Which formerly lovable TV hero became too much of a jerk?

[MCarney]

If you ever want to read about the bad side of Richard Dawson, read "Hurricane in Mink"; it's the biography of his first wife Diana Dors. According to the book, he lied to her about his parents (told her they were his aunt and uncle) and took custody of their sons when they split; often denying her access. (In all fairness she was not an angel and had numerous affairs during the marriage.) She was much more successful than he was for most of the marriage and he seemed to have some problems with that.

 

[pgtcf7806]

There are several of the old-school game show hosts who could be a bit unpleasant or irritable if things didn't go to his satisfaction. I've heard Gene Rayburn and Bob Barker could behave like anuses much like Dawson was known to over such cardinal sins as letting a light bulb go out without fixing it or anything that would result in the tape having to be stopped. I assume it just came with that type of show and that type of host and was never really personal, except perhaps for Dawson.

 

[BD Sullivan]

There are several of the old-school game show hosts who could be a bit unpleasant or irritable if things didn't go to his satisfaction. I've heard Gene Rayburn and Bob Barker could behave like anuses much like Dawson was known to over such cardinal sins as letting a light bulb go out without fixing it or anything that would result in the tape having to be stopped. I assume it just came with that type of show and that type of host and was never really personal, except perhaps for Dawson.

Bob Barker was fooling around with one of the Price is Right models, who later sued him for sexual harassment, but the case was thrown out.

 

[bpatrick]

I've also heard that Barker didn't like anything that caused taping
to stop, and in a way I can understand, since the flow of the game
is disrupted. I've seen Bill Cullen get irritated only once; it was on
one of his last shows, "Hot Potato." Cullen prided himself for having
a clock in his head and on his ability to bring a show in on the second.
But one day he had this overly-talkative contestant and Cullen finally
had to tell him, "I'm on a time problem." But that's the only time I've
ever seen Uncle Bill come close to losing it; I don't think, if you look
back at everything that's been written about him, you'll find a negative
remark.

If there was any game-show host I would expect to see go ballistic
if something went wrong, it would be Alex Trebek; he just strikes me
as being that kind of person. But if he has gotten irritated at an unexpected
break on "Jeopardy!" I don't know about it.

One other story about a game-show host who turned nasty at least once.
Bert Parks, in Atlantic City to host the Miss America Pageant one year, was
going over his lines when a woman came up to him and asked him for his
autograph. "Can't you see I'm busy?" he snapped. I don't know how the
woman reacted, but I wouldn't be surprised if she crossed him off her list
of favorite TV people. (And I've told the story of my dad's being in a restaurant
in Atlanta where Parks was holding court one night; he said everybody in the
restaurant could hear Parks, and I think it grated on my dad. Going the other way,
from a jerk to a nice guy, my dad and some of the guys he worked with saw a man
breakfasting alone in an Atlanta restaurant one morning. My dad recognized him as
wrestler Big John Studd and invited him to join his group. He still talks about Studd (real
name John Minton) being one of the friendliest and most intelligent people he ever met,
and was particularly impressed with the fact that Studd/Minton settled his family in
northern Virginia to take advantage of the great schools there. A far cry from the heel
character Studd played for Vince McMahon.)

And some people might call Ed Sullivan a jerk, given the set-tos he had with the likes
of Jackie Mason, Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones, the Doors, and--especially--Jack Paar,
but he always had time for his viewers. After the show, the audience would gather outside
the Ed Sullivan Theater, ask him for his autograph, and give him feedback on the show. He
is said to have genuinely appreciated it, although Sylvia probably bawled him out for getting
home late, especially since they ate out practically every night.

 

[jwk1979]

There are several of the old-school game show hosts who could be a bit unpleasant or irritable if things didn't go to his satisfaction. I've heard Gene Rayburn and Bob Barker could behave like anuses much like Dawson was known to over such cardinal sins as letting a light bulb go out without fixing it or anything that would result in the tape having to be stopped. I assume it just came with that type of show and that type of host and was never really personal, except perhaps for Dawson.

From what I had also heard (and read on a couple of other websites) about Gene Rayburn was when he was hosting the Match Game during the 70s, they would tape a weeks worth of shows in a single day. In between the taping of each show, there would be an open bar for Gene Rayburn and the celebirty panelists to partake in while they were in their dressing rooms to change clothing so it would look like they were taping all in one day. From what I read, by the time they were taping the forth and fifth shows of the day, Gene Rayburn and several of the panelists were pretty much three sheets to wind and that was when Gene Rayburn was the most difficult to work with.

 

[ShawnHill1]

Speaking of Family Feud, there was an item I read several years ago that when Louie Anderson was host, there was a technical problem where the set of episodes being taped that day didn't make it on to videotape. Now, if you remember his tenure as host, you could tell a lot of the time he didn't want to be there (and this was paroied a few times on MadTV) and it showed in his hosting style. I don't fully remember all of the details, in terms of his reaction having to re-do an all-new set of episodes, but I could imagine that Anderson was pretty damn unpleasant.

More to Bob's point about his meeting Big John Studd, it's been know by many in the wrestling business that performer who are commonly known as heels are actually some of the nicest guys around.

 

[bpatrick]

With regards to the comments about Richard Dawson, personally I never thought he was a lovable individual on TV to begin with.
He seems to ooze this air of arrogance when hosting those game shows.
Now if people are referring to Dawson’s role on “Hogan’s Heroes” I look at that of him playing a character and not himself. Big difference there.

Is it my imagination or do British-born hosts think it's their job to make the contestants look like idiots? Anne Robinson ("The Weakest Link") turned off a lot of U.S. viewers with her schoolmarmy ways, and if anyone ever saw "The Enemy Within" on BBC America, they'd notice that Nigel Lythgoe was also full of sarcastic putdowns. Chris Tarrant, host of the British version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," is known for toying with the contestants before he reveals the right answer; Regis, when he took the job as host of the American version, said he didn't want to make it any tougher on the contestants than it already was. One exception is Vernon Kay, who did ABC's short-lived (and I still miss it) "Million Dollar Mind Game" in 2011.

But then again, there have been a couple of Americans who didn't mind setting up people for ridicule, and both did it with a gong: Major Bowes in the radio days of "The Original Amateur Hour," and Chuck Barris on "The Gong Show." (Sorry, but I don't include Groucho, since his contestants were insulted if they weren't insulted, and his brand of insult humor is gentle when compared to, say, Don Rickles, plus everyone knew his character and went along with it.)

 

[jwgreek8606]

I hear that Bob treated Rod like crap in his final years after he did a little thing like ask for a raise and there was a Feud between Bob Barker and Betty White regarding an Elephant at the LA Zoo.

But back to fictional TV characters

1. Annie Camden-she quickly went from a loving mother to a very mean bitch

 

[onairb]

With regards to the comments about Richard Dawson, personally I never thought he was a lovable individual on TV to begin with.
He seems to ooze this air of arrogance when hosting those game shows.
Now if people are referring to Dawson’s role on “Hogan’s Heroes” I look at that of him playing a character and not himself. Big difference there.

Is it my imagination or do British-born hosts think it's their job to make the contestants look like idiots? Anne Robinson ("The Weakest Link") turned off a lot of U.S. viewers with her schoolmarmy ways, and if anyone ever saw "The Enemy Within" on BBC America, they'd notice that Nigel Lythgoe was also full of sarcastic putdowns. Chris Tarrant, host of the British version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," is known for toying with the contestants before he reveals the right answer; Regis, when he took the job as host of the American version, said he didn't want to make it any tougher on the contestants than it already was. One exception is Vernon Kay, who did ABC's short-lived (and I still miss it) "Million Dollar Mind Game" in 2011.

But then again, there have been a couple of Americans who didn't mind setting up people for ridicule, and both did it with a gong: Major Bowes in the radio days of "The Original Amateur Hour," and Chuck Barris on "The Gong Show." (Sorry, but I don't include Groucho, since his contestants were insulted if they weren't insulted, and his brand of insult humor is gentle when compared to, say, Don Rickles, plus everyone knew his character and went along with it.)

In the case of 'The Gong Show', and , to some extent, British game shows, many(arguably all, in 'Gong's case) of the contestants are in fact idiots, and the hosts are simply pandering to that.

 

[jwgreek8606]

With Bill Cullen when "Hot Potato" changed to "Celebrity Hot Potato" he did look appear ticked off because celebrities would deliberately give wrong answers and would cut up and he had to tell them to "Be Quiet" several times.

 

[Mario500]

I hear that Bob treated Rod like crap in his final years after he did a little thing like ask for a raise and there was a Feud between Bob Barker and Betty White regarding an Elephant at the LA Zoo. 

In case you were referring to Rod Roddy, I don't believe the accusation involving him or the one involving Betty White (she and Bob Barker may have expressed different feelings about the elephant, but I don't believe their feelings amounted to a feud). I would not trust all gossip.

In the case of 'The Gong Show', and , to some extent, British game shows, many(arguably all, in 'Gong's case) of the contestants are in fact idiots, and the hosts are simply pandering to that.

What made you think all of the contestants on "The Gong Show" were "idiots"? I would never use the word to describe a person, even if the person behaves in a way that fits someone's definition of the word .

 

[bpatrick]

I might add in Groucho's case that he often made himself the target
of his barbs. I still remember a woman contestant who was trying to
tell her story, and Groucho (as he usually did) kept interrupting her
(a device that was funny but also inadvertently tested the contestants'
poise). Finally, she'd just about had enough, and she said, very gently,
"Groucho, you're stepping on my lines!" Pause of a couple of seconds,
then Groucho turned to the audience and said, "The contestants are
striking back!"

Groucho used to say that he had to be very careful what he said to
his contestants. George Fenneman and some of the show-business professionals
(such as Phyllis Diller) knew it was all an act, but Groucho feared that a non-pro
might think he really meant some of the things he said, and he didn't want anyone
leaving the stage on a sour note. But, AFAIK, no one ever got angry at Groucho.
In fact, many contestants (and ordinary people Groucho would meet in other places)
loved to tell their friends, "Do you know what Groucho said to me?" While Groucho wasn't
always the nicest person (especially off-camera), he understood his audience and, like
most comedians of his generation, left them with smiles on their faces.

One of Groucho's contemporaries, Phil Silvers, could turn nasty when Maurice Gosfield's
name came up. Gosfield, who played Private Doberman on the Bilko show (and was later
the voice of Benny the Ball on "Top Cat"), received more fan mail than Silvers, and it
rankled him. Bilko was filmed in New York, and, invariably, when people on the street
recognized Silvers, they'd ask him, "Hey Bilko, how's Doberman?" Silvers would almost
have to stop himself from killing anyone who asked him that. (Fan mail seems to be
an ego-deflating issue that can lead to some serious problems; it's the real reason
Arthur Godfrey fired Julius La Rosa, Jerry Lester tried to oust Dagmar, and Bud Collyer
resented Roxanne on "Beat The Clock.")

 

[therealjm12]

Maurice Gosfield's fame went right to his head. Maybe that's why Phil Silvers acted the way he did. Silvers was a pro that had paid his dues. Dosfield and Joe E. Ross teamed up to give everyone on Bilko a bad time. They thought they were the stars. I've always wondered why Nat Hiken cast Ross on Car 54. Maurice Cosfield never showed up as a guest star and he would have been a natural on the show.

 

[LKellerIII]

Maurice Gosfield's fame went right to his head. Maybe that's why Phil Silvers acted the way he did. Silvers was a pro that had paid his dues. Dosfield and Joe E. Ross teamed up to give everyone on Bilko a bad time. They thought they were the stars. I've always wondered why Nat Hiken cast Ross on Car 54. Maurice Cosfield never showed up as a guest star and he would have been a natural on the show.

Joe E Ross had the reputation of being a major league jerk - rude, crude, and a misogynist. And he really only had one gimmick - the "ooh-ooh" thing which he did on every role I've ever seen him in, post Bilko.

 

[bpatrick]

Maurice Gosfield's fame went right to his head. Maybe that's why Phil Silvers acted the way he did. Silvers was a pro that had paid his dues. Dosfield and Joe E. Ross teamed up to give everyone on Bilko a bad time. They thought they were the stars. I've always wondered why Nat Hiken cast Ross on Car 54. Maurice Cosfield never showed up as a guest star and he would have been a natural on the show.

I don't know if Gosfield was available for a "Car 54" appearance the first year (1961-62) since he was working on "Top Cat" that year. The second year (1962-63) would have been a good time to use him. Apparently Nat Hiken thought Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne made a good contrast, given their physical appearances.

I have to say that Ross's "ooh-ooh-ooh" bit got old awfully fast. He used it on "Car 54" and on "It's About Time," which may be better remembered as a pathetic swan song for Imogene Coca (as well as yet another blot on Frank Aletter's resume).

 

[firepoint525]

I am an animal lover myself, but Barker strikes me as being snobbish and obnoxious when it comes to animal rights. (Don't know if he is a PETA member or not.) A couple of years ago when that idiot in Ohio (and, no, Mario, I will NOT backtrack from that, because he WAS an idiot!) committed suicide, but not before letting all of his wild animals out of their cages, I expected Barker to be critical of law enforcement there for having to shoot to kill these animals (at least some of them endangered) in the interest of public safety. Instead, Barker was critical of the man for even owning wild animals, and for even allowing individuals to own such animals.

 

[BD Sullivan]

There are several of the old-school game show hosts who could be a bit unpleasant or irritable if things didn't go to his satisfaction. I've heard Gene Rayburn and Bob Barker could behave like anuses much like Dawson was known to over such cardinal sins as letting a light bulb go out without fixing it or anything that would result in the tape having to be stopped. I assume it just came with that type of show and that type of host and was never really personal, except perhaps for Dawson.

From what I had also heard (and read on a couple of other websites) about Gene Rayburn was when he was hosting the Match Game during the 70s, they would tape a weeks worth of shows in a single day. In between the taping of each show, there would be an open bar for Gene Rayburn and the celebirty panelists to partake in while they were in their dressing rooms to change clothing so it would look like they were taping all in one day. From what I read, by the time they were taping the forth and fifth shows of the day, Gene Rayburn and several of the panelists were pretty much three sheets to wind and that was when Gene Rayburn was the most difficult to work with.

I've heard the same thing about Hollywood Squares.

There was a blurb in a late 1971 issue of Newsweek that mentioned how Joe Garagiola let loose with a few words after screwing up the reading of a commercial. The next day, he made an on-air apology.

 

[Mitchell H]

If there was any game-show host I would expect to see go ballistic
if something went wrong, it would be Alex Trebek; he just strikes me
as being that kind of person. But if he has gotten irritated at an unexpected
break on "Jeopardy!" I don't know about it.

I've never been a big Trebek fan myself; that said, I saw in him person at the Minnesota State Fair a few years ago, appearing at the Channel 11 booth as a promo for "Jeopardy!" I couldn't have been more impressed with him; after his appearance he sat to autograph photos for people, and after the show ended he volunteered to stay longer to make sure everyone got an autograph. He actually seemed disappointed by the though he might have to leave so soon. Continued to sign even after they ran out of photos. A very classy appearance.

 

[bpatrick]

Having read that, I'm beginning to wonder if all the things
I've heard about Alex's arrogance over the years are things
that have been blown out of proportion; I think the height
of it was around 2000, when somebody (probably at ABC)
was trying to manufacture a feud between Alex and Regis,
and Regis was saying he'd like to get Alex on "Who Wants
To Be A Millionaire" and see how much he really knew. That
had to be a publicity stunt; not only did it not come off,
but they posed together for the cover of TV Guide's 50-
best-game-shows issue.

Still, I'm no fan of Alex; there's just something about him
I instinctively don't like (I've felt the same way about Bob
Barker going back to when he was hosting "Truth Or Consequences").

Speaking of Barker, he didn't take up the animal-rights cause until his
wife, Dorothy Jo, died in 1981. She was the animal-rights activist in
the family, and I guess he did it to honor her memory, although he's
always seemed sincere about it. Drew, on the other hand, seems to
say the line about having your pets spayed or neutered like it's a duty
and not because he really advocates it; he always seems to rush through
it like a formality.

 

[onairb]

There is at least one infamous recording of Alex Trebek swearing up a storm after getting tongue-tied reading some local promos for 'Jeopardy!'(He also tells off the director, who points out that when Trebek says 'dollars', it sounds like 'dullars'.) This 'rave out tape' used to air on the old Don(Geronimo) and Mike(O'Meara) radio show, along with the Casey Kasem classic where he reads a 'Long Distance Dedication' about 'a bleeping DOG dying!' ;D