RIP Peter Marshall + my 15 favorite classic game shows

Peter Marshall has passed away from kidney failure at age 98 and it reminds me how much I loved games shows growing up in the 1970s and 80s.

Although his Hollywood Squares was far from my favorite of the genre, I definitely watched my share of episodes, which always included fascinating and wild guests like Rich Little, Paul Lynde, Vincent Price, Buddy Hackett, Jonathan Winters, Garrett Morris, Andy Kaufman, Redd Foxx, Dolly Parton, Norman Fell, Tony Randall, O.J. Simpson, and Florence Henderson.

Marshall hosted the daytime show - I would come in from swimming at my lake house in the summertime to often find it on the TV - from 1966 to 1981. It would later run in prime time. Because of said guests (see the hilarious Lynde best-of mix above), it probably matches The Gong Show as the funniest game show ever, perfectly balanced by Marshall’s straight-man hosting that kept the show on the rails, at least barely.

The show would film a whole week’s worth of episodes in one night, with a boozy dinner often served somewhere in the middle, lending to some of the wild-and-crazy moments throughout. An example from the New York Times:

True or false,” Mr. Marshall asked Paul Lynde. “Some airlines now give you a thorough frisking before permitting you to board the plane.”

“That’s the only reason I fly,” Mr. Lynde replied.

And another, between Mr. Marshall and Joan Rivers:

“Is it a good sign if your man loves animals?” he asked.

“Not to excess,” she replied.

Here are my 15 favorite classic game shows from when I was a kid (meaning, roughly, the shows from about 1975 to 1985) and watched them plenty:

15. Scrabble

14. The Newlywed Game

13. Name That Tune

12. The Dating Game

11. Pyramid

10. The Joker’s Wild

9. Wheel of Fortune

8. Battle of the Network Stars

7. The Hollywood Squares

6. Love Connection

5. Press Your Luck

4. Family Feud

3. The Gong Show

2. The Price is Right

1. Jeopardy!