Tom Bergeron has hosted several game shows including Hollywood Squares, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire filling in for Regis and he was considered as the replacement for Bob Barker when he retired from The Price is Right. But did you know his very first TV gig was hosting a game show for high school students in New Hampshire?

The show was called Granite State Challenge and still airs today after 34 years. Tom Bergeron was the original host when it debuted in 1983. He then quickly went on to bigger and better things and Jim Jeannotte took over as host and still hosts to this day, a record for number of seasons that is approaching Bob Barker's.

The show pits teams of four students from high school across New Hampshire against each other answering questions about factual information with quick recall. It wasn't an academic quiz as much as a general knowledge quiz. Think it as Jeopardy! without answers in the form of a question, not as hard and played in teams.

Maine never really had a quiz show like this that was as successful as Granite State Challenge. Today, the wining school at the end of the season goes on to play the winner of Massachusetts High School Quiz Show in the Governor's Cup. Maine should get in on this. Pine State Challenge anyone?

 

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