR.

That reminds me, when i saw TPIR Live earlier this month, Bob Goen DID mention the three-Bobs thing with his show being in that mix

[SeaBreeze341]

Pannoni, I’ve gotta agree with you in terms of the greatest line up of all time being the one from the mid-1970s.  That was solid!  While my question focused on the “supporting” shows for a 60 minute show, you take that out of the equation, and it’s not even close.  It helps that I loved each one of those shows.  TPIR was surging, and Match Game 74 & even 75 were peak MG.  Tattletales was on the way, while NYSI was just a perfect show that still saddened me that it didn’t last longer.  The Joker’s Wild later in that decade into the next would be better (IMO), but it was decent with Gambit.

If I ask this question again in the future, I think I’ll definitely have to put 1974-1975 as a valid choice.  There are two choices I’ll definitely pitch FWIW.  If someone actually wants to choose that, they can select other.  That’s if I run this poll back.

Well, as this poll expires, it was not my intention to post my final thoughts 28 years removed from when Ray Combs walked off the set.  It’s sadly fitting, as his version of Family Feud and the end of it ended an era of gameshows surrounding, preceding, or opening for TPIR.  Well, for over a decade in a half.

Anyway, this survey does close Saturday morning.  I meant post here earlier (for the most part, over a week ago, but within the past 24-48 hours) but better late than never.  Thanks to everyone that participated; it looks like the 1984-1986 lineup was the best, and I agree.  I prefer the 1986-1988 one with Card Sharks, but as mentioned, there was just something exiting about seeing the intense competition of PYL right after the glory of Pyramid, and right before TPIR.  Of course, this was when they moved to $50,000 in terms of the winnings limit.  The show had its share of 5-time champions.   Of course, that trio started when Tattletales was still on the air.  A classic great replaced by a unique (and decent) show in Body Language, that wasn’t too bad of a lineup in 1983-1984.

TPIR & Pyramid were still tops on CBS, but I loved seeing Card Sharks added there.  For me, it gave me a Prize feel.  A MG production, it was so pure with the sound effects, the set, colors, music, and the host.  They even did the still photos for the contestants (not that much though).  The show expanded with the two part end game and the 10 person surveys.  That might have taken away gameplay and slowed down action a bit, but with that came some great conversation, especially when you had the same people weekly.   The money cards were what they were, but the car game was perfect.  Not much stalling or suspense (Bob went from left to right , no buildup) but the hope that they won a car was there.  Didn’t pay off a lot, but when you win money, the consolation was there well in advance.

LMAD and TPIR are here to stay, but that settled for a third place tie with the 1989-1991lineup, behind the 1986-1988 schedule.  As mentioned, it’s been a minute since they’ve had 3 gameshows, and I don’t see that happening.  They’d have to start at 9 AM (Eastern).  I can’t speak for anyone, but my content from 9-10 is perfect.  No need for a change there