Herb Shriner, an early television version of Will Rogers

My father had three favorite comedians, Red Skelton, Bob Hope, and Herb Shriner. Herb Shriner was unlike the former two in that his humor was more topical, similar in many ways to the humor of Will Rogers. Just as Will Rogers spoke with a strong Oklahoma accent, so Herb Shriner spoke with a pronounced Hoosier accent. He often talked of Indiana even though he was actually born in Toledo, Ohio. Whereas Will Rogers used a newspaper as a prop, Herb Shriner used a harmonica, which he sometimes played.

Most viewers such as my father tuned in to "Two for the Money" not for the game but for Herb Shriner's humor, much as they tuned in to "You Bet Your Life" to hear Graucho Marx's wisecracks. I only remember "Two for the Money" with Herb Shriner (1952-1956) since we got our first TV set in 1953. Herb was the show so I don't really remember much about the game itself.

Being a youngster in those days, I enjoyed games such as Monopoly and Clue. The television game programs also marketed board games based on their shows. I had several of them including my favorite "A Dollar a Second." As I recall there was a game board marketed for "Two for the Money." Television quiz shows were all the rage in the early 50's before they got out of hand leading to the scandals later in the decade.

The family genre features stories specifically created to be suitable for a wide range of age groups within a family. Family-oriented content is designed to be enjoyed by both children and adults, often providing entertainment that is wholesome, relatable, and appropriate for all members of a family to watch or experience together.

Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The game show genre features TV series with contestants competing against each other in various challenges, tasks, or quizzes to win prizes or rewards. Game shows are designed to engage viewers by presenting exciting and often competitive scenarios that involve participants using their knowledge, skills, and strategies to outperform their opponents and win.

Bill Barretta and Pat Sajak in Wheel of Fortune (1983)

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Two for the Money

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