Wink Martindale. The name just sounds like classic TV, doesn't it? If you grew up anywhere near a television set between the 1970s and the early 2000s, you’ve definitely seen that grin. But honestly, if someone asked you right now to name every single what game show did wink martindale host project, you’d probably stumble.
Why? Because the man was a machine.
Most people immediately shout "Tic-Tac-Dough!" or maybe "Gambit." And they're right. Those were his "hits." But Wink’s career was actually a wild ride of over 20 different shows. Some lasted for years, while others basically vanished before the first commercial break.
The Big Two: Where Wink Became a Household Name
If we’re talking about the heavy hitters, we have to start with Tic-Tac-Dough. This is the one that really cemented his legacy. Wink took over the revival in 1978 and stayed until 1985. It was a massive hit. You remember the dragon? That weird, slightly terrifying animated dragon that would end a contestant's run? That was the soul of the show.
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Wink presided over the legendary run of Thom McKee, who was basically the Ken Jennings of the 1980s. McKee won over $300,000, which, back then, was "buy a small island" kind of money.
Then there was Gambit.
It was essentially blackjack but with giant cards and married couples. It ran on CBS in the mid-70s and had a shorter stint in the early 80s. Wink loved this one because it followed his "KISS" rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Everyone knows how to play 21. If the rules are easy, the audience stays.
The Full List: Every Game Show Wink Martindale Hosted
Winston Conrad "Wink" Martindale didn't just stop at the hits. He was a survivor in an industry that eats hosts for breakfast. Here is the actual rundown of the shows he fronted.
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- What's This Song? (1964–1965) – His first big gig. Interestingly, he was credited as "Win Martindale" because the producers thought "Wink" sounded too childish.
- Dream Girl of '67 (1966–1967) – A short-lived Chuck Barris creation.
- How's Your Mother-in-Law? (1967–1968) – Another Barris oddity. Wink later joked that it felt like it lasted 13 minutes rather than 13 weeks.
- Can You Top This? (1970)
- Words and Music (1970–1971)
- Gambit (1972–1976, 1980–1981)
- Tic-Tac-Dough (1978–1985)
- Headline Chasers (1985) – This was his first attempt at producing and hosting his own creation alongside Merv Griffin. It didn't stick.
- High Rollers (1987–1988) – He took over the dice-rolling classic originally made famous by Alex Trebek.
- The Last Word (1989)
- The Great Getaway Game (1990)
- Trivial Pursuit (1993–1994) – An interactive version of the board game.
- Shuffle (1994)
- Boggle (1994)
- Jumble (1994)
- Debt (1996–1998) – A late-career resurgence on Lifetime where people competed to pay off their actual credit cards and loans.
- Instant Recall (2010) – A hidden camera memory game on GSN.
The "Debt" Comeback and the Lifetime Era
By the mid-90s, most people figured Wink was ready for retirement. Nope. He showed up on Lifetime of all places. Debt was a weirdly prophetic show. It featured contestants who were drowning in student loans or credit card debt.
Wink was the perfect host for it—empathetic but still a showman. It became Lifetime’s highest-rated quiz show at the time. It proved that his "nice guy" persona worked just as well for Gen X as it did for the Greatest Generation.
Beyond the Podium: Producer and Radio Legend
It’s easy to forget that Wink wasn't just a guy reading teleprompters. He was a power player behind the scenes. He created and produced Bumper Stumpers, which was a huge hit in Canada and on the USA Network. It was that show where you had to figure out what those weird vanity license plates said.
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And before TV? He was a radio god.
He was the guy who interviewed Elvis Presley for the first time on the radio. Seriously. He was friends with the King. He even had a Top 10 hit himself in 1959 with a spoken-word record called "Deck of Cards."
Why Wink Still Matters in 2026
Wink Martindale passed away in April 2025 at the age of 91, literally one day after a new version of Tic-Tac-Dough premiered on the Game Show Network. Talk about timing.
His longevity is a lesson in personal branding. He survived the "Quiz Show Scandals" fallout, the rise of cable, and the shift toward snarkier reality TV. He stayed "Wink." He was always professional, always dapper, and he never made himself the star—the game was always the star.
If you’re looking to dive back into the world of classic game shows, start with the 1980 season of Tic-Tac-Dough. It represents the peak of the genre: big hair, bigger prizes, and a host who knew exactly how to keep the tension high without breaking a sweat.
Actionable Insight: If you want to watch these classics today, your best bet is the Game Show Network (GSN) or the Buzzr channel, which frequently airs marathons of Tic-Tac-Dough and Card Sharks. Many of his 80s episodes have also been archived on YouTube by dedicated collectors, offering a nostalgic look at a vanished era of daytime television.