This summer, a frustrating thing happened. Our cable company had a contract dispute with the parent company of a TV station we watch a lot. During this stalemate, which lasted two months, the station went dark. Not only did we lose local news and “Big Brother,” but we lost “Jeopardy.”

My dedicated readers know that “Jeopardy” is part of the nightly routine at our house. To lose this Reser family staple was pretty hard. During this period, my depression was strong enough that I had no interest in channel surfing to find another game show to fill the void. The same can’t be said for Sidney.

The Game Show Network became Sidney’s rebound as she searched for something that could replace Alex. After testing the waters, she found just the person…

Steve Harvey.

Over the past several weeks, my wife has become a major “Family Feud” fan. Because it plays on multiple stations and because she records the shows, there is a good chance that it will be on our TV if you ever decide to unexpectedly walk through the front door. Like with other things, except for her reality TV preferences, I have followed suit in enjoying what my wife watches. Yes, I can admit that “The Feud” isn’t that bad.

Steve Harvey does a pretty darn good job on “Family Feud.”

I remember watching the show as a kid when Louie Anderson was the host. I watched maybe once or twice when the sidekick from “Home Improvement” took over. But I have never watched it as much as I have over the past month. In my opinion, I am glad it has worked out this way.

Why? Because Steve Harvey is HILARIOUS!!

Harvey’s facial expressions, rapport with contestants, and quick one-liners are entertaining. He knows when to let a moment play out with no narration and he can subtly question the intelligence of the contestants without appearing mean. The way he confidently walks out on stage sets the tone for the show and the way he will remove himself from a family’s celebration at the end puts a bow on it. He does a really nice job.

The show itself isn’t bad. It takes an entirely different skillset than Jeopardy but it is kind of a nice change. There are things I don’t like. I believe playing first is more of an advantage than it should be, I think some of the categories contain peculiar/insignificant answers, and I think the scoring system is wonky. But there is something simple and fun about playing Scattergories on TV.

The dispute has ended and Jeopardy is back on our TV…but Family Feud hasn’t gone anywhere. For now we are a two-game show household, at least until Steve Harvey leaves the show. Don’t Blink.