Jack Narz on Shokus Internet Radio this Wednesday

[tomobrien]

Just a reminder that Jack Narz is the special guest on "Stu's Show" this Wednesday, April 4 at 4:00 p.m. Pacific/7:00 p.m. Eastern.  It's not as if he needs any introduction, but this is a man whose career goes back to the early days of TV...through the quiz show scandals and all the way up to "Beat the Clock," "Concentration" and "Now You See It."  As always, you'll have the chance to phone in and ask Jack questions, and to answer trivia questions as well for free DVDs and tapes.  It's at www.shokusradio.com this Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. Pacific.

[Matt Ottinger]

I know you guys have seem Tom and me pimping Stu's operation a lot in the last few weeks, but I want to tell you that tonight is different.  I've been told that Narz feels somewhat forgotten for his place in TV history, and if that's the case, I think we have a duty to prove him wrong.

PLEASE make a point of tuning in tonight.  If our membership turns out in numbers that I know we have, we could shatter Stu's listener records.  You can spend some time hearing game show stories, you can call and ask questions about Concentration, Now You See It, Seven Keys and any number of other shows, you can even win some Shokus stuff.  MOST importantly, you can help an old man realize that his life meant something to an awful lot of people, and I can't imagine anything better than that.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'149458\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 01:10 PM\']
MOST importantly, you can help an old man realize that his life meant something to an awful lot of people, and I can't imagine anything better than that.
[/quote]
Sadly, I'm here at work when the show is on, but damn, if I could find a way to do it, I totally would, especially for a guy like Jack Narz.

For me, this is a guy who is Up There on the favorite hosts list, and I don't think I realized that until just now. If I'd submitted a host's poll list, I'm thinking he'd be in my top 10 easy, maybe my top 5. (Clark, Cullen, Kennedy (Jack's brother, not the tedious former MTV employee, before someone decides to be a smartass)....yeah. He makes it easily.)

So if nothing else, I'm bummed that the show is on so freakin' early, and that I share an office.

So, yeah, let me echo Matt's sentiments. This is a guy whose hand I would love to shake at a GSC sometime, and I suspect I won't be getting that opportunity anytime soon, and this is a chance for a bunch of geeks to make a real difference for someone.

[tpirfan28]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'149458\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 04:10 PM\']
I know you guys have seem Tom and me pimping Stu's operation a lot in the last few weeks, but I want to tell you that tonight is different.  I've been told that Narz feels somewhat forgotten for his place in TV history, and if that's the case, I think we have a duty to prove him wrong.
[/quote]
Unfortunately, this doesn't surprise me...which is really sad.  He was one of the pioneers of the genre.  And unfortunately, "pioneer" in the game show genre means jack squat nowadays, since his name isn't Barker, Trebek, Sajak, or even Cullen (to an extent).  He is one of the greatest hosts to ever grace the screen.

I won't be able to call in, but I definitely will attempt to listen in on this one.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'149460\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 04:48 PM\']
This is a guy whose hand I would love to shake at a GSC sometime[/quote]
Thanks to Steve Beverly (a phrase you don't hear too often around here), Narz and his brother are pretty much regulars at the event.  Though I doubt he remembers, I've had the chance to speak to him privately on more than one occasion. A very sweet man, though far from being as sharp as he once was.  Tom, on the other hand, looks like he could take over TPIR tomorrow.

[Robert Hutchinson]

My single favorite Jack Narz moment was when he took over as host for most of that one Password Plus episode. Did he look like he'd been hosting it for years? No. What he looked like was someone who had made it a point to know the rules backwards and forwards before stepping behind that podium, if only as a lark for 10 minutes or so.

[JasonA1]

Tom, on the other hand, looks like he could take over TPIR tomorrow.

Yeah, remember that Game Show Legends Week on "Today?" That rendition of "Name That Tune" was something else and then some thanks to Tom. In that week of H2 he did and other recent material, he had a slow moment here and there, but was still Tom through and through.

-Jason

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'149462\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 04:55 PM\']

Unfortunately, this doesn't surprise me...which is really sad.  He was one of the pioneers of the genre.  And unfortunately, "pioneer" in the game show genre means jack squat nowadays, since his name isn't Barker, Trebek, Sajak, or even Cullen (to an extent).  He is one of the greatest hosts to ever grace the screen.

I won't be able to call in, but I definitely will attempt to listen in on this one.
[/quote]


As one of the threads a few weeks ago touched on, Jack is one of those emcees who was one heck of a personality, but got stuck with shows that were either short-lived (NYSI) or not-so-memorable syndicated shows that were overshadowed by their more familiar versions (Concentration, BtC,...).  Not to mention, when was the last time GSN regularly aired a Jack Narz game show?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'149470\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 04:21 PM\']
or not-so-memorable syndicated shows that were overshadowed by their more familiar versions (Concentration,
[/quote]
I could not disagree more here. If you grew up when I did and watched TV, Concentration was Jack Narz.

[Clay Zambo]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'149472\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 07:28 PM\']
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'149470\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 04:21 PM\']
or not-so-memorable syndicated shows that were overshadowed by their more familiar versions (Concentration,
[/quote]
I could not disagree more here. If you grew up when I did and watched TV, Concentration was Jack Narz.
[/quote]

I'm with you there.  It seems to me that I saw the NBC Concentration a couple of times toward the end of its run, but I have no clear recollection of it, whereas Mr. Narz's version--now, THAT's Classic Concentration, as far as I'm concerned!

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Clay Zambo\' post=\'149475\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 08:00 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'149472\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 07:28 PM\'][quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'149470\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 04:21 PM\']or not-so-memorable syndicated shows that were overshadowed by their more familiar versions (Concentration,[/quote]
I could not disagree more here. If you grew up when I did and watched TV, Concentration was Jack Narz.[/quote]I'm with you there.  It seems to me that I saw the NBC Concentration a couple of times toward the end of its run, but I have no clear recollection of it, whereas Mr. Narz's version--now, THAT's Classic Concentration, as far as I'm concerned![/quote]
This is really interesting.  It's one of my all-time favorite shows, and to me, Concentration is Downs and Clayton.  The Knoxville market never picked up the Narz version, so as far as I was concerned, it didn't exist.  Even then, I was TV savvy enough to know it was out there, but in my mind it was a minor incarnation.

I've always known that there is a generation among our membership that only knows Trebek's version, but it surprises me that there's a window where people think of Narz first.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'149478\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 05:25 PM\']
I've always known that there is a generation among our membership that only knows Trebek's version, but it surprises me that there's a window where people think of Narz first.
[/quote]
Totally. I was born in 1971, so I have no memory whatsoever of the NBC daytime version, but Jack's was one of the very first game shows I remember watching. That and Dealer's Choice.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'149478\' date=\'Apr 4 2007, 07:25 PM\']
This is really interesting.  It's one of my all-time favorite shows, and to me, Concentration is Downs and Clayton.  The Knoxville market never picked up the Narz version, so as far as I was concerned, it didn't exist.  Even then, I was TV savvy enough to know it was out there, but in my mind it was a minor incarnation.
[/quote]
In the same boat--I don't believe Chicago ever picked Narz's CONCENTRATION up either (the few times I watched it I was visiting relatives in New York).  I knew Narz mainly for NYSI (but with grade school commitments I probably only saw NYSI a handful more times than I did Narz's CONCENTRATION).

Sorry I couldn't get in to the show either--I'm in transit when it's on.

[tvwxman]

I think it's safe to say that not many people outside of this board will appreciate the following statement:

What a cool thing it was to talk to Jack Narz!

(and for me, Concentration will ALWAYS be Jack Narz, not Hugh, not Alex. Jack.)

[PYLW]

This is just a fantastic little interview. I hope Stu brings him back for another week.