An excellent find the other day by the Game Show Vault, previously known as Wink Martindale’s YouTube channel.
GSV recently uploaded what appears to be the series finale of a reboot of “The Quiz Kids” for the short-lived CBS Cable network. The airing appears to have been recorded during CBS Cable’s final day of operation in December of 1982.
Don’t remember CBS Cable? Don’t feel bad. It came and went in about 14 months.
As I recall, cultural programming dominated CBS Cable’s schedule. About all I remember are “Signature,” hosted by an unseen and uncredited interviewer whose guest was most likely a famous person (the host was later revealed to be Gregory Jackson), and a revival of “The Quiz Kids” hosted by Norman Lear.
Yes—that Norman Lear—the TV trailblazer who brought us “All in the Family,” “Maude,” and a whole host of other groundbreaking sitcoms. After the turn of the millennium, he worked with Jimmy Kimmel and the creators of “South Park” before his passing at the age of 101.
From what I remember of the early ’80s run, Mr. Lear enjoyed interacting with the young contestants, and this apparent series finale will likely be my only evidence.
Leading into “The Quiz Kids” is then CBS Cable host Patrick Watson. He was a broadcast journalist in his native Canada. After CBS Cable signed off, he would have a roles in “The Terry Fox Story” and “Countdown to Looking Glass”.