Wikipedia tells us that the original show called The Gong Show was an amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC’s daytime schedule from June 14, 1976, through July 21, 1978, and in first-run syndication from 1976 to 1980 and 1988 to 1989. The show was produced by Chuck Barris, who also served as host for the NBC run and from 1977 to 1980 in syndication. The show is best remembered for its absurdist humor and style, often awarding participants ridiculous and worthless prizes. Each show presented a contest between amateur performers of often dubious talent, with a panel of three celebrity judges. If any judge considered an act to be particularly bad, he or she could force it to stop by striking a large gong, Most of the performers took the gong with sheepish good grace, but there were exceptions. Any act that survived without being gonged was given a score by each of the three judges. The contestant who achieved the highest combined score won the grand prize.
Find out about the North Thompson Fall Fair’s upcoming revival of The Gong Show in Barriere on May 9 by going to their Facebook page; North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo