When it comes to TV that stands the test of time, few could dispute that game shows have more staying power than most. If you were to rank the longest-running TV shows ever, nearly all of the top entries would be game shows of some kind.
Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, The Price is Right, and Jeopardy all rank among the top TV series when it comes to longevity. While this is well-known, what is often less discussed is the impact of these veteran game shows on wider media and pop culture. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most culturally influential game shows ever produced.
Wheel of Fortune
Even if you have never seen an episode of Wheel of Fortune, you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with the premise, owing to its mainstream success. The beaming host spins the wheel, and your fortunes could flip in an instant, with life-changing prizes or devastating dummy prizes awaiting you. Naturally, this 5000+ episode series has been endlessly replicated across the media.
There are Wheel of Fortune board games, Wheel of Fortune console games, and even Wheel of Fortune-inspired online casino games. One prominent example here is the popular Reels & Wheels game on the Bodog website, which adds a WoF-style bonus round in between slot spins, where users can multiply their winnings. Few game shows have such an extensive cultural reach.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
WWTBAM is often described by cultural critics as one of the most influential game shows in history, despite only being launched in the 1990s. The game completely changed the parameters of the format. For the first time, contestants could play for a seven-figure prize, something completely unheard of at the time.
Meanwhile, the show departed from the usual jolly, colorful style of game shows, opting instead for intense music, intimidating lighting, and a stern host. The format has been copied across countless game shows since, including The Chase, The Million Pound Drop, and The Weakest Link.
Meanwhile, you can find references to the show in countless TV shows, movies, and memes, with the creation of the show even being the subject of an award-winning drama show called Quiz. Few other television creations could claim a similar cultural impact.
Family Feud
With 2,311 episodes under its belt and various iterations running in more than 50 countries, Family Feud is clearly doing something right. More than 40 years after it was first aired, it continues to be the number-one-rated television show in the United States, averaging millions of viewers every single time it airs.
The adversarial format and the innate comedy element of the show have made it ripe for parody, with the likes of Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, South Park, and Family Guy all making regular references to the show. Meanwhile, the format has been spun out into countless other media formats, with board games, video games, and online games replicating the show all enjoying commercial success.
These examples of cultural superpower game shows demonstrate that all it takes is one good idea to create something that will be loved by audiences for generations.