TV shows are some of the most well loved forms of content around, with there being millions of shows out there for people to enjoy. For most TV shows, there are many episodes and will cover a range of topics and crossovers with other real live events.
With the amount of TV shows out there, there’s always going to be episodes that are set in different locations such as a casino or someone playing slots in there.
TV shows featuring casinos have given us some of the best episodes around with them being remembered for years after they initially aired. In this article we’ll be taking a look at some of the best TV casino scenes ever and what made them so special.
Caesar’s Challenge
Originally aired in 1993 and ran for one year, Caesar’s Challenge was a game show set in a casino. The plot of the game was contestants were put in the casino and given specific tasks and challenges to complete. Filmed in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Dan Doherty hosted most of the episodes in it’s run time as was supported by a man dressed as a roman gladiator which only added to the craziness of the show.
In the game, the contestants had three challenge rounds that involved numerous tasks such as sitting at a slot machine and having to decipher a mixed up puzzle word, a trivia round with different questions they had to answer and many more fun challenges for them to complete. Just like in a real casino, for each challenge they completed, they accumulated prize money which they could then exchange for prizes on offer by the game show.
Bonus rounds were also available with on some occasions a new car was up for grabs which was an incredible prize if won.
The show ended up finishing after 155 episodes, but people enjoyed it so much it ended up being picked up in Israel who made their own show with the same concept.
Friends - the one in Vegas
This two part special aired in the fifth season of the worldwide sensation Friends. In this episode, everything starts to go downhill rather quickly as what started out as a nice trip with friends to Vegas, ends up in disaster. Joey is working there dressed as a gladiator, Monika and Chandler end up getting married, only before seeing Ross and Rachel leaving the Chapel having recently also married and Phoebe is just enjoying herself playing the slot machine, only to be bothered the whole time by an elderly woman.
These two episodes are considered fan favourites by the Friends community and when aired live, it had over 26 million views without any repeats showing just how popular the show was at the time. The show really did evidence everything that Vegas has to offer!
The Simpsons
Arguably the most well known TV show in the world, The Simpsons is the hit sensation that is still going over twenty years later. Within virtually every Simpsons episode, the scene is set, Marge is the Voice of reason, Homer is making a mess of something, Lisa is studying and Bart is causing mayhem. However in the episode $pringfield, the roles are very much reversed and it’s Marge that goes downhill. After finding slot machines, it comes to light Marge doesn’t have very good self control when in front of one and quickly goes off the ropes, causing all kinds off issues. It takes level headed Homer to snap her out of her ways and come to her senses and in doing so saving the day.
This episode is a great breakaway from the normal structure of The Simpsons as you see a completely different dynamic to the family and how it’s now Homers turn to save the day and be the responsible one.
Friends - the one after the superbowl
In another Friends episode, this one follows Ross and Rachel looking for Ross’s beloved pet Marcel who is lost in a Casino. The pair embark on a wild goose chase around the casino trying to locate his pet Monkey, causing chaos along the way as they’re always one step behind the Monkey.
Casinos are so popular they’ll always have roles and scenes in TV shows as they offer so much from set ups to storytelling, and this makes them a perfect place to shoot an episode. Whether it’s just one scene or a whole episode, casinos really are the perfect place for one.
The fact that numerous TV shows have already had either scenes or entire episodes in casinos show just how influential they can be on an episode on setting the tone and pace, episodes featuring casinos very much work more times than they dont.
What’s your favourite gaming TV scene?
