Almost Popular Game Shows

Game shows are hot. But for every one that makes it to the air, many more game shows never find an audience or even get out of the development stage. This article is dedicated to the game shows that never were, the game shows that never had a chance and the game shows that never should have been.

Meal or No Meal

In this show three celebrity customers try to decipher the menu at a fast food restaurant. The first to figure out the difference in cost between ordering their burger, drink and fries separately or as part of a meal wins.

Why it Failed
Rising cholesterol levels forced the show into an early grave.

The Price is Write

This game show featured struggling writers as they juggled their day jobs while pursuing their writing careers. The writer-contestants would compete in various games, such as Adverb Challenge and Spot the Fragment.

Why it Failed
Deemed too depressing for network television, this game show was doomed from the start as no one wanted to see what would-be writers go through on a daily basis.

The Hating Game

It's hard to believe that someone thought this game show would be a hit. Featuring white supremacists, skinheads and other racist imbeciles, the contestants would attempt to talk for five minutes without saying something ignorant or repulsive.

Why it Failed
Technically the show didn't fail. While offensive on every level, the show's initial concept was reworked to become The Jerry Springer Show.

The Bong Show

The shortly-lived series had its heyday in the late '60s, until Nixon declared war on drugs. Contestants would compete to see who could ramble on the longest without binging on Twinkies and Little Debbies. In the bonus round, contestants would have to perform simple tasks without laughing. The same concept was brought out a few years ago as Hash Cab, but it too, died a similar fate.

Why it Failed
Two main reasons doomed these shows. Number one, they were stupid ideas. Number two, production difficulties - it was too difficult to keep the contestants from rambling on for only half an hour.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire - After Taxes Edition

This game show seemed like a sure thing following the success of regular Who Wants to be a Millionaire. However, once contestants found out what their prizes actually were after taxes, it was nearly impossible to get anyone to compete.

Why it Failed
With the original Millionaire airing nearly every night, in nearly every available time slot, there was simply no room left for this tepid spin-off.

Family Skewed

This game show seemed like a sure winner -- dysfunctional families competing, not against each other, but with each other to match the most popular choices of audience surveys.

Why it Failed
Difficulty finding intact families was the main cause of this show's early demise. Constant bickering over telephone privileges and bathroom usage made this show difficult to hold together.

Squeal of Fortune

The success of the movie Babe inspired this Wheel of Fortune rip off in which pigs compete for fabulous prizes.

Why it Failed
Duh.

These are but a few of the many game shows that almost made it to the air. Perhaps someday, with a little luck we will be able to see these classics brought back to life.