In response to the American Idol juggernaut on the Fox network, CBS came up with a miniseries titled Game$how Marathon, based on the satirical British weekly Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon. Each hour-long episode lovingly recreated such classic TV games shows as Beat the Clock, The Price Is Right, Let's Make a Deal, The Match Game, Family Feud, Press Your Luck, and Card Sharks. Host Ricki Lake presided over a lineup of celebrity contestants including Kathy Najimy, Tim Meadows, Paige Davis, Leslie Nielsen, Lance Bass, and Brande Roderick -- not to mention such special guest stars as the ageless, indefatigable Bob Barker. In the tradition of American Idol and other such interactive TV contest shows, the viewers at home were invited to compete for the weekly grand prize right along with the winning celebrities. Initially slated to air in 2005, Game$how Marathon was finally unveiled by CBS on May 31, 2006.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
