History Creator / GSN

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[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A network that's dedicated to]] [[GameShow game shows]].

Founded in 1994 and currently owned by Creator/SonyPicturesTelevision, Game Show Network originally featured reruns of classic TV game shows from the 1950s onward. At first, the network's rerun lineup ran the gamut from [[Creator/MarkGoodson Goodson-Todman]] stalwarts (such as ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'', ''Series/{{Password}}'', ''Series/FamilyFeud'', and ''Series/MatchGame'') to programs produced by Creator/{{Sony}} themselves (such as ''Series/{{Pyramid}}'', ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', ''Series/WheelOfFortune'', ''Series/TicTacDough'', ''Series/TheNewlywedGame'', and ''Series/TheJokersWild''). In the late 1990s, the network began creating its own games, starting with live call-in programs and eventually branching out into original formats and revivals.

The network has caught flack by [[UnpleasableFanbase a subset of game show fans]] for airing contemporary and recent shows [[note]]Their [[AdoredByTheNetwork love of the Steve Harvey-hosted ''Family Feud'']] being the most notable example. [[/note]], including the network's own original programming, instead of retro reruns. Their [[ExecutiveMeddling treatment]] of classic game show reruns since the 2000s hasn't done them any favors. The network eventually lost the rights to the Goodson-Todman library for good, save for a few standouts, and instead focused on a larger push towards original programming.

Beginning in March of 2004, the network began using the abbreviated "GSN" moniker; ushering in one of the most infamous eamples of NetworkDecay. GSN expanded its programming scope to not only include reality competitions, but poker, [[NetworkDecay and even programs that were only tangibly related to game shows or any kind of competition, if at all.]] Things would cool down towards the end of TheNewTens, as the network's programming would [[RevisitingTheRoots shift back towards more traditional game shows and formats]]. This shift culminated in a 2018 refresh that would even restore Game Show Network's full name.[[note]]The network's full name has also been used for brief periods and occasions since 2016.[[/note]]

Compare and contrast Creator/{{Buzzr}}, a digital subchannel network run by [[Creator/FremantleMedia Fremantle]] (the current owners of the Goodson-Todman library among others), and the former "Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} Games and Sports for Kids" network.
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!!Original GSN programming, counting revivals of existing formats:
[[index]]
* ''20Q''
* ''Series/AmericaSays''
* ''Series/AmericanBibleChallenge''
* ''As Seen On...''
* ''Series/{{Baggage}}''
* ''Best Ever Trivia Show''/''Master Minds''
* ''Big Saturday Night''
* ''Bingo America'' (semi-revival of ''Series/NationalBingoNight'', using the same ball cage)
* ''Black And White Overnite'' (also known as "Sunday Night In Black & White")
* ''Burt Luddin's Love Buffet''
* ''Camouflage'' (hidden words rather than hidden pictures)
* ''Carnie Wilson: Unstapled''
* ''[[Creator/CarolineRhea Caroline]] and Friends''
* ''[[Series/{{Gambit}} Catch 21]]'' (revival of ''Gambit'')
* ''Series/ChainReaction'' (revival of 1980s-90s game show)
* ''Series/{{The Chase|GameShow}}'' (update of the UK show)
* ''Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned''
* ''Club A.M.'' (and its successor, ''GSN Live'')
* ''Common Knowledge''
* ''Series/{{Cram}}''
* ''DJ Games''
* ''Decades'' (and its revival, ''Super Decades'')
* ''Divided'' (based on UK series)
* ''Series/DrewCareysImprovAGanza''
* ''Emogenius''
* ''Extreme Gong'' (revival of ''Series/TheGongShow'')
* ''Fake-A-Date''
* ''Faux Pause''
* ''Series/FriendOrFoe?''
* ''Get a Clue''
* ''Grand Slam'' (US debut of a British format)
* ''Series/{{Hellevator}}''
* ''Hollywood Showdown''
* ''Series/HowMuchIsEnough''
* ''Series/{{Idiotest}}''
* ''Series/{{Inquizition}}''
* ''Series/LateNightLiars''
* ''Series/{{Lingo}}'' (revival of the 1980s game show)
* ''Lovers Lounge''
* ''Mall Masters''
* ''The Money List''
* ''National Lampoon's Funny Money''
* ''Series/TheNewlywedGame'' (2009 revival)
* ''Series/OneVersusAHundred'' (Carrie Ann Inaba revival)
* ''People Puzzler''
* ''[=PlayMania=]''
* ''[[Series/{{Pyramid}} The Pyramid]]'' (2012 revival)
* ''Series/RussianRoulette''
* ''Skin Wars'' (Reality competition with professional body painters)
** ''Skin Wars: Fresh Paint'' (Features people from several artistic fields doing body painting for the first time)
* ''Series/ThatsTheQuestion''
* ''Throut And Neck''
* ''Trivia Track''
* ''Series/Series/WhammyTheAllNewPressYourLuck'' (revival of ''Series/PressYourLuck'')
* ''When Did That Happen?''
* ''Series/{{Winsanity}}''
* ''Series/WinTuition''
[[/index]]
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!!This network provides examples of:
* AdBumpers: They occasionally do ones themed to both reruns of old shows, and to their original works.
* AprilFoolsDay: In 2003, the hosts of the network's original shows at the time traded places, except for Chuck Woolery who stayed with ''Lingo''. That day's ''Lingo'' featured four of the hosts playing a charity game against each other, with remaining host [[Series/WhammyTheAllNewPressYourLuck Todd Newton]] serving as announcer/comic relief.
* CreditsPushback: Originally nonexistent. Until 1999, the only thing Game Show Network did during the credits was a brief, unobtrusive voiceover for other network programming that echoed those of the classic games and was typically placed over the "coming up" voiceovers of the original episode. It wasn't until the 2000s, [[NetworkDecay and especially since the "GSN" era]], that this trope was [[UpToEleven used and abused to point of fan backlash.]]
* DigitalDestruction: They have been giving older shows a film look more often that not recently instead of making videotape look smooth and fluid, including slightly newer shows, such as ''Deal Or No Deal'' and ''Catch 21''. They had previously done this for the one episode of ''All-Star Secrets'' they showed, and the unsold pilot, ''Babble''.n
* KidsBlock: "Kids Zone", a block of youth-centered episodes of adult game shows (e.g., "Teen Week" of ''Wheel of Fortune''), junior versions of game shows (e.g., ''[[Series/TheJokersWild Joker! Joker! Joker!]]'', ''Jep!'' and ''Wheel 2000'') and kids-only programs (''Juvenile Jury'', ''The Quiz Kids Challenge'') was aired on Saturday mornings, with young Kimberly Aaberg doing pre-show and commercial bumpers.
* TheRemake: Done often to obscurities. Of the post-2004 lineup, the Woolery-hosted revival of ''Lingo'' was the best received, while ''Catch 21'' is considered by fans to be a worthy ''Gambit'' revamp. The latter show was popular enough in reruns to warrant a revival in 2019.
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* ''Series/TheChase'' (update of the UK show)

* ''Series/{{Whammy}}!'' (revival of ''Series/PressYourLuck'')

* AprilFoolsDay: In 2003, the hosts of the network's original shows at the time traded places, except for Chuck Woolery who stayed with ''Lingo''. That day's ''Lingo'' featured four of the hosts playing a charity game against each other, with remaining host [[Series/{{Whammy}} Todd Newton]] serving as announcer/comic relief.

Compare and contrast Buzzr, a digital subchannel network run by [[Creator/FremantleMedia Fremantle]] (the current owners of the Goodson-Todman library among others), and the former "Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} Games and Sports for Kids" network.

* CreditsPushback: Originally nonexistent. Until 1999, the only thing Game Show Network did during the credits was a brief, unobtrusive voiceover for other network programming that echoed those of the classic games and was typically placed over the "coming up" voiceovers of the original episode. It wasn't until the 2000s, [[NetworkDecay and especially during the "GSN" era]], that this trope was [[UpToEleven used and abused]] [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks to point of fan backlash.]]

* TheRemake: Done often to obscurities. Of the post-2004 lineup, the Woolery-hosted revival of ''Lingo'' was the best received, while ''Catch 21'' is considered by fans to be a worthy ''Gambit'' revamp.

Compare and contrast Buzzr, a digital subchannel network run by Creator/FremantleMedia (the current owners of the Goodson-Todman library among others), and the former "Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} Games and Sports for Kids" network.

Beginning in March of 2004, the network began using the abbreviated "GSN" moniker, ushering in one of the most infamous eamples of NetworkDecay. GSN expanded its programming scope to not only include reality competitions, but poker, [[NetworkDecay and even programs that were only tangibly related to game shows or any kind of competition if at all.]] Things would cool down towards the end of TheNewTens, as the network's programming would [[RevisitingTheRoots shift back towards more traditional formats]]. It all culminated in a 2018 refresh that would even restore Game Show Network's full name.[[note]]The network's full name has also been used for brief periods and occasions since 2016.[[/note]]

Founded in 1994 and currently owned by Creator/SonyPicturesTelevision, Game Show Network originally featured reruns of classic TV game shows from the 1950s onward. At first, the network's rerun lineup ran the gamut from [[Creator/MarkGoodson Goodson-Todman]] stalwarts (such as ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'', ''Series/{{Password}}'', ''Series/FamilyFeud'', and ''Series/MatchGame'') to programs produced by Sony (such as ''Series/{{Pyramid}}'', ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', ''Series/WheelOfFortune'', ''Series/TicTacDough'', ''Series/TheNewlywedGame'', and ''Series/TheJokersWild''). In the late 1990s, the network began creating its own games, starting with live call-in programs and eventually branching out into original formats and revivals.

[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A cable network that's dedicated to]] {{Game Show}}s.

Founded in 1994 and owned by Creator/SonyPictures, Game Show Network originally featured reruns of classic TV game shows from the 1950s onward. At first, the network's rerun lineup ran the gamut from [[Creator/MarkGoodson Goodson-Todman]] stalwarts (such as ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'', ''Series/{{Password}}'', ''Series/FamilyFeud'', and ''Series/MatchGame'') to programs produced by Sony (such as ''Series/{{Pyramid}}'', ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'', ''Series/WheelOfFortune'', ''Series/TicTacDough'', ''Series/TheNewlywedGame'', and ''Series/TheJokersWild''), whom were previously co-owners of the network. In the late 1990s, the network began creating its own games, starting with live call-in programs and eventually branching out into original formats and revivals.

The network has caught flack by [[UnpleasableFanbase a subset of game show fans]] for airing contemporary and recent shows [[note]]Their [[AdoredByTheNetwork love of the Steve Harvey-hosted ''Family Feud'']] being the most notable example. [[/note]], including the network's own original programming. Their [[ExecutiveMeddling treatment]] of classic game show reruns since the 2000s hasn't done them any favors. The network eventually lost the rights to the Goodson-Todman library for good, save for a few standouts, and instead focused on a larger push towards original programming.