The thrilling victories. The crushing defeats. The remarkable contestants. The blunders. The scandals. Game shows have been one of the most spontaneous and unpredictable genres on television today. Over the course of its history, there have been many moments in the genre that have captured the imagination and left us wanting more. Some moments have even transcended the genre and entered the mythology of pop culture. And here, we've compiled a list of 50 moments that encapsulate the myriad of emotions that game shows have offered over the years.

Each installment of this list will reveal 10 moments, with commentary by myself and contributor Travis Eberle, starting with moment #50 and counting down all the way to #1. Can you guess what the most memorable moment in game show history is? Stay tuned and find out.

How we compiled the list: I compiled the list of 50 moments largely by myself, although Travis Eberle helped me rank them and some members of my message board contributed some moments of their own. We've tried to make a list that spans a large timeline and involves a myriad of different shows. The moments we chose were put on the list because they stand out in our memories as landmarks in the history of the genre. We have taken some outside submissions, but one standing rule applied: If neither I nor Travis could remember the moment in question, it didn't make the list. Entries were ranked based on a number of criteria: influence on the genre, controversy within the fan base and in the general public, potential for urban legend, and reaction to the event as it took place.