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Best Game Show Host

T

tlyle

Ok, we can do this several ways. Need the host name, show, time period (year/decade)

Who is the best game show host of all time?

Another way:
Best in 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and 2000's?

Best by network: abc, cbs, nbc, syndicated, cable, local
 
1: Bill Cullen.
2: Garry Moore.
3: Gene Rayburn.
4: Groucho Marx. (Would be higher up if the game actually had more prominence on "You Bet Your Life.")
5: Tom Kennedy.
 
1. Bill Cullen-The Master
2. Tom Kennedy-Close no. 2..
3. Gene Rayburn-Very personable..He had fun
4. Art Fleming-Though he only hosted the Original Jeopardy!..He did that one show very well
5. Garry Moore-Easygoing, well-loved by cast, crew and viewers..
6. Robert Q. Lewis-Mostly from reruns of "Name's the Same"..But he ran the game nicely..Was very witty..Handled contestants well.

Other very good hiosts included John Daly, Groucho Marx and Hugh Downs
 
50s: John Daly (What's My Line) He was always funny.
60s: Tied with John Daly and Monty Hall
70s: Gene Rayburn
80s: Bob Barker
90s: Bob Barker
00s: Tied Bob Barker and Pat Sajak
 
What, ma, no Wink Martindale?? :) (besides which, I always found him VERY good-looking, in addition to his intelligence....)

Andrea
 
1950's--- Bill Cullen
1960's--- Monty Hall
1970's--- Bob Barker
1980's--- Peter Tomarken
1990's--- Pat Sajak
2000's--- Alex Trebek

ABC--- Monty Hall, Richard Dawson, Tom Kennedy, Bob Eubanks

NBC--- Bill Cullen, Peter Marshall, Hugh Downs, Art Fleming

CBS--- Bob Barker, Peter Tomarken, Gene Rayburn, Wink Martindale

Syndicated--- Alex Trebek, Pat Sajak, Meredith Viera

Cable--- Bill Anderson, Stuart Scott, Ben Stein
 
1950's -- Bill Cullen
1960's -- Bill Cullen
1970's -- Bob Barker
1980's -- Bob Barker
1990's -- Bob Barker
2000's -- Bob Barker
 
Thank you - FINALLY, a poster after my own heart... :-* And besides which, how can they do a list of Game Show hosts WITHOUT "The Winker"??

Andrea
 
Braves2005 said:
1950's -- Bill Cullen
1960's -- Bill Cullen
1970's -- Bob Barker
1980's -- Bob Barker
1990's -- Bob Barker
2000's -- Bob Barker
Click to expand...

OK, now wait a second here - I will grant you that Bill Cullen may have been the "gold standard" by which OTHERS were measured, BUT....BOB BARKER?? He was a guy who grabbed on to TWO GREAT game shows ("Truth or Consequences" in 1956 AND "The Price is Right" in 1972) at the RIGHT TIME -- I would NOT consider him the BEST of the 70's through the 2000's...just a guy who struck while the iron was hot (and it helped at least in the beginning that all the old ladies were attracted to him...the college kids would soon follow....) ;) ;)

Andrea
 
This list is interesting when compared with the
one TV Guide came up with a few years back.
They picked:

1. Allen Ludden
2. Bob Barker
3. Gene Rayburn
4. Alex Trebek
5. Bob Eubanks
6. Bill Cullen (how dare they rank him so low?)
7. Peter Marshall
8. Groucho Marx
9. Guy Smiley (why a Muppet?)
10. Regis Philbin

I still think Uncle Bill was the best of the bunch.
I also agree that the Winker ranks up there.
I'd also have to include Dick Clark and Richard Dawson.
 
One name no one has mentioned is Bud Collyer, who is remembered by game show diehards for "Beat the Clock" in the '50's and "To Tell The Truth" in the late 50's through most of the 60's. I always thought that he came across as rather condescending on "Clock", while on "TTTT" he was an excellent host who did a great job of keeping the game moving.

My personal Top 5:

1) Bill Cullen
2) Gene Rayburn
3) Chuck Woolery
4) Alex Trebek (again, another one who can seem condescending at times)
5) John Daly

Honorable mention goes to Hugh Downs for his work on "Concentration."
 
My favorite all time game show host was Bill Cullen. With Tom Kennedy number 2 . My favorite game shows was all passwords, and original Holleywood Squares.
 
Maybe I'm a little prejudiced because I had a good working relationship with him, but I think Jim Lange is very worthy of a mention. In addition to hosting The Dating Game, he also hosted Bullseye, which was produced by Jack Barry and Dan Enright, and the newer version of Name That Tune.

Also worth at least an honorable mention:
Jack Narz (Tom Kennedy's brother)
Dennis James
Jan Murray
Richard Dawson
Art James
Peter Tomarken
Jack Barry
 
...Barris only hosted one show worth noting, and it's a time capsule item. Right place right time, no more. As a producer, obviously an icon, but as a host, naah...
 
Ultimajock said:
...Barris only hosted one show worth noting, and it's a time capsule item. Right place right time, no more. As a producer, obviously an icon, but as a host, naah...
Click to expand...

maybe so, BUT then again, Chuck is probably the ONLY game show host who can say that they wrote a Top 20 hit ("Palisades Park" for Freddy "Boom-Boom" Cannon in 1962 :))

Andrea
 
andreajesus said:
Ultimajock said:
...Barris only hosted one show worth noting, and it's a time capsule item. Right place right time, no more. As a producer, obviously an icon, but as a host, naah...
Click to expand...

maybe so, BUT then again, Chuck is probably the ONLY game show host who can say that they wrote a Top 20 hit ("Palisades Park" for Freddy "Boom-Boom" Cannon in 1962 :))
Click to expand...

And, although it wasn't top 20 (the record peaked at #40), Chuck Woolery wrote The Avant-Garde's one-hit wonder "Naturally Stoned."

--Russell
 
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