Those are some golden oldie game shows. The inventor-producers of those shows often made incredible money because they drew in big audiences and huge ad revenue. I remember an even earlier show called "Queen for a Day," where three or four women would line up and tell their hard luck stories (some pretty sad stuff, actually) and one of them would win by scoring high on the "applause meter." The winner won a string of expensive prizes like refrigerators, furniture, trips, and other stuff. I don't know if it made them feel a lot better -- maybe until the tax bill arrived. I think Merv Griffin made his original fortune with game show concepts as producer, then much more with investments. Not much of a showbiz personality, from my point of view, but a serious business person. The host of "Queen for a Day" was a gusty shouter named Jack Bailey, a somewhat stout guy with a mustache. I think "Queen..." pre-dated even Merv who was around TV for forty years or more. Game shows cost about zip to produce, so it was big revenue for nil investment. davet, amazing moment -- porn so soft as to be almost un-dectable except to the horny old morals arbitrators; a dirty mind is a perpetual feast. More popsicles and gym shorts, I say.
