The worst quiz show ever broadcasted on television was, without a doubt, You're In The Picture, which graced American screens in January 1961. It was taken of by universal acclaim after one instalment.
The program was hosted by Jackie Gleason, who habitually signs his letters 'The Great Gleason'. It is now possible to see why. In this show, celebrity panellists had to stick their heads through holes in a plyboard screen and ask him questions in order to discover what was painted on the other side.
Due to the fascinating obscurity of these scenes ('The Rising of The Old Glory At Squirri Barri', for example) there was no way that a guest could identify them unless equipped with the most avanced psychic abilities.
On the next week's show Gleason pitched up on his own.
'Ladies and Gentlemen,' he said, 'I think you'll notice that there is no panel tonight.' Furthermore, there was 100 per cent absence of painted plyboard scenes. Instead hesat there, drinking a cup of coffee that was 'chock-full-o-booze' while saying what a flop last weeks show had been.
After a thirty-minute post-mortem, interlaced with jokes and personal reminiscences, he said: 'I don't know what we're going to do, but tune in next week for the greatest soapless opera you've ever seen.'
Audiences could hardly wait for next week's show when Gleason once again appeared on his own joined by a chimpanzee. It was not until the third instalment that he risked having anohter human on the show, by which time kellogs had withdrawn sponsorship on the grounds that it was no longer a quiz programme.
-taken from the book 'The Return of Heroic Failures' by Stephen Pile.
Originally posted by Shanshu311I was going to say Hee-Haw, those reality shows must be really bad, never watched one.
Word. I'd rather watch re-runs of Hee-Haw, than watch Paris Hilton strut around like trash, or bear witness to some idiot eating bugs.
Ratings UP, Morals DOWN.
Reality TV blows.
Any list of the worst tv shows ever has to begin and end with any and all reality shows...
(American Idol IS considered a reality show for the purposes of this reply).
Although there were plenty of shows I couldn't stand growing up, as well as today, NOTHING compares to "reality" shows for bad TV... I never have understood the appeal of ANY of them...
I saw the commercial for "The New Gilligan's Island"... Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann, is better looking TODAY, 40 YEARS after being on the original Gilligan's Island, than the skank who plays Mary Ann on this reality show... and I'm sure the same can be said for the original vs. the new Ginger...
I haven't seen the new show (and I won't) but those really are a couple of skanks...