Amazing

As a faux tweet noted, legendary showrunner Michael Davies is working on a game show for ABC involving a maze. Back in 1974-75 the alphabet net (Variety speak!) tried to a-maze us with a show called The Money Maze. Host Nick Clooney wrote a bittersweet column on his experiences with the show in the now-defunct Cincinnati Post. Yep, a dead game show in a dead newspaper.



Clooney remembers the show somewhat fondly, though he quotes a dour critic trashing "grown people running around like rats in a maze, just to collect money." Well, people have done worse things for cash. Clooney describes the show's format:

There would be a little question and answer game between two couples. The winning couple would "go to the maze." That was when, it was hoped, the fun would begin. One person, usually the wife, would stand in a sort of crow's nest overlooking the life-size maze. The spouse would then run through the maze, directed by the mate on high. They were trying to reach five stanchions and push a button to make each light up. There were four "zeros" and a "one." If all were lighted, the couple won $10,000 in cash.

Bits and pieces of the show survive on YouTube, but most of the tapes were wiped. Really, Money Maze was no more or less silly than other stunt shows, though the huge maze was a pain to put up and disassemble. The show quickly succumbed to spotty clearances from local ABC stations and less than amazing ratings.



Clooney says he never tried game show hosting again, though he was offered another gig the following summer. His moral of the story: "Games are fun. Life is better." But isn't life just a big game show?