Game shows are a go-to favorite for many TV viewers because of the thrills, the high hopes, and the personalities of the contestants. Viewers love to watch contestants’ emotions and see them win and lose. However, another advantage to watching game shows is that some of them teach your something and make you smarter.
Take a look at these six game shows that do just that.
Cash Cab
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On Cash Cab, passengers are surprised when they enter a taxi and are offered money, if they’re willing to take part in a trivia game show. The more questions they get right, the more money they make. However, contestants have to be careful because if they answer three questions wrong (three strikes) they’re kicked out of the cab, even if they haven’t reached their destination yet. It’s a fun game show where TV viewers can guess along with the passenger contestants. Variations of the show have aired on several TV stations around the world, but in the U.S. you can watch it on the Discovery Channel.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire quickly became a popular game show because of the large amount of money contestants could win. No other show had ever come close to that prize amount as a regular award. On the show, contestants are asked a series of questions to work their way up to the million dollar question. The more questions the contestants answer correctly, the more money he or she can win. Additionally, there are three lifelines to help contestants out if they don’t know the answer. You can learn lots of fun information from this show. Regis Philbin was the original host, but Meredith Vieira has hosted it since he left.
Jeopardy
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Jeopardy has aired on NBC since 1964, and it’s still a popular game show today. The unique thing about Jeopardy is that contestants are presented with answers and must respond with questions to win each clue. Each clue is worth a prize amount based on its difficulty level. Winners then become finalists and compete again for more money. Contestants basically stay on the show until they lose, meaning the prize has no value cap. The most famous Jeopardy contestant is Ken Jennings because he walked away with $2,520,700. Alex Trebek has been the host since 1984.
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?
On Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader, contestants compete to win money by answering questions taught in the 5th grade. But don’t be fooled — these questions are anything but easy. Each question has a dollar amount attached to it and contestants walk away with nothing if they mess up before reaching a “bank” level. You can play along and test your own knowledge with them. Jeff Foxworthy hosts Are You Smarter than a 5th Graders, and the show has aired on Fox since 2007.
Shark Tank
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Shark Tank is a reality game show where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to the judges (shark tank) and try to win help with their business. This show makes you smarter because it shows how to effectively negotiate and do business. All you need is a good idea and the right pitch and you could start a successful business with Shark Tank. Since this show is aired on ABC, you can be fairly certain that just about any of your local TV companies will carry it. But if you don’t have this channel, you might want to consider switching providers.
Wheel of Fortune
Do you know the names “Pat Sajak” and “Vanna White”? They’re famous for hosting Wheel of Fortune in its prime (80s and 90s). On the show, contestants compete to solve word puzzles by spinning a wheel to determine the prize amount and then guessing a letter. It’s a lot like hangman. You can play along and test your knowledge of words. It’s always so thrilling to come up with the answer to a puzzle before the contestants. Wheel of Fortune has aired since 1983 and has appeared on both CBS and NBC.
These are just some of the most popular game shows that make you smarter. There are plenty of other game shows to entertain and educate. Which ones are your favorites? Leave a comment below.
