Author Topic: Blank Check and NBC (Read 2340 times)

gsgalaxy82 · « **on:** November 20, 2007, 11:39:27 AM »

I've often wondered, I know TJW was produced under HEAVY scrutiny with CBS on Jack Barry the entire time, making sure nothing "questionable" was going on. But I have to wonder, what did Jack Barry and Dan Enright do to convince NBC to pick up one of their shows again? I mean, this was the same NBC that had to deal with the whole Twenty-one scandal in the '50s. If CBS was crazy about their policing of Joker, I can only imagine what NBC did with Check.

uncamark · « **Reply #1 on:** November 20, 2007, 11:41:45 AM »

[quote name=\'gsgalaxy82\' post=\'170098\' date=\'Nov 20 2007, 10:39 AM\']
I've often wondered, I know TJW was produced under HEAVY scrutiny with CBS on Jack Barry the entire time, making sure nothing "questionable" was going on. But I have to wonder, what did Jack Barry and Dan Enright do to convince NBC to pick up one of their shows again? I mean, this was the same NBC that had to deal with the whole Twenty-one in the '50s. ? If CBS was crazy about their policing of Joker, I can only imagine what NBC did with Check.
[/quote]

1. Enright had yet to reunite with Barry. This was purely a Barry show.

2. Lin Bolen wasn't around at NBC when the scandals hit. Oh, she knew about them, but considering that Barry had sold shows to CBS and ABC without any hanky panky, it had to be water under the bridge for her.

gsgalaxy82 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 20, 2007, 11:51:51 AM »

[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'170100\' date=\'Nov 20 2007, 11:41 AM\']
1. Enright had yet to reunite with Barry. This was purely a Barry show.
[/quote]

Didn't Enright work on the show? I had heard that on this show, it was the first time they worked together since the scandals. Plus, the "We've Got Your Number" pilot was around that time I believe, and that was a Jack Barry-William T. Naud (Dan Enright) Production.

But yeah, about Lin Bolen, she probably didn't care.

uncamark · « **Reply #3 on:** November 20, 2007, 12:00:41 PM »

[quote name=\'gsgalaxy82\' post=\'170102\' date=\'Nov 20 2007, 10:51 AM\']
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'170100\' date=\'Nov 20 2007, 11:41 AM\']
1. Enright had yet to reunite with Barry. This was purely a Barry show.
[/quote]

Didn't Enright work on the show? I had heard that on this show, it was the first time they worked together since the scandals. Plus, the "We've Got Your Number" pilot was around that time I believe, and that was a Jack Barry-William T. Naud (Dan Enright) Production.

But yeah, about Lin Bolen, she probably didn't care.
[/quote]

I don't recall seeing Enright's name on the credits. The "William T. Naud" pseud (if it was a pseud) was used as the "based on an idea by" credit, although I thought that was taking advantage for the fact that the show as based on "ESP." That show was on ABC, and considering that B&E was owned by NBC by then, it could be likely that Enright sold a show to ABC and used the Naud name as a pseud.

OK, let's hire a medium and see if we can bring the spirit of Dan Enright back to find out.

Now that I think of it, I do recall seeing Enright's name on the credits of "TJW" in their last months on the air. Still, technically the first reunited Barry-Enright series was "Break the Bank '76."

Adam Nedeff · « **Reply #4 on:** November 20, 2007, 04:27:45 PM »

[quote name=\'gsgalaxy82\' post=\'170102\' date=\'Nov 20 2007, 12:51 PM\']
Didn't Enright work on the show? I had heard that on this show, it was the first time they worked together since the scandals. Plus, the "We've Got Your Number" pilot was around that time I believe, and that was a Jack Barry-William T. Naud (Dan Enright) Production.
[/quote]
Regarding William T. Naud, Bob Eubanks remembers rather clearly in his autobiography that William T. Naud was a real guy, and quite the spaced-out hippie freak who didn't seem to get the 60s were over, based on Eubanks' recollections of him. Of course, Eubanks did use a "co-author" and folks have been known to make stuff up for their autobiographies (Jamie Farr, I'm looking at you), so it's possible that there was a bit of fudging there. I just bring that up for noting that at least one person remembers meeting the elusive Mr. Naud.

I don't know why this didn't occur to me sooner: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0622500/ Bob mentions "Hot Rod Hulabaloo" in his recollections.

chris319 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 20, 2007, 04:36:27 PM »

NBC never owned Barry and Enright Productions. It purchased four shows from them, but they had interests in radio stations and music publishing as well as other non-quiz shows. AFAIK NBC does not own Winky Dink and You, Juvenile Jury or Life Begins at 80.

If "William T. Naud" were a pseudonym for Dan Enright, how would you explain his involvement with Rhyme and Reason?

davemackey · « **Reply #6 on:** November 20, 2007, 05:16:50 PM »

[quote name=\'gsgalaxy82\' post=\'170102\' date=\'Nov 20 2007, 11:51 AM\']
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'170100\' date=\'Nov 20 2007, 11:41 AM\']
1. Enright had yet to reunite with Barry. This was purely a Barry show.
[/quote]

Didn't Enright work on the show? I had heard that on this show, it was the first time they worked together since the scandals. Plus, the "We've Got Your Number" pilot was around that time I believe, and that was a Jack Barry-William T. Naud (Dan Enright) Production.

But yeah, about Lin Bolen, she probably didn't care.
[/quote]
I'm sure NBC knew exactly who they were dealing with when they bought "Blank Check" from the man who regained his respectability with "The Joker's Wild".

It was simply a "Jack Barry Production", according to the one audio recording I have of a show closing. Enright was probably still working in Canada and hadn't yet come back to the States yet, or perhaps he was working with Jack as an uncredited consultant.

In any event, the Barry-Enright reunion didn't officially occur until the syndicated revival of "Joker's Wild" in 1977. And NBC did buy a show from Barry-Enright: "Hot Potato".

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #7 on:** November 22, 2007, 07:51:10 PM »

Quote

It was simply a "Jack Barry Production", according to the one audio recording I have of a show closing. Enright was probably still working in Canada and hadn't yet come back to the States yet, or perhaps he was working with Jack as an uncredited consultant.

I always found it interesting that Barry sold shows to each of the networks upon his comeback - Joker's Wild and Hollywood's Talking to CBS, Blank Check to NBC, and Break the Bank to ABC.

Speaking of Break the Bank, if GSN could put the inferior Hot Potato on their Viewer's Choice list, why not BTB?

/Just thinking out loud...