Television game shows don’t have to be all “get the right answer and win a car” serious. Sometimes you can have a successful game show that also plays for laughs. The Gong Show was one such program. So were the 1970’s-era Match Game episodes. Remote Control was also a fun game show in its day. There’s an Australian TV game show called Hard Quiz, and I’ll blog about that program in the future.
But for now, let me introduce you to this 2005 Canadian game show from Canada. Its title? You Bet Your Ass.
No, I’m not talking about wagering a donkey here. We’re talking “ass” in the colloquial sense.
And right off the bat, you can see that this show was produced with what appears to be couch cushion money. Three contestants battled in a pop culture trivia competition, with the winner receiving $500. That person could then take that money and wager to finish the night with $2,500.
Well, gee, let me show you an episode. And understand that this show goes full in on the concept. The host, comedian Stewart Francis, acts more like this is a side hustle for when he’s not performing the late show at Yuk Yuk’s.
And Stewart Francis’ co-host? That would be Sitara Hewitt. The conservatively dressed, demure, innocent co-host. I mean … look at her. Seriously. She’s the kind of girl you can take home to mother.
Here’s an episode to prove what I say is so.
There you go. And this simple concept – goofy questions from the host, the co-host almost wearing clothing, the questions being on the level of “what color is an orange?” – allowed this show to last for two seasons.
I’d play another episode for you … but at this point, watching one episode of You Bet Your Ass is like watching the entire two-season run, so there’s that.
Instead, let me show you this other game show. This was called Strip Poker, and aired in 1999 on the USA Network. Let’s see if it has all the same content as You Bet Your Ass. Goofy semi-disinterested host? Check. Busty co-host showing a lot of skin? Double-check.
And with Strip Poker, the gist of the show is that for every time a contestant gets a question wrong … they have to take off an article of clothing. Yep, instead of amateur comedy night at Yuk Yuks, we’re now getting amateur night at Boner’s.
Hoo boy. And before you ask, no, Strip Poker never went “full monty” on a broadcast, or at least on none of the episodes I watched for this blog post.
But I’m just saying … with this actor’s strike still in full force, maybe one of these networks might consider bringing Strip Poker or You Bet Your Ass back for a short run in prime time. I mean … I’m sure there are plenty of broad-minded viewers out there who would appreciate some high-brow entertainment, and if they can’t get the high-brow entertainment, let’s take it all the way down to the lowest possible denominator.
Yeah, you kinda saw what I did there, didn’t you? 😀
Chuck The Writer 
Come to think of it, I did bring a girl like Sitara Hewitt home to meet my parents when I was 16. At first my parents thought that she was just a friend; when my parents found out that we were actually dating, it became apparent to them that I was actually a lesbian. To this day, I still wish I had a picture of the expression on my father’s face of disapproval. 🙂
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