Games for couples Shows are listed alphabetically and analyzed on the "Movie Western Scale" (see below). For more detailed information on, or pictures of, some of these shows, read The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows, available at most game show fan's houses and also at your local bookstore.  Opinions expressed are mine, and possibly shared.

BEDROOM BUDDIES BEDTIME STORIES CHANGE OF HEART NEWLYWED GAME, THE (60-80S) NEWLYWED GAME, THE (88) NEWLYWED GAME, THE (96) NEWLYWED GAME, THE (97) NEWLYWED GAME, THE (98) PERFECT MATCH SWEETHEARTS SWAPS THAT'S AMORE TWO IN LOVE WEDDING DAY WEDDING PARTY

BEDROOM BUDDIES

Hosted by: Bobby (no relation to Joan) Rivers

The Premise: A show to suffice THE NEWLYWED GAME fans in-between runs. Couples were quizzed on how well they knew each other with multiple choice questions, including guessing the location of the woman's bedroom fantasy (And I don't mean body parts).

The Good: Bedroom Buddies was produced by Howard Schultz, who had given us STUDS and later, THE BIG DATE.

The Bad: The host, Bobby Rivers, was a stand-up comic who also was a VJ on VH-1. He should have used the skills of his former occupation instead of his latter.

The Ugly: The show only lasted a few weeks. Everyone was watching STUDS instead.

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BEDTIME STORIES

Hosted by: Al Lohman and Roger Barkley, who were radio DJs in LA

The Premise: Two couples talked about their relationship and could win money by answering questions about sex and love.

The Good: I've been informed that the theme music & cues for that show was used on an earlier Heatter-Quigley game, To Say The Least (1977/NBC/Tom Kennedy). I saw one ep of this and thought it was a great game show.

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CHANGE OF HEART

Hosted by: Bobby (no relation to Joan) Rivers

The Premise:.

The Good: .

The Bad: .

The Ugly: .

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NEWLYWED GAME, THE

Hosted by: Bob "Have you bought my engine treatment?" Eubanks

The Premise: The classic couples show. The wives were taken off-stage and Bob asked the husbands questions. The answers were written down on blue cue cards. Once the wives returned, Bob asked the wife the same question, and the couple won points if her answer was the same as the card. Wrong answers usually involved hitting your mate with the cue card. The process repeated with the husbands off-stage. The couple with the most points won a "grand prize, chosen especially for you" (them, not you).

The Good: More fun than THE DATING GAME, from the producers of THE DATING GAME. Bob has hosted many other game shows, but few as good as this!

The Bad: ZILCH. Maybe the wicker - I mean lattice (Some people are too picky).

The Ugly: The divorces rumored to be instigated by this show. Anyone got proof?

Trivia: How did the contestants know it was a "grand prize, chosen especially for you"? One on the questions on the application was basically "what would you like to win?" Couples who gave the same answer were put on the same show.

Although, a Chuck Barris production, Chuck is not credited with creating this game. He didn't. He just produced it.  Nicholson & Muir created it.

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NEWLYWED GAME, THE

Hosted by: Paul "El Pollo Loco" Rodriguez

The Premise: Exactly the same, but only three couples competed. (Maybe there was a downfall in marriages that year.)

The Good: The set looked like the room of a house, instead of a game show.

The Bad: After Bob left, the famous theme was replaced with the 50's oldie "Who wrote the book of love?" Alrighty then. Not the most peppiest 50s song, but at least they didn't use "Love Potion Number 9"

The Ugly: Paul Rodriguez is a very funny stand-up comedian, but he's was a terrible host (imho).

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NEWLYWED GAME, THE

Hosted by: Gary Kroeger

The Premise: Three (again) couples compete to see how well they know each other. The first round had contestants completing videotaped statements about themselves said by their spouses. Then, contestants had to answer multiple choice questions about their spouse. The third round had the host revealing secrets about one of the wives and the husbands had to guess if it was their wife by holding up a paddle reading "That's my wife", kind of like "buzzing in" on "Jeopardy!". The last round held some of the original show, where the wives predicted how their husband would answer a two-choice question by holding her answer on a card above his head. The couple with the most matching answers, thus most points, won a honeymoon trip.

The Good: With the 90's DINK couples (Double Income, No Kids), it's good to see that the show finally stopped giving away furniture. Plus, the variety of the rounds played. Also this version has theme shows. One show I remember was a couple from the 60's version playing against their recently-married daughter and her groom, and her brother and his bride-to-be! And, one week the show travelled to Las Vegas, where there seems to be a steady supply of contestants.... Sorry, Chuck you missed something.

The Bad: While Gary Kroeger doesn't suck as bad as Paul Rodriguez, he's no Bob. Also, I miss the cue card whaps, but the set decorators kindly provided throw pillows, which the contestants do utilize.

The Ugly: Good show, but will it last? Yes! Back for season two. But...

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NEWLYWED GAME, THE

Hosted by: Bob "Hollywood Christmas Parade" Eubanks

The Premise: Duplicate of the original 60-70s format, with four couples.  And BOB!

The Good: The best "Game of Love" ever is back just as before.  Same script logo, theme music, and the set has hints of that white wicker, um lattice. And the judge even uses the same "horn?" sound when he rules against an answer.   And Bob uses most of the same phrases such as "Blank and Blank, you're our Newlywed Game grand prize winners", "This is your husband talking", and "First names only please" for questions designed to embarrass the couple's acquaintances.

The Bad: One advantage the 96 version had was everybody was on stage at once, nobody was sent to the "soundproof room".  If only the wifes or husbands are out, and they're rapidly firing answers without the "dirty" explanations, the show gets rather dry.

The Ugly: Bob without all that makeup.  He looked old when he was hosting "Card Sharks"!

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PERFECT MATCH

Hosted by: A moustached Bob Goen. Yikes!

The Premise: Like THE NEWLYWED GAME, but with wagering. Three married couples bet "studio money" on their ability to predict what they're spouse would say. The team with the most money won the game. Couples who matched every time won a $5000 bonus.

The Good: I'll bet $200 I won't make a fool of myself on nat'nl TV!

The Bad:The format was a little close to THE NEWLYWED GAME while TNG was still on the air itself!

The Ugly: Bob Goen hosted several more game shows, including the daytime version of WHEEL OF FORTUNE, and Stone Stanley "stupid for mall money" show "Born Lucky", before jumping ship and replacing John Tesh on "Entertainment Tonight".

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SWEETHEARTS

Hosted by: Charles Nelson Reilly

The Premise: Three couples, one at a time, came out and told a celebrity panel the story of their romance. Except two of the couples were fibbing actors, only one was true. The couples/teams won money for each celebrity they led to believe it was them. The real couple won a vacation if they fooled all the celebrities.

The Good: One of the relationship show ideas where you can play along at home, and guess who's shoveling manure. If you miss this stuff, watch a family do it on FX's "No Relation".

The Bad: Who thought Charles Nelson Reilly could host a show? He was annoying enough on "Match Game". And Brett Sommers was nowhere to be found...

The Ugly: The celebrities were mostly, to use the politically correct term, current steady employment challenged. I remember the likes of Sally Struthers and Roger E. Mosley (Magnum PI's chopper pilot). "No Relation" must go to the same agency becuase their celebs stink too.

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SWAPS

Hosted by: Scott St. James Thanks, Troy!

The Premise: Three unmarried couples show how much they know about each other. Rounds varied with different games, with the last round taking place on a turntable, with the couple seated back to back - spinning around to face the host when it was their turn. Matching answers won money. At the end of the show, the women were given the chance to swap mates with the other contestants!

The Good: Very funny, for the one show I saw. They also had some fancy TV stuff. When the game had buzz-in questions, like "Jeopardy!", the screen split three ways like the Mercedes emblem. And they didn't have buzzers - they had giant foam mallets which they wielded like pujile sticks.

The Bad: A pink and blue set that looked worse than BZZZ! 's.

The Ugly: I don't know anymore about this show. It was tolerable, but ratings count! Apparently, this show is known to be worse than I thought. Maybe I saw the one good episode. If you have a bad one, be sure to send it to me.

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THAT'S AMORE

Hosted by: Luca Barbareschi

The Premise: A married couple bitched about each other, and brought people to prove things they bitched about. The audience decided who had the better case, and who better defended themself. Just to show how nice the producers were, the couple was sent on a trip where they could bitch some more in an exotic location.

The Good: Wouldn't you have watched "The People's Court" if it was more like this?

The Bad: Let's bring over an foreign game show. Couldn't you find someone besides the original host to host this show? It's a lot cheaper than flying 'em over! I think Jeff MacGregor was available then.

The Ugly: The producers of this show have also brought you "American Gladiators". Why not combine the two? "A-marriage-in Gladiators". The producer is now wrapped up in the "Make Me Laugh" remake.

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TWO IN LOVE

Hosted by: Bert Parks

The Premise: A married couple and their friends and relatives talked about the couple. At the end of the show, the couple could win money in a trivia contest.

The Good: Do you really care? This show's so old and forgotten.

The Bad and The Ugly: I've never had respect for Bert Parks, especially since hosting those beauty pageants.

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WEDDING DAY

Hosted by: Somebody and somebody else

The Premise: A marriage collapsed into a half-hour talk show. First was the bachelor party, where the groom and buddies talked with the hosts. Next was the bridal shower, where the bride and friends talked with the hosts. The show ended with a real marriage ceremony and to show their appreciation for cancelling their untelevised wedding, the hosts presented gifts to the new husband and wife.

The task at hand: I barely remember something like this. Help me get more details on this.

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WEDDING PARTY

Hosted by: Alan Hamel

The Premise: Engaged couples were introduced to the television world. They played for prizes by trying to select the same gift from three choices. If the couple matched three times, they won a "honeymoon".

The Good: A natural progression from THE NEWLYWED GAME, which aired on the same daytime schedule.  Another progression was "The Baby Game".  Got a hit? Milk it for all you got!

The Bad: If I saw it, I could tell you.

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