A group of people behind a desk in a TV studio with a man standing in front of them holding a clapper board.
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TV Game Shows

Australian TV Game Shows from the 1950s to Now

Quizzes, Calamity and Carry-Over Champs

The NFSA is celebrating TV game shows – from the popular and long-running family favourites to the cult classics.

Game shows and quiz shows have been an integral part of Australian television since it launched in 1956. 

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, they were 'appointment television' and dominated the free-to-air TV landscape.

Whether it's a high-stakes battle of wits, a fast-paced test of general knowledge, a wacky physical skirmish or a search for love – everyone has a favourite TV game show. 

The following clips provide a snapshot of Australian TV's game show history. 

Sale of the Century: World Championship Final
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1029362
Courtesy:
Nine Network
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Year

Sale of the Century (1980–2001) was one of the most popular television game shows in Australia. Other countries around the world had their own versions of the game as well. 

This clip shows the 'Fast Money' segment to decide the overall winner in the first World Championship Series Final in 1987.

Champions from New Zealand, Great Britain, the USA and Australia competed for the prestigious title. Australia's Cary Young was ultimately successful.   

This clip is from episode 1492, recorded on 18 February 1987, and hosted by Tony Barber.

It's A Knockout Celebrity Special: Guy Pearce, Kylie Minogue and more
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538279
Courtesy:
Network Ten
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It's a Knockout (1985–87) was a hugely popular show on Australian television in the 1980s. 

The show followed an identical format to the 1970s show Almost Anything Goes and was loud, chaotic and colourful.

It was hosted by Fiona MacDonald and Billy J Smith, and featured teams made up from local sports clubs and community groups competing for cash prizes.

The Celebrity series, held once a year, was especially popular. Teams were made up of celebrities from Network Ten, radio personalities, athletes, sports stars and others from 4 states who competed against each other to win money for their chosen charities. 

This clip from the fourth It's a Knockout Celebrity Special introduces the teams and their captains. The stars in this episode include Guy Pearce, Kylie Minogue and Tina Arena.

We then see the first challenge, which involves a team member dressed in a bee costume battling their way through an obstacle course, with very funny results.

This final It's a Knockout Celebrity Special was recorded on 15 August 1986, but not broadcast until the following year.

Perfect Match
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NFSA ID
1607169
Courtesy:
Fremantle
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Year

'Like an oyster and a pearl, And a guy and a girl
What have you got? You got a Perfect Match!'

Perfect Match (1983–89) was a 1980s game show that had a very similar format to its 1970s predecessor Blind Date, but with the glitz, glamour and colour dialled up to 11!  

A catchy theme song, a match-making robot named Dexter and a healthy dose of saucy innuendo was a formula for ratings success, if not for true love.

The show was hosted by 80s heartthrobs Greg Evans and later Cameron Daddo, with their respective co-hosts Tiffany Lamb and Deborah Newsome.

This clip features Evans and Lamb and introduces the evening's contestants and the first round of questions.

This clip is from ep 138/1, recorded on 9 October 1986 and broadcast on 3 November 1986.

Ask Me Another: Australia's first TV game show
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NFSA ID
510833
Courtesy:
Nine Radio and Cinesound Movietone Productions
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Year

This is a complete and publicly unseen 1953 game show pilot episode hosted by Jack Davey, Australia’s biggest radio star of the era, with strong claims to being Australia’s very first television game show production.

Three years before television launched in Australia, Charles Ogilvy – the Managing Director of Macquarie Broadcasting Service – organised for Fox Movietone’s cameras to record one of their radio programs.

On Tuesday 30 June 1953, the live audience at 2GB’s Macquarie Auditorium in Phillip Street, Sydney unknowingly found themselves part of Australian television history. The film pilot was created during the recording of episode 164 of Ask Me Another.

Davey’s on-screen panel consisted of Daily Mirror journalist Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Riddell, writer Keith Smith (who later devised the popular radio and TV show The Pied Piper), French-born Australia’s Amateur Hour contestant Linda Lorene and newspaper cartoonist Dan Russell. Also seen are announcer David Low and assistant Joan Scahill.

A mocked-up advertisement for the show’s main sponsor, Eno Fruit Salts – produced without a soundtrack and featuring fellow 2GB personality Keith Walshe hamming it up for the camera – was also included for demonstration purposes. 

The haste in which the production was completed is evident. Still in pristine condition, the 35mm film contains no titles, credits or visible captions. Sound mixing was only cursorily undertaken with the silently filmed cutaways of the audience, panellist close-ups and the Eno advertisement making for a jarring viewing experience. Even panellist Keith Smith’s name plate has an obvious (intentional?) spelling mistake!

Ask Me Another commenced on radio in March 1950. In each episode, a panel of 4 personalities sought to uncover a phrase that was either animal, vegetable or mineral, within the allocated 20 questions. Prizes were awarded both to listeners sending in their suggestions, and other contestants on stage if the panel failed to match the phrase.

Ask Me Another ran for 5 years on radio but of the 262 episodes produced, only a handful survive today.

The filmed Ask Me Another pilot did not lead to Macquarie obtaining a Sydney TV licence and it never went to air. Nevertheless, Macquarie initially followed through with their interest in adapting their radio shows for television.

In February 1957, only months into regular television broadcasting in Australia, Jack Davey found himself fronting the cameras of ATN7 for 3 of his radio shows: Give It A Go, The Dulux Show and The Pressure Pak Show. However, none were successful. Only The Pressure Pak Show – a reworking of the Ask Me Another format – survived into 1958.

Diagnosed with lung cancer in June 1959, Jack Davey continued to schedule hundreds of engagements in his final year across radio, film, charity events and newsreel narration duties, the latter as the voice of Movietone News editions for 25 years. 

Unquestionably Australia’s greatest radio star, Davey's passing at age 52 on 14 October 1959 was a national news story.

Read more about Jack Davey and the Ask Me Another television pilot.

Blankety Blanks with Graham Kennedy
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6009
Courtesy:
Fremantle
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Year

Blankety Blanks was a hugely popular game show of the late 1970s hosted by legendary TV personality Graham Kennedy.

It initially ran for 2 seasons and was based on a US game show called Match Game.

The show featured a panel of celebrities and 2 contestants. The contestants and celebrities were read a statement with a word missing and they all had to come up with a word to fill in the blank.

The contestant whose blank word matched with the most celebrities was the winner and would go on to play a solo round for prize money.  

The celebrity panel was made up of regular contributors Noeline Brown and 'Ugly' Dave Gray, who featured in almost every episode, along with other entertainers, actors and singers including John Paul Young, Stuart Wagstaff and Noel Ferrier. 

The panel in this clip includes Noeline, Dave and Stuart as well as actors Wendy Hughes and Barry Creyton, and singer-songwriter Trevor White.

Although the show was a ratings success, Kennedy decided after 2 seasons that he didn't want to renew his contract, preferring to leave the show on a high note. 

Blankety Blanks was revived in Australia in the 1980s, hosted by Daryl Somers, and the 1990s, when it was hosted by Shane Bourne.

This clip is from Episode 14/2 of Blankety Blanks

Rockwiz: Featuring Liam Finn and EJ Barnes
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NFSA ID
1486832
Courtesy:
Renegade Films (Australia) Pty Ltd
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Year

Rockwiz (2005–2016) was the ultimate television show for hardcore rock music lovers.

Part quiz show, part live music event, Rockwiz had an original format that mixed well-known musicians together with members of the public, chosen from the audience, into 2 teams of competitors. The quiz segments were book-ended by live performances from the musical guests.

Contestants were always highly knowledgable, having gone through an off-air selection process that involved a few rounds of questions. 

Episodes were filmed at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel and were then broadcast on SBS, where the show gained a devoted fan base who loved the no-fuss, pub trivia-style approach. 

Rockwiz is also one of the very few Australian TV game shows to have a female host, with actor, presenter and comedian Julia Zemiro fronting the show and fellow comedian and actor Brian Nankervis assisting. 

The guests in this episode were Liam Finn and Eliza-Jane (E-J) Barnes – the children of Neil Finn and Jimmy Barnes respectively. Both are very talented musicians in their own right and were touring together at the time.

Liam Finn, who was lead vocalist and guitarist with New Zealand rock band Betchadupa, had just released a solo album titled I'll Be Lightning. EJ Barnes, along with her siblings, had been in The Tin Lids as a young child and she had also performed with her father Jimmy before touring with Finn. 

This excerpt from the show features a fast-paced round of questions about TV show theme songs in which Finn's team performs well, followed by a 'sing the next line' segment that Barnes' team dominates.

Songs named (and sung) include 'Don't You Want Me' by The Human League, 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling' by The Righteous Brothers and 'Runaway' by Del Shannon. The segment ends in a fun group sing-a-long as the scores are tallied.  

This clip is from series 5, episode 60, recorded on 8 November 2007 and broadcast on 1 December 2007.

You can watch more clips from Rockwiz on australianscreen.

Almost Anything Goes: Rollerskating horses
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NFSA ID
5982
Courtesy:
Network Ten
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Year

Hosted by Tim Evans and Brendan Edwards, Almost Anything Goes (1976–78) was a forerunner of It's a Knockout, the popular 1980s show hosted by Fiona MacDonald and Billy J Smith. 

Like It's a Knockout, the show featured 4 teams from different states competing for cash prizes. The games often included dressing up in silly costumes and performing near-impossible physical challenges. 

In this clip, the teams have 2 players wearing rollerskates and dressed in a horse costume being ridden by another teammate dressed as a jockey.

The 'horses' have to navigate their way around a slippery course carrying their jockey the entire time until they reach the finish line. One team manages to breeze through the course, leaving the others in its wake – slipping, sliding and falling over themselves, making for great entertainment. 

This clip is from Episode 10/2 of Almost Anything Goes.

Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
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NFSA ID
1379833
Courtesy:
Fremantle
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Year

The long-running game show Wheel of Fortune (1981–2008) featured contestants who had to guess words, phrases and names after spinning a giant wheel to win money.

It was hosted by, among others, John Burgess who features in this clip, assisted by Adriana Xenides. 

The show often had celebrity specials where well-known TV personalities played on behalf of a home viewer. The celebrities featured in this clip are actor Brian Wenzel, Agro, Fat Cat and Maria Venuti.

This clip is from series 3, episode 12 and was broadcast on 19 October 1991.

You can watch more clips from Wheel of Fortune on australianscreen.

Blind Date starring Bobby Hanna
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NFSA ID
840
Courtesy:
Fremantle
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Year

Blind Date (1967–74) was a dating game show hosted by several different comperes, including Bobby Hanna.

It featured 3 contestants competing for a date with a mystery person. 

The mystery date was separated from the contestants by a partition, while Hanna asked them a series of questions in order to decide which contestant would be most compatible for the date.

Once the winner was chosen, the couple met and were sent on a dinner date.

This clip is a perfect 1970s time capsule, with the hairstyles, outfits, prizes (including 'Gatsby-style knitwear') and even the incidental music firmly placing it in that decade.

In the 1980s the show Perfect Match had great success using the same basic format as Blind Date, but with an updated, glitzy studio setting and catchy theme song.   

This clip is from Episode 74 of Blind Date.

Gladiators
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1292279
Courtesy:
Kevin Jacobsen Productions
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Year

Gladiators (1995–96) was a strength and fitness challenge game show, hosted in its first season by Aaron Pedersen and Kimberley Joseph.

Each week, 4 challengers – 2 male and 2 female – competed against the Gladiators in a series of 'survival of the fittest' style events.

The games were designed to test the strength, stamina, skills and athleticism of the Gladiators and their challengers.

The team of Gladiators included Hammer (Mark McGaw), Cougar (Ashley Buck), Condor (Alistair Gibb), Taipan (Michael Melksham), Fury (Julie Melksham), Rebel (Barbara Kendell), Delta (Karyn Lenehan), Cheeta (Nicky Davico), Vulcan (John Seru), Storm (Charlene Symonds), Flame (Linda Byrnes), Blade (Bev Carter), Tower (Ron Reeve) and Force (John Gergelifi).

Aaron Pedersen, an Arrernte-Arabana man, and Kimberley Joseph, who was born in the Cook Islands, were genuine co-hosts on Gladiators. It made for a refreshing change from the traditional game show format of male host and female assistant. 

Pedersen became a film and TV star and AACTA award-winning actor who originated the role of Detective Jay Swan in the film and TV series Mystery Road (2013, 2018–2020) and film sequel Goldstone (2016).

Mike Hammond took over from Pedersen as co-host for seasons 2 and 3. 

This clip is from the first episode, which aired in April 1995.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that the following program may contain images and/or audio of deceased persons
Pick A Box: The Final Episode
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6873
Courtesy:
Seven Network
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Year

In this television special for the final episode of BP Pick a Box (1957–71), husband and wife team Bob and Dolly Dyer take a trip down memory lane to look at the show's highlights over the previous 14 years before saying their final goodbyes.

Pick a Box was one of the earliest TV game shows to achieve great success, making a smooth transition from radio to TV in 1957. 

This clip features appearances from one of Pick a Box's most famous contestants – Barry Jones, whose verbal jousting and disagreements with host Dyer were legendary.

Jones later became a member of both state and federal parliament and a long-running federal Science Minister for the Labor Government (1983–90).

There were two attempts to revive Pick a Box in the 1980s under the name Superquiz, however they did not have the same success.  

The final episode of Pick a Box was broadcast on 28 June 1971. 

You can watch more clips from Pick a Box on australianscreen.

The Price is Right: Christmas Showcase
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1538625
Courtesy:
Nine Network
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Year

The Price is Right was a popular afternoon game show that saw contestants plucked from the studio audience to take on solo challenges that involve guessing the prices of various products.

The show was known for its catchphrase of 'C'mon down!' as the contestants' names were called, plus its glitzy studio set, glamorous models and excitable contestants.

There were several iterations of the show, which appeared on two different networks and was also known as The New Price is Right.

Larry Emdur is the host who features in this clip, ramping up the tension and excitement during the final 'Showcase' segment of the 1995 Christmas episode. 

The show's other presenters included Garry Meadows (1973–74) and Ian Turpie (1981–85, 1989).

This clip is from episode 95/459, recorded on 15 November 1995.

Good News Week: Bad Street Theatre
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NFSA ID
700752
Courtesy:
Network Ten
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Year

Good News Week (1996–2000) was a chaotic and hilarious mix of news, satire and comedy.

The show was compered by charismatic entertainer Paul McDermott, who was joined each week by team captains Julie McCrossin and Mikey Robins, plus celebrity guests from the world of television, comedy, art, literature, sport, film, journalism and politics.

Good News Week began life on the ABC where it built a strong fanbase before moving to Network Ten in 1999.

In this clip, comedian Wil Anderson takes part in a game called 'Bad Street Theatre'. Paul McDermott shows Anderson a card that describes a recent, and bizarre, news story that he must mime for his two teammates (Julie McCrossin and Tracey Wickham) to guess.

The studio audience also know what is written on the card which adds to the comedy and heightened sense of hilarity.

This clip is from series 1, episode 34 of Good News Week, broadcast on 15 November 1999.

Reg Grundy's Wheel of Fortune
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791655
Courtesy:
Fremantle
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Year

This clip is from an incomplete episode of Reg Grundy's Wheel of Fortune (1959–62), another early TV game show that had its origins in radio.

The show featured contestants who had to spin a wheel to determine their prizes. This clip features some awkward banter from Grundy when the male, unmarried contestant wins some cosmetics.

Wheel of Fortune was the first TV game show that Grundy produced and it's obvious he was still finding his feet in the new broadcast medium as it's a far cry from the slick productions that came out of the Grundy Organisation in the decades to follow. 

The program also had a 'True or False' segment where four contestants wrote down responses to questions posed by Grundy, with his wife Lola collecting the answers. 

A later version of Wheel of Fortune was hugely successful on Australian TV, running from 1981 to 2008.

You can watch more clips from Reg Grundy's Wheel of Fortune on australianscreen.

Jeopardy! with Tony Barber
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441059
Courtesy:
Network Ten
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Year

This Australian version of Jeopardy! (1993) follows the same format as the long-running American game show, where contestants choose from subject categories on the Jeopardy board and must provide their answers in the form of a question. 

Tony Barber, who hosted one of Australia's most successful game shows with Sale of the Century, was recruited for Jeopardy! but the show did not achieve the same success and only ran for one season.

This clip is from series 1, episode 1 of Jeopardy!

Sale of the Century: Who Am I?
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NFSA ID
4118
Courtesy:
Nine Network
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Year

Sale of the Century was one of the most popular and long-running game shows in Australia's television history, running from 1980 to 2001.

It was based on an American game show of the same name from the 1970s.

Legendary TV producer Reg Grundy bought the rights to the program in 1980 and released a modified version of the show in Australia that year.

In this clip, from the very first episode of the show, host Tony Barber introduces ‘The Fame Game’, explaining to the contestants that a correct answer to the next question will earn them a pick from the 'Famous Faces' board where they can either win a prize or score bonus points.

The famous faces are a mixture of local and international celebrities, many of whom are linked to programs on the Nine Network.

Contestant Grant solves the puzzle after just one clue and selects Gough Whitlam from the board. Co-host Victoria Nicolls reveals he has won – 2 pewter beer steins.

'The Fame Game', which was also commonly known as 'Who Am I?', became one of the most popular segments on Sale of the Century

31 Questions: When is it?
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NFSA ID
1613079
Courtesy:
RMITV
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Year

31 Questions (2012–14), which ran on community TV station Channel 31, was a comedic take on Australian TV game shows, hosted by writer David M Green.

The format had 2 contestants facing off against each other answering general knowledge questions.

Some segments of the show paid homage to other quiz shows such as Sale of the Century. In the segment featured in this clip, titled 'When Is It?', Green lists off historical facts and the contestants must guess what year they are from.

As Green gets further into the clues, they become more obvious and more comical, even giving away the answer in one of the clues.

Other segments included 'General Knowledge', 'Word on the Street', 'Complexity' and 'The One Where They Quote the Movies' – a movie quote segment. 

This clip is from series 1, episode 1 of 31 Questions

Supermarket Sweep
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NFSA ID
1396304
Courtesy:
Fremantle
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Year

Supermarket Sweep (1992–94) was a chaotic game show where contestants competed to answer questions about brands and advertising and to find bargains in the aisles of a supermarket that was mocked-up in the studio.

The show was hosted by TV personality Ian Turpie with Tania Zaetta as co-host.

This clip is from episode 92/130 and was recorded on 13 August 1992. 

Name That Tune with Bruce Gyngell: Jimmy Hannan
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NFSA ID
1609458
Courtesy:
Nine Network
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Year

Name That Tune (1956–57) was hosted by Bruce Gyngell and featured contestants who had to guess song titles from the brief excerpts being played live in the studio by the Gus Merzi Quintette.

In this episode, future television personality and Logie Award winner Jimmy Hannan appears as a contestant.

Name That Tune is credited as Hannan's first television appearance. This particular episode was a return appearance for him, so is likely his second time on television.

The program was sponsored by The Australian Women's Weekly magazine, which is heavily promoted throughout the show.

It's A Knockout Celebrity Special: Penguins
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NFSA ID
538259
Courtesy:
Network Ten
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Year

Based on a UK show of the same name, It's a Knockout (1985–87) was an instant success on Australian television in the 1980s. 

The show followed an identical format to the 1970s show Almost Anything Goes with crazy games and physical challenges played by local sports teams or community groups, usually in silly costumes, competing for cash prizes.

The Celebrity series, held once a year, was hugely popular among television audiences. Teams were made up of celebrities from Network Ten, radio personalities, athletes, sports stars and others from 4 states who competed against each other to win money for their chosen charities. 

In this clip, from the first It's a Knockout Celebrity Special, teams compete in penguin costumes on a slippery spinning deck where they have to fill as many buckets of water as they can in a minute.

Unrecognisable in their penguin suits are, among others, Greg Evans, Wayne Pearce, Stefan Dennis, Alan Dale and Gavin Wood.

This special was recorded on 4 December 1985.

It Could Be You
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NFSA ID
736238
Courtesy:
Nine Network
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Year

It Could Be You (1960–67, 1969) was an early daytime quiz and variety show that involved various games and, often madcap, challenges, hosted by American-born entertainer Tommy Hanlon Jr. After a year’s break, the show returned in 1969 with new host Tim Evans. Evans also compered Almost Anything Goes and Musical Cashbox.

In this clip from the show, two teams go head-to-head to be the first to stack cups and saucers onto one tennis racquet while bouncing a balloon on the other. There is a lot of chaos and laughter in the studio as the challenge continues. 

This clip is from episode 12/3 of the show.

31 Questions: Meet the contestants
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NFSA ID
1613106
Courtesy:
RMITV
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Year

Comedy writer David M Green hosted the humorous game show 31 Questions (2012–14), which ran on community TV station Channel 31.

The show also featured Anthony McCormack as the moderator and Sophie Loughran as co-host and scorer.

The format had two contestants facing off against each other answering general knowledge questions.

31 Questions was both an homage to, and a satirical look at, game shows like Sale of the Century.

The intentionally cringeworthy exchange between Green and Loughran at the start of this clip is reminiscent of game shows that featured a male host who would routinely kiss his female co-host on the cheek and comment on her appearance at the start of the show. 

The role of the female co-host (usually a well known actress or model) was to introduce contestants and present the prizes. The start of these shows often featured some awkward banter between the host, moderator and the contestants, as we see in this comedic take.        

Segments in the show included 'General Knowledge', 'Word on the Street', 'When Is It?', 'Complexity' and 'The One Where They Quote the Movies'.  

This clip is from series 2, episode 1.

Almost Anything Goes: Human catapult
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NFSA ID
5982
Courtesy:
Network Ten
Year:
Year

Almost Anything Goes (1976–78) was a precursor to the popular 1980s game show It's a Knockout

Hosted by Tim Evans and Brendan Edwards, it featured four teams from different states competing in crazy challenges for cash prizes. 

In this clip, two teams have to use a giant slingshot to catapult one of their players down a long, slippery mat.

The team that accumulates the furthest distance over several attempts goes into the final. 

This challenge brings to mind the backyard 'slip 'n slide' that so many children growing up in 1970s suburban Australia would be familiar with.

This was part of the charm of shows like Almost Anything Goes and It's a Knockout – they were akin to a school sports carnival for grown ups, complete with team colours and silly costumes, but on a national scale. 

This clip is from Episode 10/2 of Almost Anything Goes.

Perfect Match TV Special: Was there any romance?
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1547204
Courtesy:
Fremantle
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Year

Amanda Keller hosted this behind-the-scenes television special about the dating game show Perfect Match (1983–89), hosted by Greg Evans.

In this excerpt we meet Rhonda and Jamie, a couple who met on the show, fell madly in love, married, had a family and were still together 15 years later.

Jamie was a sailor in the Australian Navy who was so determined to be on the show that he jumped ship in the hope of finding his perfect match. 

The Marriage Game
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NFSA ID
490965
Courtesy:
Network Ten
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Year

The Marriage Game (1967–68) was a lighthearted quiz show hosted by English-born actor John Bonney which featured four married couples per episode. 

In this segment the husbands are kept separate from their wives, while the wives are asked a set of multiple choice questions. When the husbands are brought back in, they have to guess how their wives answered the questions.

The contestants in this episode included Australian entertainer Barry Crocker and his then wife Deane. British entertainment duo Freddie and Pam Bamberger won the episode.

This clip is from series 1, episode 1 of The Marriage Game.

Musical Cashbox
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NFSA ID
1188147
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Year

Musical Cashbox (1969–72) was a music quiz show hosted by TV personality Tim Evans, who hosted a number of game shows including It Could Be You and Almost Anything Goes

The format of Musical Cashbox saw two contestants pitting their music knowledge against each other, having to guess the name of the song being played and then receiving points for singing the next line. 

One of the songs they don't guess correctly in this clip is 'And I Love Her' by The Beatles.

Tim Evans makes for a charming host in his interactions with the contestants as he moves back and forth between them.

You can see from this clip how game shows were beginning to evolve when compared with programs from the 1950s and early 60s. Here we have multi-camera angles involving wide shots and close-ups on the contestants and more elaborate sets, staging and lighting.

Another tell-tale sign of the era is the voice-over announcer, who comments gratuitously on the women's 'lovely smiles'.

This clip is from episode 052 of Musical Cashbox.

Personality Squares: featuring Johnny O'Keefe
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NFSA ID
490941
Courtesy:
Fremantle
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Year

This clip features a 1967 guest appearance by rock'n'roll star Johnny O'Keefe on the Channel 10 game show, Personality Squares.

Celebrities were asked quiz questions and contestants had to guess whether their answers were correct or not. Also appearing as a guest on this episode was actress Jacki Weaver.

Compere John Bailey mentions that Johnny will be starting up a new show on Channel 10; he is referring to Where the Action is, Johnny’s short-lived final TV series which was on air less than a year.

Notes by Tamara Osicka and Stephen Groenewegen

Ford Superquiz with Bert and Patti Newton
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NFSA ID
1489572
Courtesy:
Nine Network, Fremantle
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Year

Ford Superquiz (1981–82) was based on Bob Dyer's Pick a Box (1957–71).

Not only was the format of the show the same, but both programs were presented by husband-and-wife teams: Bert and Patti Newton (Ford Superquiz) and Bob and Dolly Dyer (Pick a Box).

The format of the show saw two contestants answering the same set of questions. Whoever scored highest could choose a box with a prize inside.

The contestant is offered the choice of taking a cash prize or whatever might be in the box. 

In this clip, the carry-over champion chooses to take the box. Bert then offers him $45 but he turns down the cash and sticks with the box, winning a silver tea and coffee set valued at $485 from Oneida.

The top prize on the show was a Ford motor vehicle valued at over $20,000. 

Bert Newton also hosted Australia's Celebrity Game (1969) and appeared on the first 'Famous Faces' board on Sale of the Century (1980).

You can watch clips from New Faces (1982), hosted by Bert Newton, on australianscreen.

This clip is from episode 1003 of Ford Superquiz.

Australia's Celebrity Game
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NFSA ID
1527789
Courtesy:
Nine Network
Year:
Year

An early episode of a panel game show screened on GTV 9 hosted by Bert Newton with guest panellists.

Panel members included Graham Kennedy, Rosie Sturgess and Brian Henderson.

In this clip, panel members are asked if they think married couples should take separate holidays and the contestants need to predict how the celebrities will answer.

Sale of the Century: Going Shopping
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NFSA ID
4118
Courtesy:
Nine Network
Year:
Year

The final segment of Sale of the Century always involved a walk through of the prize packages on offer.

In this very first episode of the show, host Tony Barber announces that he and the winner Grant are going shopping, and the doors open to reveal a studio set full of prizes.

As new champion, Grant could only afford the first prize, a ’zippy little economical’ motor scooter. Barber and co-host Victoria Nicolls tell Grant about the prizes he could win if he returns, including furs and household appliances. 

Professor Sam Bull, whom Tony introduces to Grant as the man who sets the questions and adjudicates, models another prize – a dining setting.

Summary by Tammy Burnstock

Give It A Go with Jack Davey
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NFSA ID
809050
Courtesy:
Seven Network
Year:
Year

Give it a Go (1957) was hosted by radio and TV personality Jack Davey, who also hosted The Pressure Pak Show.  

The show had pairs of contestants who competed against each other by answering general knowledge questions and was sponsored by the laundry powder company Persil.

Boxes of Persil were given to contestants as prizes during the show. 

In this clip, the contestants grab the money so quickly it is hard to make out some of their answers to the questions!

Give it a Go had been a radio quiz show, but was less successful on television. It ran weekly for 38 episodes in 1957.

Concentration: Guess the film title
NFSA-ID:
NFSA ID
1272553
Courtesy:
Fremantle
Year:
Year

This clip is from an epsiode of the 1970s game show Concentration, hosted by Lionel Williams.

The show was based on the children's memory game of the same name.

Competitors must find matching pairs of cards that represent prizes. As they do, the cards are removed to reveal clues to the answer of the puzzle.

The show ran on the Nine Network from 1959 to 1967 before the Seven Network picked it up in 1970. Mike Hammond hosted a later revival in 1997.

This clip is from episode 209 and was recorded on 20 August 1974.

Blankety Blanks: rare clip
NFSA-ID:
NFSA ID
6011
Courtesy:
Fremantle
Year:
Year

An excerpt from a rarely-seen episode of Blankety Blanks (episode 69, May 1977) with host Graham Kennedy asking his regular celebrity panel to supply the name of a TV show they would least like to see repeated.

Appearing in this episode are Noel Ferrier, Noeline Brown, 'Ugly' Dave Gray, Peita (now Peta) Toppano, Stuart Wagstaff and Marty Rhone.

Note: viewers may find some of the humour in this clip offensive.

The Pressure Pak Show
NFSA-ID:
NFSA ID
298376
Courtesy:
Seven Network
Year:
Year

Hosted by Jack Davey, The Pressure Pak Show (1957–58) was a quiz show where a panel of four contestants had to guess a phrase from a series of clues given to them by the host.

Like many early television game shows this program began life as a radio quiz. With the introduction of TV in Australia, it was soon repurposed to suit the exciting new broadcast medium.

Some early television shows that had their origins in radio were shortlived, possibly because television was still in an experimental phase and they were unsuited to a visual format, with very basic studio sets and minimal graphics.

However, they did lay the foundations for other successful quiz shows of the same era, including Bob Dyer's Pick a Box and Reg Grundy's Wheel of Fortune, which had more successful TV adaptations.

Davey, a popular Australian radio personality, also hosted the TV game shows Give it a Go and The Dulux Show.

This episode of The Pressure Pak Show featured actor Reg Goldsworthy and cartoonist Jim Russell on the panel.   

Sale of the Century: theme music
NFSA-ID:
NFSA ID
1491607
Courtesy:
Fremantle
Year:
Year

Jack Grimsley composed this theme music for Sale of the Century.

He wrote a range of incidental music for the show, including: 'Hostess Walk-On', 'Contestant Walk-On', 'Bonus Board Sound Effects', '$50 Fanfare' and 'Thinking Music: Sound Effect Variations'.

Sale of the Century was an Australian game show hosted initially by Tony Barber, produced by Reg Grundy Productions and broadcast on the Nine Network from 1980–2001.