Blockbusters (American game show)
A hexagon-based trivia game show from the 1980s.
Blockbusters is an American game show created by Steve Ryan for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, airing in two separate runs during the 1980s. Contestants answer general-knowledge questions to complete a path across a hexagon-filled game board. The show served as the basis for a long-running British adaptation.
Quick Facts
- Runtime
- 22 minutes
- Location
- NBC Studios; Burbank, California
- Genre
- Game show
- Creator
- Steve Ryan
- Presenter
- Bill Cullen; Bill Rafferty
- Announcer
- Bob Hilton; Rich Jeffries
- Director
- Ira Skutch (1980–1982); Marc Breslow (1987)
- Executive producers
- Ira Skutch (1980–1982); Robert Sherman (1987)
Facts from the source article.
Production
Bob Cobert wrote the 1980 theme. The 1987 theme was "Run, Don't Walk," a stock track from the KPM library by British composer Richard Myhill, credited to the Music Design Group. A reworked version of that 1987 tune appeared in the unsold 1988 American pilot "Whose Baby?," hosted by Norm Crosby. The same 1987 piece later served as a speed-up round cue for the 1990 black college quiz show "Know Your Heritage."
Episode status
Both versions of the series are intact and have aired on Game Show Network at various times. Reruns first aired on CBN (now Freeform) from October 8, 1984, to August 30, 1985, making Blockbusters (along with Card Sharks) the first Goodson-Todman game show rerun on cable TV. GSN resumed airing the Cullen version on December 2, 2013, but later dropped it. The Bill Cullen version began airing on Buzzr on June 2, 2015. An episode appeared in the 1998 movie Great Expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Blockbusters (American game show) first air?
Blockbusters first aired on 27 October 1980.
When did Blockbusters (American game show) end?
Blockbusters last aired on 23 April 1982.
More in Television Series by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions
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