Paul Wing's Spelling Bee 1938

from Radio Game Show Games: This early effort predates what are generally considered to be the first game shows. Players drew chips from a bag to determine which word on the host's card they had to spell correctly. Paul Wing was an author and NBC staff director. His show was originally heard only in the cities competing in each weekly broadcast, but the program did eventually (and briefly) gain full network status. Cutting costs even in the 1930s, Milton Bradley's materials for this game were identical to the ones used in Vox Pop.

The game was played by choosing a word caller, then going around the room and having people pull numbered disks out of a bag; the number on the disk determined the word you would spell (and some words were notably easier than others, so it was a bit of a game of chance). Correct moves got you a little green counter called a "honey," and wrong moves got you a little red counter called a "stinger" (because it's a bee, get it?)