Best/Worst Warmups You've Ever Seen

[Matt Ottinger]

In the Youtube thread, tpirfan28 gave us this link to a blog by Mark Evanier (man, can that guy tell a story) about the best and worst warmups he had ever seen.  Of all the categories of discussion we've had over the years, I don't remember this as a subject.

Many of you have been to tapings, game show and other.  Heck, I live in Michigan and I've seen a few.  Anybody that really stuck in your mind one way or another?  We're not talking about their job as announcers, this is strictly about their interaction with the audience when the cameras weren't rolling.

Randy, please feel free to share your favorite Johnny Olson story.  Meanwhile, I'm sure several of you can say something nice about Randy.  Later, I'll tell you the worst I ever saw.

[tpirfan28]

I thought about putting this as a separate topic..but felt it needed to go with the other topic's info.

I personally have not seen any game show warmups (if "Hoosier Millionaire" was still around...It would have now been easier to see one....), but thanks to YouTube, I have now seen Rich Field's and Johnny O's PiR warmups.  I really liked Rich's, as he apparently makes things different each time, which is good for a show where people visit many times...it's a different experience every time.  Johnny O's speil is also well written.

/Iso booth for mentioning HM?
//Henke...HM is NOT the topic at hand
///From one Matt to another, thanks for starting this
////How many Matts are on this board anyway?

[Adam Nedeff]

I've seen only a few but they were all pretty fun.
Johnny Gilbert's warm-up for the Jeopardy! College Tournament a few years back. I remember one line specifically that cracked me up: "Remember, we will be panning across your faces during the credits, so if you're here with some other guy's wife, then for your own safety, please get the hell out!" He told a story about screwing up a live commercial for psoriasis ointment on Bill Cullen's Price is Right ("...An exciting medical breakthrough for those of you with sorry asses!") And then he got to reading the slate. By this point excitement was fever pitch because, after all, it's the middle of Ohio and national TV shows don't tape here that often. He sensed the mood in the building, stopped in mid-slate, turned to us and said, "God, this is exciting!"

Rich Fields' warm-up for "The Price is Right" when I went to LA last April. I know the mixed feelings about Rich here, but I will admit being biased because he pulled me up onstage along with a woman in her 60s and declared us the Official Price is Right Dance Team. So I boogied in the Bob Barker Studio, and after the taping, three women my age who had come to the show in cheerleader outfits screamed "Nice moves, Adam! Wooo!" Damn, I miss Los Angeles.

And last year when "The All New High-Q" taped at Marshall University, some guy named Adam Nedeff did audience warm-up. Since the audience got to wait indoors and we fed them, they were already in a good mood, but Adam did a little spiel and then taught them a bunch of hand signals he'd be using to prompt different reactions, and then tested them by changing the hand signals at lightning speed until they gave up and began laughing. And there was a really funny blooper at one of the tapings where Adam stood up too quickly, oblivious to the fact that he tied himself up in a wire, and destroyed the microphone he was using while prompting the audience.

[PYLW]

I don't remember the name of the guy who did the warm-ups for the Chain Reaction premiere taping, but lord was he awful. The only thing that he did any good was a Fred Sanford impression, and that wasn't even in the warm-up! I had heard him talking with someone else about old television shows, during one of the breaks...

[cweaver]

I've seen exactly one warmup and I can't remember hardly anything about it.  It was for the TV Land Ultimate Fan Search in 1999 and I'm really frustrated because the warmup guy was the show's announcer...Rod Roddy.  I specifically remember Rod saying something similar to the mentioned Johnny Gilbert line about being there with another guy's wife, discussing the audience pan shot, but that's all I remember.

I do remember during several of the many times taping broke down for whatever reason, host Chuck Woolery interacted with the audience, inviting them to ask him anything and telling stories about his career.  He started one during a commercial break and then had to interrupt when he was called back onstage.  Then when the taping shutdown again, he walked straight back over to the audience and picked the story up exactly where he left off, bringing wild applause.

[MikeK]

I haven't seen as many as a number of folks on this board.  I've seen a few which are quite good (Charlie O at Wheel this past summer, Burton Richardson at TPiR in 2001, Johnny Gilbert at J! in 2001), but the hands down worst has to be whomever does warmups for Deal or No Deal.  He's so bad that I don't recall his name.  (It's not Chucky or Chunky whatever his name is.)  He brings absolutely nothing entertaining or fun to the table, just the occasional "We're having some technical problems.  We'll start the taping in a few minutes." message.  The one good thing he did was start passing around the bottles of water and baskets of candy six hours after the marathon Deal taping began.

[whewfan]

I didn't care 100% for the warmup guy that did HS in the Whoopi era. It was IMO very cheesy. He prank called people in Pennysaver ads, many which he had called before, becuase some of them said "Oh, it's YOU again". It MIGHT be funny to tease someone once, but to repeatedly do it is just plain harassment, and he could get in trouble.

Randy's warmup was much like Johnny's. He ran around the audience a couple times, and like Johnny, a little out of breath when he was done. Randy really got the audience going wild, and I'm sure Johnny was up there smiling down at him.

Gary Kroger (Card Sharks 01)- I can't really say if his warmup was good or bad. I think it was good considering he getting the audience involved in a show with a weak format. He explained about calling out higher or lower, or encouraging the player to use a chip clip. There were a couple moments when the crew didn't get the cards to Tammi to deal out fast enough before Pat explained the rules, and he would tease Tammi about being late on dealing hte cards.

[TimK2003]

Here are some of the warm-ups I've seen:

Burton Richardson -- It Takes Two (1997)  (B)
Considering there was maybe about 50-75 people in the crowd, he was very personable.  A little Karaoke a few stories and a few jokes, but nothing over-the-top as I recall.


Charlie O'Donnell -- Wheel of Fortune (1997) (B)
He was pretty good, considering this was a road show and a few thousand in attendance, but it sounded like he was going through the motions, too.  A great set of pipes, though!  


Rod Roddy -- TPIR (2000) ©
He's a great announcer, but his delivery seemed too robotic.  


Randy West -- TPIR (2003) (B+)
He really got the crowd going! Very Personable.


Gene Wood -- Super Password (1987) (A+)
If he had the time, he would have personally spent 10 minutes talking to each person separately in the studio -- that's how nice he was.  He did a little bit of everything.  Gene was Da Man!


Like a previous poster said, whoever did warm up for Whoopi's Squares in 2000 *was* really, really bad!  

Speaking of Squares, I saw Davidson's Squares in 1987 at NBC, and I don't even remember a warm-up person there.  All I seem to recall was Stormy Sacks playing a few tunes between shows, but that was it. IIRC, Milton Berle was casually telling some real dirty jokes to the audience from his square before the show started because the studio was too quiet.


/Wow, I forgot how many shows I've seen over the years!

[cmjb13]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'143991\' date=\'Jan 20 2007, 06:04 PM\']
I didn't care 100% for the warmup guy that did HS in the Whoopi era. It was IMO very cheesy. He prank called people in Pennysaver ads, many which he had called before, becuase some of them said "Oh, it's YOU again". It MIGHT be funny to tease someone once, but to repeatedly do it is just plain harassment, and he could get in trouble. [/quote]

Like a previous poster said, whoever did warm up for Whoopi's Squares in 2000 *was* really, really bad!

I believe his name was Bob Sampson. He also did warmup (and may still do for all I know) for the Tonight show.

His name came up in conversation a few months ago when someone said he makes $3k for the Tonight show. I'm not sure if that's per week or per show. Good money either way in my book.

[jdhernandez]

Hmmm.... there's been quite a few good warm-up people that I've seen over the years, Randy West included.

However, by far, the worst one had to be Chunky B, or whatever it is he's called. His threats to do lap dances have scarred me for life... yea.

*shudders*

Rod always had a good warm-up to me, and it was awesome watching him get to do his routine every time. Also, Burton Richardson has gotten much better in the past few years. When I first saw him, I got tired of hearing "YMCA" over and over again... and I think I expressed that once.

Now he's actually got a pretty good warm-up routine that does not just include singing and music, and I found it very enjoyable the last time I saw him at "Family Feud."

Of course, getting him to say "Alter Cockers" and "Fighting Pudus" again always brings a smile to my face. =)

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'cmjb13\' post=\'144000\' date=\'Jan 20 2007, 05:31 PM\']

Like a previous poster said, whoever did warm up for Whoopi's Squares in 2000 *was* really, really bad!

I believe his name was Bob Sampson. He also did warmup (and may still do for all I know) for the Tonight show. [/quote]
That's Bob Perlow

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[calliaume]

I may be one of the few on this forum to have seen Johnny O. do a warmup (What's My Line, 1970).  The problem was, he spoiled me for everyone else.

Also saw Alan Kalter for The Money Maze in 1975 -- surprisingly a little serious, but he pointed out that, due to the unique nature of the audience in that show, we had a responsibility to keep our yaps shut during the running of the maze in order to avoid distracting the contestants.

Millionaire in the second week of 1999 was done by some nonamo comic, who didn't tell us much about the game.  I was sitting at stage level, and didn't realize they were going to put the damn Fastest Finger question board right next to me.  I kind of sensed Regis was a little tense (remember, this was the second week of taping), and made a point of looking at my shoes or the floor when he was reading the question so as not to distract him.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' post=\'144020\' date=\'Jan 20 2007, 07:59 PM\']
I kind of sensed Regis was a little tense (remember, this was the second week of taping), and made a point of looking at my shoes or the floor when he was reading the question so as not to distract him.
[/quote]
...and the entire time, Regis is trying to read the question and thinking "WHY is that guy looking at his SHOES?!?!"

[Kevin Prather]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' post=\'144020\' date=\'Jan 20 2007, 07:59 PM\']
I was sitting at stage level, and didn't realize they were going to put the damn Fastest Finger question board right next to me.
[/quote]
So that was how they did it? I've always wondered if he had a teleprompter or not. Very interesting.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'144030\' date=\'Jan 20 2007, 09:25 PM\']
So that was how they did it? I've always wondered if he had a teleprompter or not. Very interesting.
[/quote]
You confuse me, Kev. Why wouldn't he?