Obscure Chuck Barris Game Show Turns Up in Hit Movie

 If you seen the movie Licorice Pizza, which is set in 1973, in the background is a show that was one of many produced by Chuck Barris that's wasn't one of his biggest hits The Parent Game.  

The show debuted in prime access syndication in the fall of 1972 and was hosted by Los Angeles radio personality Clark Race.  In the Twin Cities, WCCO-TV aired the show on Tuesday nights at 6:30, opposite KSTP's access entry The Nighttime Price is Right, hosted by Dennis James.  

As for the game itself, it was very similar to Barris' hit show The Newlywed Game.  Instead of four couples competing, there were three.  The object was to match answers to parenting situations that were given by psychologist Dorothy Thompson who never appeared in the studio.  

The scoring system was different.  In the first round, each correct match was five points.  The second round was 10 and the third round 15.  The fourth and final round had a 30 point bonus question where both couples had to agree on Thompson's answer.  Highest scoring couple won the game and a grand prize.  If the score was tied, The Newlywed Game tiebreaker would come into play where the couple who came close to their predicted final score without going over would be the winner.  

Despite being widely syndicated in 125 markets, The Parent Game was not a success and ended production after one season.  The show would be revived in 1986 on The Family Channel (now Freeform) with a new title Wait Till You Have Kids that was produced by Jay Wolpert and hosted by Tom Parks.  But this incarnation would last only 16 weeks.  

The Parent Game would be the only national game show Race would host.  He did host a brief revival of You Don't Say on KTLA in Los Angeles from April to June of 1975.  Original host Tom Kennedy would be a regular panelist and would later return to the emcee's role later in the run and when ABC picked up the revival in July.  

Race would leave broadcasting in 1986 and move with his wife Diane to Pittsburgh, the city where he became a top rated DJ in the 1960s and hosted KDKA-TV's Dance Party.  Sadly, years of smoking caught up to Race and he passed away on July 27, 1999 from throat cancer at the age of 66.  

If you haven't seen Licorice Pizza, check out this Oscar nominated movie and you'll notice not only The Parent Game but also the show that it was derived from, The Newlywed Game.