Blockbusters

I remember Blockbusters, one of the few quiz shows from Mark Goodson that debuted in 1980. It was a show that pitted a solo player against a family pair to prove that "two heads are better than one." It was a simple game that the home audience could play along and even better, Bill Cullen as host. He added a lot to the show and added plenty of humor to the game.

But NBC put Blockbusters into a time slot that was held by one of the disastrous attempts for something different in daytime, a talk show starring David Letterman. After four months of lousy ratings, it was canceled and replaced in the first half hour by a revival of Gambit that was taped in Las Vegas. The Wink Martindale-hosted show, leading into Blockbusters had to rebuild the time slot which suffered from not only low ratings but diminishing clearances by affiliates who opted syndicated talk shows such as the popular Phil Donahue Show.

Other than clearance problems and rebuilding a fallen time slot, Blockbusters was a show that people could learn something and the question structure in the main game was a lot like another Bill Cullen game show that aired on NBC, Winning Streak.

It's very sad that a show with challenging questions, creative elements (the hexagonal pattern), and Bill Cullen's hosting talent all had to go away when this show went off the air. It's even more sad that it's not as celebrated as Card Sharks, The Price is Right, Press Your Luck, Wheel Of Fortune, not to mention Jeopardy. Not these shows are worse than Blockbusters, but Blockbusters certainly deserves just as equal attention. Although the music is not as simple as those game shows, it is nonetheless upbeat and great to listen to. In my opinion, this show should be, even, just as Press Your Luck has been, brought back.

Let me sum it all up: It is really a great game show.

The best thing about Blockbusters was Bill Cullen. It's gratifying to see the maturity and confidence he had gained since his early The Price Is Right work for which he is better known. He's funny, witty, self-effacing, and just a pleasure to spend some time with. Overcoming polio, Cullen for me is the best of the game host emcees, far better than more celebrated figures like...well, you know. The other great thing about the show was the difficulty of the questions. What other game show will ask contestants for the name of Moss Hart's autobiography? So far as the two versus one dynamic, it's interesting but it doesn't always work. Sometimes only one of the couple is up to the challenge, sometimes dramatically so, which is embarrassing for everyone. Still, the concept is promising and can work well. The show disappoints when either the solo player or both of the couple don't have the intellectual firepower to compete.

What was great about this show, apart from it's rather unique concept of the game board, was the difficulty level of the game for the single player and the IQ required of a single person to remain champion. Very few, if any other, game shows have pitted a solitary player against a family pair of two. A good family pair, with areas of expertise that are contrasting, could be next to impossible to beat. Still, a single player with a wide array of knowledge could do it (as the virtually unstoppable Leland did. He was retired after winning too many times!) There were some impressive family pairs as well, but too often they were led by one very strong player with a tag-a-long relative who barely helped out (i.e.- the brother/sister team in which the Army officer answered nearly every question on his own while his ditzy blonde sister grabbed his arm every time in amazement and scarcely got anything out of her mouth through their entire reign!) Host Cullen is an invaluable part of TV game show history and was an endearing, if not so telegenic, presence. His sometimes corny jokes and tendency to overstate the status of the game are faint detractions from his ability to smoothly operate the game in a very genial, reliable way. They don't make 'em like him anymore. It's a shame that the show was as short-lived as it was because it was indeed a cut above the rest in terms of challenge and taste, but that's not necessarily what the majority of people want to see. Dig the groovy opening them music! A tacky, dumb-downed version surfaced about five or so years later.

It's actually a game of skill, thought, race, blocking, etc.!!!!!

"Blockbusters" was the game show that ran on NBC in the early 80s. The set looked like we were in a huge honeybee colony. The object of this game is like what a mole does digging across the dirt: we, being a solo player vs. a family team (two people), had to answer word questions. Solo is red; family is white. The least red can get is four, while the least white can get is five. Questions can range from easy to hard, like this memorable moment:

Host (he had a hearing problem, BTW): What "E" does the doctor look at with his stethoscope?

Leland (in white): Ear?

Host: Nope; the ear!

Leland: That's what I said!!!!!

Host: Oh! I thought you said "liver." Because, liver would be correct if the stethoscope was long enough; "Ear" is right...etc.

The winning team after two rounds goes on to play for $5000!!!!! The host, with a push of a button, brings forth the podium. This is more challenging; there are multiple words or phrases for the answer, and 60 seconds is needed. Here's another funny moment:

Host: What "MB" is a play about a Salvation Army girl?

Contestant: Myra Breckinridge?

Host: Nope!

After that, it was just funny!!!!!

Anyways, GSN plays this every day at 9 or 9:30 in the morning. Watch this for these and more funny moments on "Blockbusters!!!!!"

10 stars