Author Topic: Underrated/Overrated hosts..... (Read 19576 times)

tyshaun1 · « **on:** July 05, 2006, 11:21:21 PM »

The subject in the Page O'Clips thread has got me thinking.... who would you rate as your top 3 overrated and underrated hosts?

My Top 3 underrated:
1. Jim Perry- Made every game he did run smooth as butter, yet provided a friendly and warm atmosphere to the show.
2. Peter Tomarken- Like most people have said, Peter was great at balancing when to take the game seriously and when to have some fun, which worked marvelously on PYL and Wipeout, not so much on Hit Man.
3. Bill Rafferty- Remembered hating him in the past, but now I realized how much smoother the 80's Card Sharks ran with him at the helm, and despite him being a comedian, he never got in the way of the game.

Overrated:
1. Allen Ludden- Seemed very cold to the contestants, IMO, and I enjoyed watching TK host P+ more.
2. Bob Eubanks- Slowed the pace of the shows too often, constantly drew attention to himself, especially on CS.
3. Alex Trebek- Same as Ludden, always comes across as trying to be above the show he is doing, IMO. Although he was great on Classic Concentration......

Thoughts/Plusses/Minuses/Times's?

Tyshaun

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 06, 2006, 12:20:15 AM »

Underrated:

1. Jim Peck
2. Bill Rafferty
3. Jim Perry

Overrated:

1. Geoff Edwards
2. Bob Barker
3. Pat Sajak

Brandon Brooks · « **Reply #2 on:** July 06, 2006, 12:24:50 AM »

[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' post=\'123409\' date=\'Jul 5 2006, 10:21 PM\']
Thoughts/Plusses/Minuses/Times's?
[/quote]
Your choices are spot on with me. I would add to the underrated list Kevin O'Connell. Man, I would've liked to see him host other shows. If he was so effortless with GO as a rookie, I'm sure he could've handled formats. Also, I think the biggest himbo of all time, John Davidson, is sooooo overrated. Why was he picked to host anything? Weren't there other good looking guys who weren't as bumbly?

Brandon Brooks

clemon79 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 06, 2006, 12:40:48 AM »

[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' post=\'123415\' date=\'Jul 5 2006, 09:24 PM\']
If he was so effortless with GO as a rookie, I'm sure he could've handled formats.
[/quote]
The thing about K.O. that really stands out is this: Take another look at that Very First Episode of Go that was posted recently. (Jamie, was that you?). This was a rookie host, hosting his VERY FIRST EPISODE. And he was slicker'n snot.

The people of Buffalo are very lucky indeed.

beatlefreak84 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 06, 2006, 12:46:38 AM »

Okay; I guess it's my turn:

Underrated:

1. Marc Summers
2. Kevin O'Connell
3. Peter Tomarken (WHAT?!? I know that's what you're thinking...

But, honestly, I think most people who respect him as a host are doing so simply because he hosted PYL. Yes, he was good on that, but he was also good on every show he did, even that God-awful BH!)

Overrated:

1. Jim Lange (How this guy, who kept slowing games down to a crawl, kept getting hosting jobs is beyond me!)
2. Jack Barry (A terrific producer, yes, but he just never could grow on me as a host)
3. Richard Dawson (Somebody take a pin and pop that ego, PLEASE!)

I have many honorable mentions in both columns, but I'll stick to this for now...

Anthony

BrandonFG · « **Reply #5 on:** July 06, 2006, 12:49:47 AM »

My list, all modern hosts, who I feel deserve another chance:

1. Tom Bergeron. I know he doesn't want to be seen as just a game show host, but his work on HSq really showed how down-to-earth he is. He honestly seems like a modern-day Jim Perry or Peter Tomarken who knew how to let the contestants be the star, yet knew when to add humor to the show.

2. Mark L. Walberg. He had to go through a few bad shows ("Free 4 All", "Big Date") and even a talk show, but he proved himself with "Russian Roulette" and "On the Cover". He honestly deserves another shot.

3. George Gray. He added the right touch of sarcasm and cyncism to syndie "Weakest Link".

I can't think of anyone I'd say is overrated...I pretty much like the hosts that are generally liked by everyone else.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #6 on:** July 06, 2006, 12:58:05 AM »

[quote name=\'beatlefreak84\' post=\'123418\' date=\'Jul 6 2006, 12:46 AM\']
2. Jack Barry (A terrific producer, yes, but he just never could grow on me as a host)
[/quote]
I mentioned this in the Page 'O' Clips thread...I think it got lost in the Bill Cullen debate. ;-)

Anyways, I found it hilarious how he tried to build the faux drama on every single question, and draw things out the best he could. I loved how he praised the tournament winner as if she was a testament to all women everywhere. Yes, I'm sure that's exactly what the suffragists had in mind, a female game show tournament winner. ;-) To me, he also seemed a bit condescending during the post-mortem interviews. He did the same dramatics on the Million Dollar tournament a year later.

Then again, I still couldn't get past the celebration graphics...how much did she win again?! ;-)

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #7 on:** July 06, 2006, 01:56:25 AM »

My choice for most underrated would be Jack Narz. Three years on BTC, five years on Concentration, a year on NYSI, yet he seems to fly under the radar. Too bad Dotto was rigged, that would have been his signature show.

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #8 on:** July 06, 2006, 03:23:57 AM »

Argh! I closed my window.

Underrated: I vote for Jack Narz solely on the strength of his half-episode switch with brother Tom Kennedy on Password Plus. He seemed like he'd been there for years.

Another vote for underrated: Pat Sajak. I wish we could see how he'd have done on another long-term game show.

I don't feel like coming up with four more, so I'll nominate one as (slightly) overrated: Wink Martindale. Little too much smarm for me.

Craig Karlberg · « **Reply #9 on:** July 06, 2006, 03:34:11 AM »

Here are my picks as I see 'em:

Undertated:

3. Kevin O'Conell-Sure he was a nice guy & all. He made GO what it was. A true testament to a guy that should've gone for more.

2. Marc Sunners-With Double Dare(Nick version) & History I.Q., he was always on the ball witth his hosting style. Definitely a gold mine of game show hosts.

1. Jim Perry-How can you not mistake his voice? The way he creates tension was so good, it's hard not to overlook this pick.

Overrated:

3. Pat Sajak-I'm surprised this hasn't been thrown out yet. He was good in his heyday, but now he's losing sense of who he really is these days.

2. Bob Barker-He's still around. After 34 years of TPIR, I'd figure he'd hang it up, but he's back for more. I think his age is about to get the best of him if he's not careful.

1. Alex Trebek-In his early days, he was lively & cheerful on J!, but now he seems more mundanr these days. That's definitely a drag there.

DrBear · « **Reply #10 on:** July 06, 2006, 07:36:44 AM »

I don't have much to add to anyone's posts - althrough I'd dispute Ludden being on the overrated list. As Clay said in the other thread, it's just that his Password work overshadowed the other good stuff he did.

And if anyone doesn't think Bergeron is first-rate, consider this - he's the only host who ever added interest to "America's Funniest Home Videos." (Granted, Bob "The World's Unfunniest Man" Saget isn't much competition.)

But I do have two more for the overrated list:
Art James. Always seemed too, well, forceful for me. Although I liked him on "Who What or Where."
Bud Collyer. Maybe part of it is just not liking BTC, but compare his work on TTTT to Garry Moore - or even Gordon Elliott - and it just isn't as good.

PYLW · « **Reply #11 on:** July 06, 2006, 08:04:46 AM »

Underrated:
1. Jim Perry. It's too bad that nothing else was found for him after Sale of the Century was cancelled.
2. Monty Hall on OTHER SHOWS. His work on shows like Beat The Clock and Split Second was very good. Split Second suffered from a very weak format.
3. Peter Tomarken. It seems as though he gets more underrated every year, and a lot of people don't like PYL, so they don't like him for some reason.

Overrated:
1. Bob Eubanks. Talk about someone who's good for one show, here's the king of that. What Bob doesn't realize is what worked on The Newlywed Game doesn't work on shows like Dream House and Card Sharks...
2. Dennis James. His smoker's voice is annoying, and I think he's not really that exciting...
3. Jim Lange. Though I like him on Bullseye and TDG...I just don't think he can cut it with anything else BUT.

FOXSportsFan · « **Reply #12 on:** July 06, 2006, 08:08:52 AM »

I'll add one to the underrated list, and this one is certainly open to criticism, Todd Newton.

Todd gets "hatorade", granted it's somewhat justified, for being on Jolt cola when he hosted Whammy! a couple of years back. But, he really wasn't that bad even on Whammy. Truth be told I think a lot of the criticism for Todd on Whammy in the end comes from people who were peeved that he wasn't Peter Tomarken.

The man in every format he's hosted (Hollywood Showdown especially) knows how to let the contestants shine while getting in his personality here and there. And if you haven't seen him do Price in A.C. (when Governor Corzine isn't f'n up the state) or Vegas, well, you're missing out on the craziest time ever.

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #13 on:** July 06, 2006, 08:53:39 AM »

Quote

3. Richard Dawson (Somebody take a pin and pop that ego, PLEASE!)

Agreed with Richard Dawson. I really think I like the Combs "Feud" a bit better - and mostly because Dawson wasn't on it. What surprised me is that his gigantic ego was well know by the early '80s - even written up in TV Guide - yet everyone on the show seemed to love him including announcer Gene Wood.

Was that all just an act for the show, or is there something I'm missing here?

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2006, 09:22:08 AM »

[quote name=\'PYLW\' post=\'123432\' date=\'Jul 6 2006, 07:04 AM\']
3. Peter Tomarken. It seems as though he gets more underrated every year, and a lot of people don't like PYL, so they don't like him for some reason.
[/quote]
Who else had a bet that someone with "PYL" or "Whammy" in their name would say this?