Behind The Scenes Of Game Shows: Surprising Facts You Didn’t Know

Although some have been rebooted, the magic of the game show format still works, as seen with shows such as Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, The Price Is Right, and many more. If you’re keen to feel a bit nostalgic, these retro game show facts will make you long to relive your favorite primetime memories.

The show’s producers have been around long enough to know that plenty of people are willing and able to fake being a family for a bit of fame and fortune. To avoid that, they have instituted strict rules that require contestants to provide proof that they’re family.

For that achievement, in 2013, she was given the world record for “the most frequent clapper.” Little did we know that by clapping alone, one can be a world record holder. Incredible!

The wildly popular game show has also won 39 Daytime Emmy Awards. Its most famous host, Alex Trebek, was the face of the show for four decades until his death in November 2020. Though no one could ever replace Trebek, his legacy will live on as long as the show does.

The voice actor called the show after host Peter Tomarken claimed in a past episode that “Sufferin’ Succotash!” was Daffy Duck’s trademark phrase. It was, in fact, Sylvester The Cat’s phrase. Blanc called out the hosts’s mistake as he told a contestant that Sylvester was the wrong answer.

The game show was then called Shopper’s Bazaar, and the contenders would win counterfeit money, which they would later trade for real prizes. It really had a shopping segment that lasted until 1989.

During the show, Richard and Gretchen could barely contain their flirtations. It was obvious to family members, staff, and crew that some serious chemistry was going on. However, before the flirtations could grow into anything else, the show ended and the contestants had to leave.

The in-game questions in Jeopardy! are intentionally made much easier in comparison to the qualifying questions. Redditor u/wingnutzero shares his experiences on the matter, explaining that the producers want contestants who are intelligent rather than just lucky. Because television cameras tend to make people self-conscious, it helps to find contestants that are naturally intelligent.

Apart from being an astonishing link to history, Seymour was also a guest on I’ve Got a Secret in 1956. It was a chance to pick his brain about the horrifying experience, and the then-96-year-old shared his thoughts with the show’s panelists, exploring the possible political significance of what he’d lived through that fateful day.

However, producers have laid down some rules to make sure that doesn’t happen too often. If a family ends up winning $100,000, they can’t return to Family Feud for at least 10 years.

A former lifeline and Redditor u/Toastwaver says that the rules were silent on the matter of Googling. Since they’re not explicitly banned from scouring the internet for answers, it’s technically allowable, but they only have 30 seconds to do it!

Dawson warded off their appeals for him to stop and asked the audience for their take through a write-in to the network. As it turned out, they wanted the practice to continue. Dawson was delighted. It was all for good luck and love, he explained. This practice was later banned.

The contestant won $10,000 each time, which made her understandably ecstatic. The producers of the show realized their mistake, but in the end, there was nothing they could do. The participant took home $30,000 in prize money, so it worked out well for her!

Alcala’s sexual innuendos and witty remarks helped him win the game and a chance to date  Cheryl Bradshaw, but the contestant later refused to go out with him because of his creepy vibe. In 2010 he was sentenced to death for killing at least eight people. 

For some people, regular microphones are daunting, especially when speaking in front of a crowd or, worse, in front of a camera. If you are too scared to speak into a large, bulky microphone, a skinny mic can be your saving grace.

With seven thousand episodes under its belt (as of May 2019), Wheel of Fortune is one of the longest-running and most-loved TV game shows in America. Not only has it captured the hearts of American viewers, but it has transcended borders, having been adapted numerous times for international audiences.

Barker stopped dying his hair when he received ample positive reactions to his natural color while on vacation. From then on, he embraced his soft, white hair. Surprisingly, the show’s ratings actually improved as a result of Bob’s natural look. His new style got a lot of people talking, which helped the show’s viewership increase.

One of those was famed NFL quarterback Joe Namath. However, he got cold feet right before signing the contract. After that, the hosting job went to stand-up comedian Ray Combs who carried it for a total of six years.

In 1982, White officially became the co-host of Wheel of Fortune. She gained popularity among the female demographic who fell in love with her wardrobe and her hosting skills.

“That would be nice – to let someone else take over on a show that’s still working well. I’d also like to leave before people tune in and go, ‘My God, what the hell happened to him?’” In the end, though, he and Vanna renewed their contracts and will be with us until at least 2024.

Fortunately, the creator of Jeopardy! had seen Trebek host another game show called High Rollers. He considered Lucille Ball’s suggestion and took Trebek in as the host. Rumors abound that Ball once appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy! but no footage proves if it is indeed true.

He later got into a Family-Feud-style show called Pitfall and then a game similar to Hollywood Squares called Battlestars. You would think he would stop, but his next attempt was with a game show called Malcolm where he talked with a cartoon character.

Van Dyke got his chance at hosting, but he didn’t really see his future there. He described the show as based on a dumb idea of contestants merely guessing the price value of a product and nothing more. Convinced it was never going to take off, he decided to walk away and was replaced by Bill Cullen. 

It turns out that no one knows they’re being surveyed for Family Feud. Rather, a polling company named Applied Research-West calls up random people and asks them to answer 30 to 40 questions. Their answers are used on Family Feud, but the people are never told that.

Remarkably, Merv was able to create the tune in less than one minute. The tune’s original title was “A Time for Tony,” and it was meant to be a lullaby for Merv’s son. However, the music was retitled “Think!” and was later used for the show. According to The New York Times, the music had earned Griffin $80 million by 2005 – all from a mere thirty seconds of play time each episode.

Despite the fact that there has been inflation throughout the years, the cost of the vowel was and still is $250. For example, purchasing every one of the vowels needed to solve “Evaluating Papers” would cost you a hefty $1,000.

Another prank occurred in 2005 when the Ultimate Tournament of Champions episode saw contestants take off their pants on-air in an effort to relieve their tension. Alex Trebek decided to remove his pants too, but it was later revealed on-air that everything was a prank all along.

That’s not the only thing the two TV shows had in common. Family Feud took most of its inspiration from the final round of Match Game – the round where contestants filled in blanks to see if they had a matching answer.

James admitted that most of what he knows was collected from reading books found in the children’s section. James would go to libraries and read all the information available in children’s books. He said he enjoyed the fun way facts are presented in picture books as it makes the information easier to remember.

Bob Barker said that she spent more time viewing herself in the mirror than playing the game during her tenure as a participant on The Price is Right. As a result, she did not win any prizes during her episode.

Little did people know that the set was designed to replicate Burt Reynolds’ actual living room. This was done to establish a homey feel. The game show was created by Burt Reynolds and Bert Convy, who co-produced it under Burt & Bert Productions.

He sent out messages and emails to crew members with a dozen or so rules that he’d like them to follow – mostly it’s about not disturbing him in his dressing room.

A man who needed to guess the price of a computer is an example of a mistake transformed into success. They stated it was a Dell computer, but it turned out they got it wrong; it was an HP PC. As a result, the contender was given the computer by management, who believed the game had not been fair due to the accidental deception.

By a bit of luck, he guessed the right answer to the puzzle (it was “New Baby Buggy”). Pat Sajak described this moment as the “most amazing solve in my 30+ years on the show. No kidding.”

Because of this, management was worried that fans of the old host would lose interest in the show. If this happened, ratings would suffer. To address these concerns, they made changes to the entire show, including a controversial move – they made the games easier for the contestants to win.

The show intentionally built the host’s dressing room far from those of the contestants. This meant that both only saw each other when they were already on-stage and about to play the game. This practice began when Alex Trebek was hired to be the host.

Having a digital board saves a lot of time. This touchscreen board need not be physically turned as it can work on its own via automation. We imagine Vanna misses this part of her job, though. What do you think?

He received a dining room suite, a suit of armor, a trip to a castle in Scotland, and a pony. Yes, a pony. When we said diverse, we meant diverse! Although we have to admit, a pony, a suit of armor, and a trip to Scotland do oddly go together. It is, in fact, the dining room suite that seems out of place.

In this way, rather than finding the right answer (which was “A Streetcar Named Desire”), he speculated “A Streetcar Naked Desire.” The only prize Kevin won was viral embarrassment on the internet.

Luckily, an interview of Late Night With Seth Myers shed light on that a bit. Harvey said a contestant answered “grandma in a birthday suit” when asked about the last thing a robber might expect. When asked about a word beginning with pork, one contestant answered “pork-cupine.”

James made use of his experience to hone his skills. In The Chaser, he was able to break records when he answered twelve questions during the money-building round. He later answered all 19 questions, which allowed him to beat The Chaser.

They became sworn enemies because of this. Barker even threatened to refuse his Lifetime Achievement award at the 2009 Game Show Awards if White was present. What a feud!

Despite the game’s demanding nature, Trebek had been able to keep up the pace for decades. He attributed it to his unusual breakfast of Snickers paired with Diet Pepsi. After being lectured by his nutritionist about its unhealthiness, the TV personality claimed that he shifted to Diet Coke and a Milky Way. In 2019, Alex Trebek decided to upgrade the health factor and munch on granola bars instead. 

Ask any German person to translate “wheel of fortune” for you, and they will likely say, “Glücksrad.” This is the nearest translation, meaning “fortune’s wheel.” Well, that was the name of the German version of this beloved game show, which was on the air from 1987 to 2002.

At that time, they counted a total of 6,829 episodes. The number increased as he continued hosting. Trebek was lighthearted about his win, commenting that as long as he continued to be the Jeopardy! host, he would be able to hold onto his record.

Anderson’s mark on the show was financial. Over the course of his four years as host, he persuaded the producers to up the ante on the prize money. Eventually, they agreed – it went from $10,000 to $20,000. Great job Louie!

Sajak’s hosting skills and humor have earned him 19 nominations for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host, and he has won three times. For a talented host like him, it’s a well-deserved salary indeed!

Sadly, things didn’t turn out so well for him, and Richard Dawson was poised to replace him after his six-year stint. Disillusioned and quietly furious during his last night as host, Combs took out his frustration on a losing contestant who had not won a single point in the game. “I thought I was a loser,” Combs said, “until you walked up here.”

Ken kept coming back to the show, and people loved him more each time. So far, Jennings has been seen in the show’s Ultimate Tournament of Champions. He also appeared in the show’s “Greatest of All Time.” He was eventually hired to be a consulting producer in 2020.

Sometimes, you don’t know what is coming next, but you will be left wondering how the producers can pull off such tricks every time. It seems the people behind The Price Is Right can invent anything, and audiences at home will love it.

Before this goes live, a production crew goes to each player to validate their responses. Some may be required to re-write things, as was the case with Jack, who was discretely told to make his 9 legible enough to ensure his answer would be readable on-screen. Such instructions are made in writing so as not to give a hint to other contestants. Final Jeopardy begins once these tasks are all taken care of. 

We can imagine the excitement she feels every time she’s styled with dresses most women can only dream of wearing. Though she wasn’t able to take any of the gorgeous gowns home, we’re pretty sure she has her own lovely collection.

The show’s sponsor didn’t like his Nixon jokes and producers asked Dawson to tone it down. Instead, he went on live television, called out the sponsor, and said they were free to go if they liked. Later on, when ABC – the company that owned Family Feud – tried to edit out the comments, Dawson said he’d quit if they did. The comments were left unedited.

Though James received a novelty check that included the total amount of his winnings, the actual amount he took home was another story. It did not help that Jeopardy! was filmed in California – the state with the highest income tax. According to the New York Post, James had to pay taxes totaling $1.2 million.

Because of this, contestants can do some research and get an idea of current pricing for things in California. The only problem is, you never know what prizes and items you’re going to have to guess. That is kept strictly confidential.

Sajak has been consistently vocal with his support for Vietnam veterans who remember him shouting “Good morning Vietnam” for months. The proud and famous veteran also worked and supported the National Vietnam Veterans Committee.

When 12-year old contestant Thomas Hurley misspelled “emancipation” during the final round, viewers thought he would be given a free pass for the minor error. Unfortunately, the show’s judges decided it was incorrect. He lost, and his opponent brought home the $66,000 prize.

Patricia Bernard, an audience member on The Price is Right, lost her chance for just this reason. She needed to use the restroom and hurried to the nearest facility. What she didn’t expect was that her name would be called by the host while she was away. The show must go on, so poor Patricia missed out.

He also admitted that he didn’t like homework because he believed the exercises and assignments he was expected to do were useless. James also intentionally skipped most of his classes. Instead, he preferred to spend his time playing online poker.

The rules of the popular game show clearly state that the puzzle must be solved using widely accepted pronunciations. Sadly, the contestant lost his prize. Tip: mind your pronunciation, please.

However, there’s more to these prizes than meets the eye. If you guess the exact price of an item, Drew Carey, the host of the show will give you $500 from his own pocket! Yes, you read that right. He will give you his own money. By 2017, Carey had given away an incredible $187,000.

Judges determine the fate of contestants’ responses. Who are these people that hold the contestants’ future in the palm of their hands? As it turns out, the show’s writers and executive producers get to make the final decision about whether to allow a contestant’s response to pass or fail.

Despite a careful investigation, no controversy has ever been uncovered – the show does not have any tricks up its proverbial sleeves. Hopefully, the show continues to capture the hearts of new audiences as it did with its first-generation run.

The past tweets of Ken Jennings definitely landed him in some hot water. This just proves that you must always be careful of what your tweet. However, after weeks of going back and forth over who should have Jeopardy! hosting responsibilities, producers went back to Jennings who now shares the gig with Mayim Bialik from Big Bang Theory fame. The two will co-host through the end of the season, but who knows who the next host may be.

The show instigated a statistician to present the “Monty Hall Problem,” which became popular when Marilyn von Savant, a columnist for Parade, published ways to solve the problem in a seemingly counterintuitive manner, backed by mathematical solutions and simulations that proved her right in the long run. 

Dawson was persistent though, and eventually, he and the producers struck up a deal. Once he lost 50 pounds, he’d get to host the show once again.

Danielle has been in a wheelchair since she lost her legs in 2004. She participated in the show and won a treadmill. When the host revealed the prize, the audience became quiet, and the mood became awkward. Thankfully, Danielle’s comedic side shone through, and she got everyone laughing about the situation.

During the game, the host gives contestants the chance for viewers to get to know them more. To make this easier, Alex Trebek is given cards filled with facts from the contestants’ lives. He then chooses cards randomly to reveal during the show.

In 2010, Terry Kneiss guessed the price of the showcase correctly. Allegations of cheating were made, and the producers requested that the performance be paused for an hour to examine what had occurred. As it turns out, the numbers were personally significant to Terry. It was pure luck that they perfectly matched the showcase.