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Best Game Show Host

[/quote]

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
[/quote]

which was also the title of a documentary on GSN....

Andrea
 
Don't forget about Bill Anderson (The Better Sex, Fandango) who has had a ton of success as a country singer and songwriter which continues after 50 years.

Also Wink Martindale (Tic Tac Dough) had a major pop and country hit with his version of Deck of Cards in 1959.
 
TRUE TRUE TRUE about Bill Anderson - gifted performer and songwriter, and a pretty good game show host (and contestant) as well...

Andrea
 
Can't argue with too many of these, Cullen especially, BUT...Having watched some of the old eps of "I've Got A Secret" recently, Garry Moore yelled WAY too much. (He was better than his replacement, Steve Allen, who, genius notwithstanding, tended to make the show all about him.) John Charles Daly was incredible on "WML", but how would he have done on a show that didn't have that Manhattan dinner party vibe?

As far as current hosts, I was surprised at how well I liked Jeff Foxworthy on "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" Also, another current host who I think stacks up with the old guys is Pat Kiernan, who hosted "World Series of Pop Culture" on VH1. Very smooth, doesn't get in the way of the game, and can bring the funny when it's called for.
 
Corky Marlowe said:
Can't argue with too many of these, Cullen especially, BUT...Having watched some of the old eps of "I've Got A Secret" recently, Garry Moore yelled WAY too much. (He was better than his replacement, Steve Allen, who, genius notwithstanding, tended to make the show all about him.) John Charles Daly was incredible on "WML", but how would he have done on a show that didn't have that Manhattan dinner party vibe?

As far as current hosts, I was surprised at how well I liked Jeff Foxworthy on "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" Also, another current host who I think stacks up with the old guys is Pat Kiernan, who hosted "World Series of Pop Culture" on VH1. Very smooth, doesn't get in the way of the game, and can bring the funny when it's called for.
Click to expand...

Couple of points:
1) I don't think Garry Moore yelled THAT MUCH!! (and yes, i've seen reruns of him on GSN! :))
2) Probably Daly would have flopped on his face on a show that DIDN'T have that "Manhattan dinner party vibe" :) I think if he was STILL ALIVE and someone had tried to REMAKE "WML" - would have been a mistake to get him...just look at all the remakes they tried to do of 60's standards....
3) Foxworthy I agree with you on - although I think if he needs to chill it a bit on the accent....
4) Kiernan sounds like he needs some SERIOUS Geritol or vitamins at times - too mellow...

(but as Dennis Miller would say, that's just my opinion - discuss....)

Andrea
 
Listen to some of Jeff's old "You Might Be a Redneck If..." tapes to get what I'm trying to get at it with the accent... ???

Andrea
 
John Daly would not have emceed the syndicated version
of "What's My Line?" Period. Whenever Gil Fates or Bob
Bach, who handled the day-to-day operations of the show,
suggested changes to make the show more visual and to
loosen it up, Daly would say, "Look, kiddo, if you want to
do this stuff, do it on 'I've Got A Secret.'" Daly was doing
what he felt was right for him, even as the show was becoming
increasingly same-old, same-old in the later years of the network
version.

Wally Bruner was a little more at home with the demonstrations
and skits connected to the occupations, but not much more. Larry
Blyden, on the other hand, really got into the spirit of the looser
format and, unlike Daly, showed a genuine interest in both the
contestants and the mystery guests. If a contestant was particularly
interesting, or a mystery guest someone of stature, he would always
say, "Leave me some time. I want to talk to him (her)."

In all, I still maintain that Daly was right for the Sunday-night show;
Blyden was best for the daily show.

As for Garry Moore, I think that on both "I've Got A Secret" and "To
Tell The Truth," he, too, showed a genuine interest in the contestants
and celebrities. On "TTTT," unlike Bud Collyer, he did more than move
the show along; there was plenty of interaction with the panel, and the
"central subjects" had ample time to elaborate on their stories. His is
my personal favorite version of "TTTT."
 
GREAT post!! :) :)

Now here's my question - all these 70's and 80's and 90's "remakes" that they had of TTTT, i'm just curious what your opinion was of them...

Andrea
 
andreajesus said:
GREAT post!! :) :)

Now here's my question - all these 70's and 80's and 90's "remakes" that they had of TTTT, i'm just curious what your opinion was of them...
Click to expand...

...the Garry Moore/Bill Cullen/Joe Garagiola '70s version of To Tell The Truth was definitely the best. Robin Ward's 1980 version was passable, but entirely because of the game and the panels; Ward added absolutely nothing to the show. The 1990 NBC revival was interesting when Gordon Elliott hosted but was fatally ruined after they put the awful Lynn Swann in the emcee's chair. Even Alex Trebek couldn't salvage that one. John O'Hurley has always impressed me as a Ted Knight clone and was manifestly wrong for the 2000 revival...
 
andreajesus said:
Now here's my question - all these 70's and 80's and 90's "remakes" that they had of TTTT, i'm just curious what your opinion was of them...
Click to expand...

Ranking the four comebacks:

1) 1970's---consistent and intelligent panel (although I was never a big Nipsey Russel fan), great hosts (Moore and Joe Garagiola)
2) 1990's---great panelists for the most part, hurt by having three hosts during its relatively short run (Gordon Elliott, Lynn Swann and Alex Trebek)
3) 1980's---a distant 3rd...it wasn't shown where I lived, but when I saw it the few times I did, it wasn't bad. I think they "threw the baby out with the bathwater" by changing too much from the '70's incarnation (no regular panelists associated with the 60's or 70's, totally different theme music, etc.)
4) 2000's---an absolute trainwreck...a pompous host, regular and guest panelists that you wondered, "who the hell are these people?" The only redeeming feature was bringing back the audience vote from the late '60's CBS run.
 
My picks in no particular order:

-Dick Clark (various Pyramids)
-Gene Rayburn (Match Game)
-Jim Perry (Sale of the Century/Card Sharks)
-Chuck Woolery (more Love Connection than Wheel)
-Bob Eubanks (brought out the best and worst of the Newlyweds)
-Bob Barker
-Peter Marshall
-Regis
-Bill Cullen

Honorable mention:
-John Davidson (Hollywood Squares....he wasn't one of the all time best but I always watched the show so go figure)
-Tom Bergeron (H2)
-Jack Barry
-Meredith Vieira
 
andreajesus said:
What, ma, no Wink Martindale?? :) (besides which, I always found him VERY good-looking, in addition to his intelligence....)

Andrea
Click to expand...

He was just on Good Morning America last week doing a sample of "Gambit". I had forgotten how good that show was and he was flawless in his hosting.
 
Corky Marlowe said:
As far as current hosts, I was surprised at how well I liked Jeff Foxworthy on "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?"
Click to expand...

I agree so much with this statement. He reminds me a bit of Regis in the way he seems to care for the contestant. Does anyone remember Gene Wood on the syndicated version of "Beat the Clock"? For a teen in the 70s it was a fun show to watch. I think he was mainly an announcer though...
 
Gene Wood was born right here in Massachusetts. Died here too, apparently, according to Wikipedia.

He announced for several game shows including the Dawson and Combs versions of Family Feud.
 
KyDXIn said:
Does anyone remember Gene Wood on the syndicated version of "Beat the Clock"? For a teen in the 70s it was a fun show to watch. I think he was mainly an announcer though...
Click to expand...

...Wood should have done more emceeing. I think he was wasted as mainly an announcer for all those years. I'd have loved to see him get a crack at a Late '70s version of I've Got a Secret that would have had him assist in some of the demonstrations of the "secrets"...
 
I think that a special acknowledgment should be made for actor Christopher McDonald, who is currently appearing in the film House Bunny, for his uncanny portrayal of Jack Barry in 1994's Quiz Show. In the scenes with the game show Twenty One, you would swear you were seeing the real Jack Barry. He had his look, mannerisms, and sound down perfectly.

I've rarely seen an imitation of anybody by anybody that was that on target.
 
Time Magazine's 15 best game show hosts

I ran across this on the Internet: Time magazine TV critic Richard Zoglin's picks for the 15 best game show hosts of all time. This is a few years old (I want to say 2007), but I want to put it up and contrast it with TV Guide's 10 best from 2000. In parentheses is the show Zoglin believes qualifies the individual for inclusion:

1. Bob Barker (The Price Is Right)
2. Groucho Marx (You Bet Your Life)
3. Garry Moore (I've Got A Secret)
4. Gene Rayburn (Match Game)
5. Bill Cullen (the original Price Is Right)
6. Pat Sajak (Wheel Of Fortune)
7. Dick Clark (Pyramid)
8. Monty Hall (Let's Make A Deal)
9. Bob Eubanks (The Newlywed Game)
10. Alex Trebek (Jeopardy!)
11. Johnny Carson (Who Do You Trust?)
12. Jack Barry (Twenty-One)
13. Anne Robinson (The Weakest Link and also because of her helping to break the gender barrier for hosts)
14. Richard Dawson (Family Feud)
15. Regis Philbin (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire)

TV Guide's top 10:

1. Allen Ludden (Password)
2. Bob Barker
3. Gene Rayburn
4. Alex Trebek
5. Bob Eubanks
6. Bill Cullen
7. Peter Marshall (Hollywood Squares)
8. Groucho Marx
9. Guy Smiley (Muppet character)
10. Regis Philbin

Comments?
 
Not listed:
Possibly the greatest game show host of All Time - Art Linkletter (House Party)
And the REAL host of Jeopardy! - Art Flemming.
A real class act - John Charles Daly (What's My Line)
One of the best and possibly the most versatile - Bud Collyer* (Beat The Clock, To Tell The Truth)

Should Not Be On Any List:
Bob Eubanks? The puker! No way. One of the worst.
Jack Barry? Almost destroyed the game show genre by rigging.

Dick Clark - a three dollar bill and very over-rated.

* Bud Collyer was also an outstanding voice actor able to flawlessly shift between his characterizations of Clark Kent and Superman. The only one who comes close is Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne and Batman.
 
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