Episode 1 & 2 PREVIEW

‘The Search For Canada’s Game Shows’ premiere episode reveals the historic moments and hidden stories of the country’s most beloved game shows and hosts

From the classic formats based on news and current events to the zany and obscure incarnations that had contestants covered in slime, Canada has a truly unique game show history.

“The Search For Canada’s Game Shows,” takes a look at the glory days of the most popular game shows as well as some of the most beloved homegrown hosts.

Featuring interviews with veterans like Howie Mandel and Wink Martindale, as well as producers, directors and contestants, the series will also reveal some of the most controversial moments in game show history.

“Behind every Canadian game show there’s a story,” teases game show director and creator Sidney M. Cohen.

The premiere episode explores the history of game shows and how the relatable contestants and competitive premise captured audiences from the very beginning.

“I think we’re intrinsically competitive. I think we all really want to outsmart the rest of society so we tend to play along at home,” says game show creator Blair Murdoch.

The episode also looks at one of the country’s early hits called “Front Page Challenge.”

The news-based show aired on CBC from 1957 to 1995 and featured a panel of experts – newspaper journalists from the 60s and 70s - who would try and figure out who the mystery guest was by asking a series of questions.

“(The panel) was trusted, not like today where everybody is accusing ‘fake news.’ These were the guys who would give you the straight goods so that was a big reason that I think it connected for Canadians,” says television columnist Bill Brioux.

Famous guests included everyone from Gordie Howe and Malcolm X to a very tipsy Sarah Churchill.

The second episode dives into Canada’s huge talent of game show hosts including Monty Hall, who paved the way for modern decision-making game shows with “Let’s Make a Deal.”

It also looks at how Alex Trebek became one of Canada’s most beloved game show hosts long before “Jeopardy” and features “Reach For The Top,” which was originally hosted by Trebek.

Episode 3 & 4 PREVIEW

The Canadian game shows that paved the way and the one that ‘stiffed’ Alex Trebek

Canada has been home to many successful game shows as well as one that went horribly wrong and left Alex Trebek without a pay cheque.

Episode three of “The Search For Canada’s Game Shows” takes a closer look at the highs and lows of the country’s game show history as well as why much of the early footage no longer exists. 

“The tape was worth more than they thought the show was worth so they would tape over it and (use it) again,” says television columnist Bill Brioux. 

“This is an issue that breaks my heart because so much of television is lost, especially in Canada.” 

One of these shows that has very little footage left also happens to be one of Canada’s most memorable – “Definition.” 

The show that ran from 1974 – 1989 had contestants competing to solve a series of puzzles and featured one of Canada’s greatest game show hosts Jim Perry. 

“He took the job very seriously but he was a very friendly guy and you felt after you’d met him, you’d known him for a long time,” says former Toronto weatherman Dave Devall, who was the announcer on “Definition.” 

Perry also had a big impact on Canadian comedian Howie Mandel, who appeared as a celebrity guest on the show. 

Mandel reveals in the episode just how much Perry influenced him while hosting “Deal or No Deal.”

“I was channeling my Jim Perry,” he says.

The episode also looks at a show called “Pitfall” that featured an elaborate set with moving elevators.

But the high production value was also the show’s downfall, resulting in bankruptcy and host Alex Trebek not getting paid. 

“That’s the only time in my life someone has stiffed me,” says Trebek.

Episode four dives into what makes a great game show and how Canada was able to innovate in the game show space as the 70s came to a close with “The Mad Dash.” 

Created by Canada’s own Sidney M. Cohen, the show with the life-size game board became a hit and spawned an international version.

“Game shows had a lot of intrinsic drama and I kinda took to the concept of game shows like a duck to water … I just fell in love with them,” says Cohen. 

The episode also takes a look at “Talk About” that aired in the late 80s with Wayne Cox as its host and “Bumper Stumpers” with Al Dubois that featured Barenaked Ladies’ Steven Page in his first television appearance.

Episode 5 & 6 PREVIEW

Dumping slime and breaking ground: how Canadian game shows made history

Whether it was covering kids in slime or breaking ground with same sex couples, Canada has certainly produced some of the most wacky and revolutionary game shows in history.

In the final two episodes of “The Search For Canada’s Game Shows,” the series looks at some of the most fondly remembered shows from the 80s and 90s and the man responsible for bringing many of them to life – Blair Murdoch. 

After working on the Canadian adaption of “Let’s Make a Deal” and “Pitfall” with the ill-fated Catalena Productions, Murdoch set his sights on a younger audience.

Like “The Newlywed Game” for kids, “Kidstreet” tested siblings on how well they knew each other while competing against two other teams for exciting prizes like a Nintendo Entertainment System or a remote controlled car.

Hosted by Kevin Frank, “Kidstreet” also became iconic for having the contestants seated in race cars and clapping above their heads, with the origins of both explained in the episode. 

The show even featured a famous guest who famously cheated on the episode – actor Seth Rogen.

“My dad sets out a series of like 10 answers, we memorized them and not only does it work, we don’t get one question wrong and we won the game show through cheating,” Rogen revealed on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” in 2018.

“Of course he would’ve tried to cheat,” Murdoch says with a laugh when shown the clip.

Murdoch also produced “Love Handles,” a twist on “The Newlywed Game” that featured couples in all stages of their relationships. The popular show that aired from 1996 – 1998 also broke ground for featuring same sex couples. 

But the progressive move was not received well by everyone, with angry callers protesting the show and some broadcasters refusing to air it. 

“I was a little bothered it bothered people as much as it apparently did … I became much more understanding I suppose, so I tended to take up that fight,” says Murdoch. 

“It changed me a little bit.”

The final episode of the series also looks at the dawning of YTV and two of its most popular game shows – “Video & Arcade Top 10” and “Uh Oh!” 

For kids growing up in the early 90s without Internet, video games were life, which is what made “Video & Arcade Top 10” such an after-school staple for 17 years.

“At the time the only way you could really find out about them was print magazines or a TV show like ours,” says host Nicholas Picholas. 

“Uh Oh!” aired from 1997 - 2003 and secured its iconic status by being one of the strangest game shows of all time.

Scott Yaphe brought the show to life as host Wink Yahoo, known for his wacky jackets and sky-high hair.

But it was kids being doused with slime by a massive guy in a horror mask known as the Punisher that really made the show like none other.

“There were times when he threw kids into the pools of water and we thought, ‘Oh, there’s a lawsuit,’” says director Rick Watts. 

Canadian comedian Shaun Majumder, who toured across the country with the “slime tour,” also reveals the impact the show had on him in the episode.

“More people know me probably from ‘Uh Oh!’ than they do from any of the other things that I’ve done,” says Majumder.