Team Abe Vigoda is pleased to choose, under Game Show: The Family Feud
survey says........ Of course, my favourite is the original with Richard Dawson
Family Feud is a
television game show that pits two families against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey-type question posed to 100 people. The format, which originated in the United States, airs in
numerous local formats worldwide, including in the United Kingdom (
Family Fortunes),
Malaysia (
Famili Ceria) and Australia (
Bert's Family Feud). In addition, a Spanish-language US version airs, known as
¿Qué Dice la Gente?.
The current syndicated version's tenth season began on September 8, 2008.
1976-1985
Family Feud was created in the wake of the massive success of the
CBS hit game show
Match Game, which had set daytime ratings records in 1976.
Geoff Edwards, then hosting
Treasure Hunt in syndication, was originally offered the show's Pilot; however, he turned it down after seeing
The Neighbors quietly tank and also having a deal pending with
Bob Stewart for what became
Shoot For The Stars.
[2]
Richard Dawson, one of
Match Game's most popular panelists, was the immediate next choice as host of the spin-off, which incorporated the team format and form of questioning (e.g. "Name a type of fruit") from the original 1960's
The Match Game as well as the 1970s
Match Game "Audience Match."
Host Richard Dawson and contestants from the 1976–1985 original version of
Family Feud.
Family Feud premiered as an ABC daytime show on July 12, 1976 at 1:30 p.m.
ET., with
Richard Dawson as host and
Gene Wood as the studio announcer. After its premiere, it wasn't an immediate hit, but
ABC convinced the show to move to its new time slot at 11:30 a.m.
ET, six months later, where it was a ratings winner, for the following several years, until 1984. A nighttime syndicated version was added on September 19, 1977, at first airing once weekly, then twice in January 1979, and finally every weeknight in September 1980, making that the first US game show to air ten episodes per week. When
The $20,000 Pyramid was canceled in June 1980, "The Feud" took the 12:00 p.m. time slot as reruns of
Love Boat filled the 11am-12pm hour.
With its ratings dropping, it was moved back to 11:30 a.m. in October 1984, in a game show hour paired with
Trivia Trap preceding it at 11:00 a.m.
ABC canceled the daytime show on June 14, 1985, and the syndicated version left the air three months later on September 13.
Dawson hosting "The Feud" was best known for kissing his female contestants on the lips, especially several times if she played the "Fast Money" Round.