What was great about this show, apart from it's rather unique concept of the game board, was the difficulty level of the game for the single player and the IQ required of a single person to remain champion. Very few, if any other, game shows have pitted a solitary player against a family pair of two. A good family pair, with areas of expertise that are contrasting, could be next to impossible to beat. Still, a single player with a wide array of knowledge could do it (as the virtually unstoppable Leland did. He was retired after winning too many times!) There were some impressive family pairs as well, but too often they were led by one very strong player with a tag-a-long relative who barely helped out (i.e.- the brother/sister team in which the Army officer answered nearly every question on his own while his ditzy blonde sister grabbed his arm every time in amazement and scarcely got anything out of her mouth through their entire reign!) Host Cullen is an invaluable part of TV game show history and was an endearing, if not so telegenic, presence. His sometimes corny jokes and tendency to overstate the status of the game are faint detractions from his ability to smoothly operate the game in a very genial, reliable way. They don't make 'em like him anymore. It's a shame that the show was as short-lived as it was because it was indeed a cut above the rest in terms of challenge and taste, but that's not necessarily what the majority of people want to see. Dig the groovy opening them music! A tacky, dumb-downed version surfaced about five or so years later.
Review of Blockbusters
