Game Show Network

The Game Show Network (now known as GSN - The Network for Games) is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and interactive television games. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994.

Related Topics:
American - Cable television - Direct broadcast satellite - Game show - Interactive television - December 1 - 1994

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GSN is received by about 57 million homes, and is jointly-owned by Liberty Media and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Related Topics:
Liberty Media - Sony Pictures Entertainment

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GSN holds the rights to the Mark Goodson-Bill Todman game show library, which includes such shows as Match Game, Match Game PM, Password, To Tell The Truth, Card Sharks, Blockbusters, and Family Feud. The network also features other classics such as Jeopardy!, Press Your Luck, The Newlywed Game, and the classic Dick Clark-hosted versions of Pyramid, along with more recent hits like Greed, The Weakest Link, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire?. It also produced original programming like Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck, Friend or Foe? (a game based around the Prisoner's Dilemma), Russian Roulette, Lingo, WinTuition, Cram, and National Lampoon's Funny Money. GSN has a late night programming block known as "Black & White Overnight," featuring game shows from the 1950s and 1960s. Currently showing in this block are What's My Line and Beat the Clock. In the past it has featured I've Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth, The Name's the Same and other black-and-white classics.

Related Topics:
Mark Goodson - Bill Todman - Game show - Match Game - Match Game PM - Password - To Tell The Truth - Card Sharks - Blockbusters - Family Feud - Jeopardy! - Press Your Luck - The Newlywed Game - Dick Clark - Pyramid - Greed - The Weakest Link - Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? - Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire? - Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck - Friend or Foe? - Prisoner's Dilemma - Russian Roulette - Lingo - WinTuition - Cram - National Lampoon's Funny Money - 1950s - 1960s - What's My Line - Beat the Clock - I've Got a Secret - The Name's the Same - Black-and-white

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On March 15, 2004, the network changed its on-air moniker to GSN, as it expanded its programming to include the genre of reality television and various other competitions. GSN's current tagline is "The Network For Games." (However, the entity's corporate name remains Game Show Network, LLC.)

Related Topics:
March 15 - 2004 - Reality television

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The newly renamed GSN also introduced their original series World Series of Blackjack, Celebrity Blackjack, Extreme Dodgeball, Poker Royale, Ballbreakers, and the short-lived Fake-a-Date and Vegas Weddings Unveiled. It also began airing reruns of The Mole, Average Joe, Dog Eat Dog, Arsenio Hall's Star Search, Kenny vs. Spenny, Spy TV, Win Ben Stein's Money, and Street Smarts. A number of these shows have since been dropped from the schedule.

Related Topics:
Extreme Dodgeball - Ballbreakers - The Mole - Average Joe - Dog Eat Dog - Kenny vs. Spenny - Win Ben Stein's Money

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On April 4, 2005 GSN introduced a new daytime lineup featuring several older game shows that had not been seen on the network for some time, including the two most recent versions of Password (Password Plus and Super Password), the 1990-91 version of To Tell The Truth, and the Bill Rafferty-hosted versions of Blockbusters and Card Sharks. This daytime lineup was accompanied by the "Men From GSN" advertising campaign, a Desperate Housewives parody featuring a group of women cooing over such game show hosts as Richard Dawson and Chuck Woolery. For a brief time in the spring of 2005, GSN also ran five-episode marathons of older game shows on Saturday nights, under the "Saturday Night Classics" banner.

Related Topics:
April 4 - 2005 - Password - To Tell The Truth - Bill Rafferty - Blockbusters - Card Sharks - Desperate Housewives - Richard Dawson - Chuck Woolery

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Also in the spring of 2005, GSN acquired approximately 100 more episodes of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, including the Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire? specials.

Related Topics:
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? - Who Wants to Be a Super Millionaire?

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In June 2005, GSN acquired the rights to all seven seasons of reality series The Amazing Race for a reported US$50,000 per episode. Beginning July 11, 2005, they are airing twice daily, in succession. GSN has also renewed their original game show Lingo. New episodes began airing on August 1, 2005.

Related Topics:
June - The Amazing Race - July 11 - 2005 - Lingo - August 1

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Despite the addition (and subsequent subtraction) of several reality series, GSN's programming has always remained mostly game shows. As the only U.S. cable/satellite network largely devoted to game shows for adults, GSN is a prototypical niche operation. It remains to be seen whether such a concentrated focus is commercially viable in the long run. Currently, GSN is available in only about half of all U.S. households. However, the network's financial performance has improved in recent years.

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The United Kingdom satellite and cable network Challenge is the closest British equivalent to GSN; it has similarly expanded its programming in recent times to take in programmes which are not, strictly speaking, game shows. It shows British versions of several of the US shows on GSN; for example, Play Your Cards Right (based on Card Sharks), Family Fortunes (based on Family Feud) and the original UK version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Challenge - Play Your Cards Right - Card Sharks - Family Fortunes - Family Feud - Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

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