Game shows attract die-hard followers of all ages, fans who live to hear Bob Barker yell, "Come on down!" or hear Regis ask, "Is that your final answer?"

From the earliest days of quiz shows, these armchair players have competed right along with the contestants on their TV screen. Game show addicts are found across the country, and Notre Dame is no exception.

Sophomore Sean Milligan, reigning champion of Playstation "Jeopardy!" in Fisher Hall, considers himself a game show guru.

"I think game shows are the best thing that ever happened to TV," said Milligan. "Where else can you do absolutely nothing and still be a hero for a day?"

Like many of his hall mates, Milligan enjoys his daily fix of game shows. His favorites include "Jeopardy!," "The Price is Right," "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and "Temptation Island".

Milligan is confident in his game show stratagems. "`Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' I rule that game," he said. "I'd win at `Temptation Island' and `Survivor' at the same time."

Since his childhood, Milligan has been watching game shows and planning his shot at the million dollar question. Of course, the jackpot was not always $1 million.

In fact, the first game show had no prize and was not even aired on television, proving just how far the genre has come since its conception.

History

Today it is almost impossible not to recognize the phrases "Is that your final answer?" or "I'd like to buy a vowel." The catchy theme music from "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" is impossible to get out of your head. You're humming it right now, aren't you?

Yet while these programs have become a staple in American popular culture, the game show as we know it today is surprisingly young. In 1923, only 13 years after the first public radio broadcast, two ambitious young men — "Time" magazine co-founder Briton Hadden and his circulation manager Roy Larsen — made world history. With the strike of a chime, the two men premiered "The Pop Question Game" in an attempt to increase the readership of the fledgling news journal.

"The Pop Question Game" consisted of a selected guest answering one question, or "skull test," before the chime's last note sounded.

No prize money was offered on "The Pop Question Game". No fancy cars or dream vacations were won with the correct answer. Moreover, the creators of the game show concept had no idea how big their publicity stunt would become.

The first radio show to have a real game show format was the "Professor Quiz" show, which debuted in March 1937. The show boasted a host, an announcer, a studio audience and prizes.

"Professor Quiz" aired on CBS, at that time a radio station like all the other major networks. By the next year, other networks had taken notice of the successful idea, and soon there were over 200 programs with a similar format.

Shortly after the first for-profit television broadcasts, games shows made the transition to the little screen. The first commercial television game show, NBC's "Uncle Jim's Question Bee," aired July 1, 1941. The show beat out the more famous "first" game show — CBS's "Truth or Consequences" — by a few short hours.

"Uncle Jim's Question Bee" was actually the direct descendent of the "Professor Quiz" show. When the original host of "Professor Quiz" became ill, he was released from with contract with CBS. After recovery, he was hired to host "Uncle Jim's Question Bee" by CBS's biggest rival.

Before Regis and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," there was another catchphrase on America's lips. Beginning in the 1940s, NBC's "Dr. I.Q." set the standard for pompous and overly loquacious hosts. Each night an assistant would announce with great gusto, "I have a lady in the balcony, Doctor."

While the phrase may not be as catchy as the famed "Jeopardy!" category "potent potables," "Dr. I.Q." defined the America's game show in a way no other program had done or would do for 50 years. The vaudeville pomp and grandeur of "Dr. I.Q." is apparent in almost every game show seen today.

Today's Game Shows

Modern game shows have moved from being purely quiz shows to incorporating different genres. For example, "American Gladiators" combined prize incentives with a physical challenge aspect. A more recent trend in shows like "Temptation Island" and "Survivor" is to tap into the relatively new arena of real-life documentary.

Newer shows like MTV's "Fear," which places people in situations deliberately designed to play on their phobias, focus on the contestants themselves rather than the game. Similarly, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" centers on the contestants' reactions as they struggle to answer difficult questions.

Another show, FOX's "Greed," pits people against each other in a way unlike other earlier quiz games. In "Greed," contestants must play cooperatively and against each other at the same time. Again, the show focuses on the participants themselves rather than the game.

Game Show Flops

Unfortunately, many ideas in game shows have not been received with the enthusiasm of "Survivor" and "Temptation Island." Because of the relatively low production cost of game shows, thousands of hours of film from bizarre concepts are locked away in studio vaults.

For example, in 1982 Greg and John Rice, twin midgets, hosted the unusually titled "That **** Quiz Show." The show was based on a gambling premise between teams of players with unusual jobs or backgrounds.

Unfortunately, the offensive nature of this premise caused the show's cancellation two months after it premiered.

Another ill-fated game show, 1961's "You're in the Picture," was hosted by Jackie Gleason. In this game, situation panelists were set in a picture frame and obscured by a screen, except for their heads.

By asking yes-or-no questions, contestants tried to ascertain what the panelists were doing behind the screen. "You're in the Picture" was so disappointing that Jackie Gleason apologized to the audience in advance before the second episode was filmed. Luckily, the networks had the good sense to pull the plug before the second episode aired.

The basic premises of more successful game shows have evolved little over the last 60 years. A look at "The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows" exposes how often producers repackage old themes. "The Price is Right" is suspiciously similar to the 1947 show "Missus Goes A-Shopping," and comedy improv show "Whose Line is it Anyway" closely resembles Jack Lemon's "The Ad-Libbers" from 1951.

Do You Want To Be A Millionaire?

It is easy to sit back and watch faceless contestants match their wits against the masters, but does everyone have the chutzpa to actually apply? The selection process is not as hard as one might think.

"Jeopardy!" offers contestant interviews year-round. The interview consists of a 50 question test. Those who pass the test go on to a videotaped mock session of the game filmed by none other than host Alex Trebek. The lucky hopefuls who make it past the taping will then have their names put in an active file for a year, during which they may be called upon to attend a real "Jeopardy!" round.

The selection process for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" is less exclusive. Interested parties may call in and play a telephone version of the game during announced hours.

Winners of the round are entered into a random computerized drawing to play a second qualifying round. If successful, the parties will again be placed in a computerized random pool and may then be called as contestants for the show.

Strategies to win at the games are widely varied. A brief look at the games section of any large bookstore reveals numerous titles on how to succeed in each show. Some books recommend systems for managing time while others claim to have advanced knowledge of what questions the quiz will pose.

Those are strategies too involved for connoisseurs like Milligan.

"The trick to winning at `Jeopardy!' is being fast on the buzzer and knowing way too much useless stuff," he said. "In `Survivor' you have to make friends, but not really be their friends."

It may be a while before you see Milligan's face in the hot seat of a quiz show, but he is confident that if anyone is brave enough to step up to the buzzer, he will soundly show them what it means to be a true game show guru.

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