History Series / TheGongShow

* DropTheCow: The Gong. Sometimes, if an act is ''really'' bad, the judges will hit the gong in some silly way, such as kicking it, throwing things (including the mallet) at it, or "Gang-Gonging" (two or even all three judges gonging the act at once). Every once in a great while, a judge would even go onstage, hand the performer a mallet, and lead them back to the table so they could gong ''themselves'' out.

* {{Cap}}: The highest combined score possible is 30.

!!GameShowTropes in use:

* ConfettiDrop: Balloons (and later [[SubvertedTrope trash]]) were dropped when a winner was announced, while a little person ran around throwing confetti on everyone.
* HomeGame: Surprisingly, there was one. Unsurprisingly, it didn't play too well.
* LosingHorns: When a contestant gets gonged, the band immediately transitions to this. Older versions used the famous four-note wah-wah; modern variants have their own takes. The 2017 band was even willing to play the trope when the gong wasn't being hit officially but when it still made sense (see '''Take That''' below for an example of this happening).
* Personnel:
** TheAnnouncer: [[Series/TreasureHuntUS Johnny]] [[Series/TheJokersWild Jacobs]] on the original, [[Series/WheelOfFortune Charlie O'Donnell]] on the 1988-89 version. [[Series/TheCrossWits Jack Clark]] filled-in for a time in 1977.
** GameShowHost: Creator/GaryOwens hosted the original pilot and first syndicated season. John Barbour taped the original debut week for NBC, but was replaced by Chuck Barris. Don Bleu hosted the 1988-89 revival, George Gray hosted ''Extreme'', and Dave Attell emceed the 2008 revival. "Tommy Maitland" (read: Creator/MikeMyers in disguise) hosted the ABC revival.
** LovelyAssistant: Various females, including Chuckie's daughter.
** StudioAudience
* {{Whammy}}: Unsurprisingly, the Gong. Also zero scores, to an extent.
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!!This show contains examples of:

The risqué stuff was all intentional; in fact, Barris often [[CensorDecoy threw in acts he knew would be cut]] in order to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar get the borderline stuff past the censors]]. Of course it [[SpringtimeForHitler backfired]] — one memorable sketch featured a pair of 17-year-old girls [[EroticEating sucking on Popsicles]] with no accompaniment. Phyllis Diller gave it a 0, Jamie Farr gave it a 2, and Jaye P. Morgan not only gave it a 10 but physically prevented the other two from gonging it. Why? [[CastingCouch "That's how I got my start in show business!"]]

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Chuckie Baby made it his ''mission'' to see how much ''The Gong Show'' could get away with.
** The show's title itself may have done this in a literal sense, as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gong_farmer "Gong" used to be used to refer to latrines... and their contents]].

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: You wouldn't expect it this show to be titled ''The Gong Show'' without a gong as the show's key feature, would you?

* CreepyBallet: One act was entitled "Zombie Ballet". The dancers wore zombie makeup and danced to Profokiev's "Dance of the Knights".

** GameShowHost: Creator/GaryOwens hosted the original pilot and first syndicated season. John Barbour taped the original debut week for NBC, but was replaced by Chuck Barris. Don Bleu hosted the 1988-89 revival, George Gray hosted ''Extreme'', and Dave Attell emceed the 2008 revival. Creator/MikeMyers, as "Tommy Maitland", hosts the ABC revival.

The show has had several {{revival}}s, mostly in ten-year intervals. The first was in 1988 with Don Bleu as host, a version which lasted for only one season. Game Show Network revived it as ''Extreme Gong'' in 1998 with George Gray at the helm, and kept it going for two seasons. The next revival was in 2008 on Creator/ComedyCentral, also lasting for only a season with Dave Attell as host. Since 2012, a [[http://www.gongshowlive.net Sony-approved live stage version]] has been running in the New York City area. In 2017, right on schedule, Creator/{{ABC}} [[http://www.buzzerblog.com/2016/10/03/abc-orders-the-gong-show-revival/ revived the show]] with Creator/WillArnett at the helm, following in the footsteps of ABC's multiple summer game shows (''Celebrity Series/FamilyFeud'', ''Series/ToTellTheTruth'', ''Series/MatchGame'', and fellow Sony property ''[[Series/{{Pyramid}} The $100,000 Pyramid]]''); Creator/MikeMyers hosts (albeit as [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abcs-gong-show-reboot-taps-one-very-interesting-host-998339 the fictional British TV host Tommy Maitland]]). Unlike other remakes, the 2017 version (with a second season airing in summer 2018) adopts a lot of the motifs of the original version.

* {{Kayfabe}}: A rare non-wrestling version- for the 2017 revival, everyone acts as though Tommy Maitland is just that, when he's really Mike Myers with a Scottish accent and a bit of makeup; articles about him hosting have either gone with it (including a whole fake backstory) or have openly stated it's Myers. By now, Tommy Maitland is considered part of the show's "[[JustForFun here for funsies]]" humor: it's not really fooling anyone anymore, but the Tommy Maitland act is still funny.

* CurtainCall: Usually, all the acts gets called on stage one more time when it's time to announce the winner. The 2017 version makes it a formal procedure with a specific theme from the band and a CatchPhrase:
--->'''Maitland:''' Well, friends, that was our final performance: which means the moment of truth has arrived. Let us bring out all of tonight's performers so we can announce a winner!

* {{Kayfabe}}: A rare non-wrestling version- for the 2017 revival, everyone acts as though Tommy Maitland is just that, when he's really Mike Myers with a Scottish accent and a bit of makeup; articles about him hosting have either gone with it (including a whole fake backstory) or have openly stated it's Myers. By now, Tommy Maitland is considered part of the show's "[[JustForFun here for funsies]]" humor: it's not really fooling anyone anymore, but Myers' acting is still funny.

* LastSecondShowoff: In the 2017 episode featuring Jack Black, a painter spends her act painting what looks like nonsense. Jack is about to go gong her (with Will Arnett resisting) when the painter suddenly spins the easel, revealing she'd been ''painting upside-down''. Jennifer Aniston calls this out, saving the act, and Jack even compliments Will, "That was a good stop."[[labelnote:PS.]]She turns out to be the winning act![[/labelnote]]

* GiantNoveltyCheck: The cash prize is presented in this manner to each episode's winner.

* CurtainCall: Usually, all the acts gets called on stage one more time when it's time to announce the winner. The 2017 version makes it a formal procedure with a CatchPhrase:

* Last-Second Showoff: In the 2017 episode featuring Jack Black, a painter spends her act painting what looks like nonsense. Jack is about to go gong her (with Will Arnett resisting) when the painter suddenly spins the easel, revealing she'd been ''painting upside-down''. Jennifer Aniston calls this out, saving the act, and Jack even compliments Will, "That was a good stop."[[labelnote:PS.]]She turns out to be the winning act![[/labelnote]]

* Last-Second Showoff: In the 2017 episode featuring Jack Black, a painter spends her act painting what looks like nonsense. Jack and Will Arnett are about to go gong her when the painter suddenly spins the easel, revealing she'd been ''painting upside-down''. Jennifer Aniston calls this out, saving the act, and Jack even compliments Jennifer, "That was a good stop."[[labelnote:PS.]]She turns out to be the winning act![[/labelnote]]

* {{Kayfabe}}: A rare non-wrestling version- for the 2017 revival, everyone acts as though Tommy Maitland is just that, when he's really Mike Myers with a Scottish accent and a bit of makeup; articles about him hosting have either gone with it (including a whole fake backstory) or have openly stated it's Myers.

* AudienceParticipation: Early in the original series' run, any ties for highest score were broken by who the audience applauded the loudest to.

* OncePerEpisode: The "Shaving Cream" sing-along on the 2017 version.

The show has had several {{revival}}s, mostly in ten-year intervals. The first was in 1988 with Don Bleu as host, a version which lasted for only one season. Game Show Network revived it as ''Extreme Gong'' in 1998 with George Gray at the helm, and kept it going for two seasons. The most recent revival was in 2008 on Creator/ComedyCentral, also lasting for only a season with Dave Attell as host. Since 2012, a [[http://www.gongshowlive.net Sony-approved live stage version]] has been running in the New York City area. In 2017, right on schedule, Creator/{{ABC}} [[http://www.buzzerblog.com/2016/10/03/abc-orders-the-gong-show-revival/ revived the show]] with Creator/WillArnett at the helm, following in the footsteps of ABC's multiple summer game shows (''Celebrity Series/FamilyFeud'', ''Series/ToTellTheTruth'', ''Series/MatchGame'', and fellow Sony property ''[[Series/{{Pyramid}} The $100,000 Pyramid]]''); Creator/MikeMyers hosts (albeit as [[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abcs-gong-show-reboot-taps-one-very-interesting-host-998339 the fictional British TV host Tommy Maitland]]). Unlike other remakes, the 2017 version adopts a lot of the motifs of the original version.

* DropTheCow: The Gong. Sometimes, if an act is ''really'' bad, the judges will hit the gong in some silly way, such as ''kicking'' it, ''throwing things'' (including the striker) at it, or ''gang-gonging''.

'''Maitland:''' No, ''you'' are! And that's why I love you! [...] Turn on your telly, turn off your brain... [[JustForFun we're just here for funsies!]]

* LosingHorns: When a contestant gets gonged, the band immediately transitions to this. Older versions used the famous four-note wah-wah; modern variants have their own takes.

** On an episode from the 2017 version, judge Ed Helms gonged a contestant who dropped three folding chairs that were to be juggled. In suggesting that he could do better, Ed took three standard juggling pins... [[EpicFail and immediately fumbled]]. Will Arnett, a judge on the same episode, immediately gonged Ed's failure to show up the performer.

* DropTheCow: The Gong.