by Chad Mosher

If you've been reading my weekly blog posts, you might know that it had always been my ultimate life goal to be hired to host a game show. Though I wasn't hired to be a host, I had been working for PlayCafe.com, the internet's first game show network, since October 2007 as a trivia writer, a chat moderator and a manger of operations. We continued to slowly expand week by week when, in February of 2008 we really decided to extend the meaning of the phrase "internet game show network."

We had been running live games on weeknights produced by our regular staff but we wanted to enlarge what PlayCafe was all about. Soon, players at home with a webcam could satiate their aspiring game show junkie appetite by being able to create their own game using our site's interface. My boss Mark wanted us to demonstrate how this could be done during our regular live broadcasts so, knowing my interest in wanting to eventually host a game show, he gave me my first break. Even though I wasn't yet eighteen, he had enough faith in knowing I would be professional enough to represent the company. He asked if I wanted to host an hour of the show from my home to demonstrate how the new feature worked. I don't think it took me more than a half of a second to respond with a resounding yes.

I found my best outfit, tidied my workspace and prepared the questions for that night. Daniella, our in-studio host, read all of her questions from the teleprompter but with me being schooled on the old games, I decided to transpose all of the material onto cards to add a classic touch to my game. Clearly, it was very important to make sure all of this was taken care of beforehand; any mix-up or miscue with my cards would cause a live mishap and much embarrassment. I checked to make sure everything was in its proper order and before I knew it, 10 o'clock on February 28, 2008 had arrived and it was time for me to host my first game show.

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Looks like there's another remake in the works, though I have no idea what format this will end up taking. There's a casting call posted at Craigslist in search of couples to participate in He Said She Said. Normally I just put these calls in the game show casting calls list, but this one doesn't give much of a lead time.

If you're in the Burbank, California area and want to participate (remember, you must play as a couple), you must be available one day this week, as well as on December 21st. While you won't win any actual prizes, you'll get a "small fee" as compensation, and the ad says that you'll also "have the opportunity to compete on the actual show in April."

Again, I don't know if this is even for television, since there are no such details in the ad. But if you decide to apply, let us know! Thanks to Chad Mosher for the link.

GSN has confirmed the premiere slots for two of their new original programs. The first one, which had the working title Honey, Please, is now called Hidden Agenda. It's a hidden camera show in which one half of a couple tries to get his or her other half to do their bidding for cash prizes. The host is comic Debi Gutierrez, who does stand-up routines in L.A. while also hosting a parenting show on PBS.

The other new program is Carnie Wilson: Unstapled. We've already discussed this one a little, but if you've not read about it, it's a reality program following the life of Wilson, who hosts GSN's revival of The Newlywed Game.

Both shows will premiere on January 14th, 2010. Hidden Agenda kicks off at 8:30pm, while Carnie Wilson's premiere is at 6pm Eastern, with an encore at 9pm.

So, based on what we know of both shows, will you be tuning in?

Photo of Debi Gutierrez, courtesy GSN

We've covered some of the most memorable moments of the 2000s, as well as a few of the biggest blunders. Now it's time for something just a little different!

Several familiar faces in game shows have offered up their personal favorite moments from the past decade, including Pat Kiernan, Randy West, and Rich Fields. We also included our favorite frequent game show contestants and game show writers, including yours truly. From a special Price is Right episode to the first female million dollar winner to a showdown of game show champions, there are some great stories here! Check out the Favorite Game Show Moments of the Decade list, which is full of personal moments and reflections. I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

Big thanks to everyone who contributed to the list. Sharing your memories with all of you is one of the best parts of this job!

Photo of Ken Jennings, courtesy Sony Pictures Entertainment

Well well well. This is very interesting indeed! According to MSNBC, CBS has canceled yet another soap opera, As the World Turns, which will air its last episode in September 2010. Big thanks to reader Myke for passing the news along while I was busily editing another end-of-the-decade list!

I'm sure you all remember this past summer, when we were all speculating on what would replace Guiding Light, which CBS had also canceled. As it turned out, Let's Make a Deal took over the one-hour time slot and has been doing fairly well. I know many of you aren't fans, but I have to admit that I enjoy the show. It had a bit of a rough start, but it's really been entertaining lately. The other two game shows that were considered at the time were revivals of The Dating Game, which didn't excite many of us, and of course, the $1,000,000 Pyramid, which most of us had pinned our hopes on.

With another soap opera going down the tubes, will we get another game show in daytime? More importantly, will Pyramid be the front-runner? Anything could happen of course - it could be replaced by a talk show or local news, for example. But how exciting is it to speculate on this one? Also consider the fact that Oprah is bidding farewell soon, so there's lots of space for new games to pop up.

Oh, and CBS? If hosting was the issue with Pyramid, might I suggest you give Pat Kiernan a shot?

As we continue our trip down memory lane through the past ten years, it's time for a bit of fun. Admittedly, many of these moments weren't fun for the folks involved at the time, but looking back now it's easy to roll our eyes and wonder what the heck they were thinking.

I'm talking about the Biggest Game Show Blunders of the 2000s, a list of twelve big "oops" moments that caught our attention. Some of them tackle general concepts, like the big networks' habit of running a great prime time show into the ground - in these cases, I've pulled a single example that could actually apply to several situations or shows. Many are much more specific, and involve everyone from contestants to celebrity guests to hosts, and even a viewer. Who can forget, for example, Lauren Cleri answering questions about her infidelity on The Moment of Truth, right in front of her husband?

I'll admit that my memory isn't what it used to be, so lots of these picks are from the past three years. I'm sure you can all come up with many others, so please feel free to submit them using the link at the bottom of the article, or you can simply head directly to the form and submit them there. As always, comments here on the blog are wide open too!

Photo of Lauren Cleri, courtesy Fox

by Chad Mosher

The (almost) past decade brought about many changes and incidents to the game show landscape: Bob Barker hung it up after 35 years then fought with Betty White, Regis was out and Howie was in... then Howie was out and Regis was in (twice!), Alex took a shave, call-in games became all the rage, the Game Show Network forgot about game shows for a while. Yet Pat Sajak is still the same smart alec he's always been. I guess some things never change.

At any rate, I've compiled a chronological list of what I consider to be the top ten moments in game shows for me from 2000 to 2009. You will likely agree with some, disagree with others... but hey, you'll have a chance to tell me what you think. Here's the list, in chronological order: Top Ten Moments in Game Shows of the 2000s.

So, there you go. The ten top game show moments of these past ten years in my opinion. I'd love to hear what you think the top moments are, too. Feel free to post them in this comment section or, if you want, you can wait later in the week when I, along with a bunch of other top-notch game show personalities (who I'm lucky to be in the same paragraph as) reveal what we think are our top moments. Be sure to look out for that - it's going to be awesome!

When The Newlywed Game returns after the holidays, a familiar face will be hosting the show - but only for one episode! Bob Eubanks will host as Carnie Wilson and her family play as contestants.

The show will air on GSN on January 7th 2010, at 6pm Eastern (and repeats at 9pm). I have to give it up to GSN for this one, a perfect example of when a gimmick can be a really, really good thing.

Eubanks' appearance will make him the only game show host in history to host the same game in five different decades. He originally hosted from 1966-1974, returned for the syndicated show from 1977-1980 and again from 1985-1988, and then once more from 1997-1999. If only GSN had thought of bringing him back last season, and then again in January! Then it would have been six consecutive decades - but it's still a huge accomplishment.

The contestants will be current host Carnie Wilson and her husband Rob Bonfiglio, her sister (and Wilson-Phillips bandmate) Wendy Wilson with her husband Dan Knutson, and her mom Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford with her husband Daniel Rutherford.

Mark your calendars folks, this is going to be fun!

Photo courtesy GSN

First, thanks to everyone who offered suggestions for the top game show moments of 2009 in my earlier request for nominations. I've narrowed the pool down to ten, which was no small feat. There are others that could have been included, and still might get an honorable (or dishonorable?) mention.

For now though, it's time to vote! Pick what you think is the game show moment from the past year that had the most impact on you, or on the genre in general. If your number one choice is not on the list, feel free to mention it in the comments. I should mention that I hadn't included the removal of Phone-A-Friend from Millionaire, because at the time it wasn't supposed to happen until January 2010. Now that we've had Regis Week on the show without P-a-F, it could definitely be part of this list.

I'll be posting the final list next week, so get your votes in! The moment with the most votes in this poll by Wednesday morning (December 9th), will earn the number one spot on the list. Also, check back this weekend as we start looking back at the entire decade in game shows. There are several great lists coming up!

The new Fox game show Our Little Genius has named a host, and it's a familiar face - just not from game shows. Actor Kevin Pollak, who has starred in some big films including Casino and The Usual Suspects, will host the game.

Our Little Genius is created and produced by the same team that brought us Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, and features really smart kids playing a trivia game. The twist with this one is that the parents will decide whether their child should keep playing or walk away with money earned.

Pollak is a former stand-up comedian, a situation that has served many game shows well. From Howie Mandel to Jeff Foxworthy to Drew Carey, comedians seem to have the ability to think on their feet while giving the game a little levity. Or, as Executive Producer Mark Burnett puts it (in regard to Kevin Pollak specifically), "He instinctively knows when to add seriousness and when to add humor."

Our Little Genius premieres January 13th, at 9pm Eastern, following American Idol. The following week, Genius moves to its regular time slot, Tuesdays at 9pm Eastern.

Photo by Michael Buckner, courtesy Getty Images