‘FAMILY FEUD’ IS GENERATIONAL
Few game shows still airing have outlasted ‘Family Feud’, which made its debut on ABC in 1977 with the permanently-tanned Richard Dawson at the helm. The frisky host was best known for delivering a mouth kiss to every female participant whether they wanted one or not. The show proved immeasurably popular with my own family and I began watching it at an early age. My family would often play along in an attempt to outwit the often clueless contestants who drew a blank under pressure.
The show took a hiatus in the early eighties, then resurfaced in ’88 with a succession of hosts, none of whom has been as thoroughly entertaining as the current emcee, John O’Hurley, whose dry, deadpan comments are as funny as the show itself. The concept of ‘Family Feud’ has remained unchanged over the years, and a second generation of my family have gravitated to the often banal and simple questions posed to the contestants. These seemingly easy questions produce some hilarious answers when one is racing the clock during the’Fast Money’ $20,000 round: ‘During what month of pregnancy does a woman begin to look pregnant?’ The family’s mom answers: ‘September’.
We continue to watch the syndicated shows on Direct tv with a sense of nostalgia, and the new shows will undoubtedly continue to entertain my family for years to come.
