Celebrity Game Shows Back in the Wild West, when America's first capitalists were toying with the then infant idea of advertising, they used War heroes and famous Sheriff's to endorse their products. In Britain, minstrels and bards would be called in to officiate in public tournaments and as special guests to the Theatre. These were the humble beginnings of the "celebrity". As time passed, traveling Magicians and Entertainers like Houdini and P T Barnum become famous all over the country and were invited to conventions and public meetings. P T Barnum with his Museum of Oddities traveled the length and breadth of America and Europe. Grossing over $400,000 a year, in its peak, in the 1860's, they can be credited with producing the world with its first celebrities. Celebrities are said to be people "who are celebrated". Put in simpler words they can be called as people who are famous for being famous (regardless of what they became famous for in the first place).

Near the end of the 18th century, River Poker became a rage as boats like the Memphis Belle sailed up and down the Mississippi carrying famous cowboys, actors, businessmen and politicians who played poker during their journey. This was also the time that saw the birth of the organized game shows. Although being restricted to a limited audience, tournaments of Poker had many entrants, as people wanted a piece of the winnings that amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The organizers of such tournaments would often bring in the celebrities (exotic beauties and the likes) to play with the famous personalities and lose so as to boost the ego of the players (thus making them come back for more).

Back in the Depression era, it was the circus that was the prime crowd puller. As acrobats and lion tamers were highly regarded as artists in their own right. But until then no art was as big as the Theatre. Presidents (think Abe), Senators and Governors would be special and personal guests of the actors and actresses. Parisian dance troupes were specially brought in by businessmen and toured the nation on support of the company's products and ideas. Jockeys and their horses gave hope to the people as underdogs won races making millionaires out of casual betters. Sea biscuit, perhaps the most popular such horse, became a national icon because of his underdog status that made big money for all the people who had bet on him.

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