And Here's Your Host, Filling In For ________,...

[rwalker]

Best:Dennis James filling in for Bob on that '74 Christmas show, great job! Of course Dennis was hosting the nighttime version, so he was already familiar with that format.

May I ask what I missed on H2? Rosie filled in for Tom? Or is it a joke I missed?

Worst: Not too many sub hosts to choose from, I think we've already covered the few times it's happened already.  Keep Patrick Wayne from pinch hitting, good enough for me

[DjohnsonCB]

I enjoyed Betsy Palmer's guest host stint on IGAS.

[TroubadourNando]

I actually enjoyed Dave and Billy on Millionaire, but that goes back to my vehement hatred of Meredith Viera.

Geoff definitely is up there in my picks for best, without a doubt, along with Jack Clark on Password.

[Queen of Nerdocrombesia]

[quote name=\'DjohnsonCB\' post=\'194227\' date=\'Aug 15 2008, 07:31 PM\']
I enjoyed Betsy Palmer's guest host stint on IGAS.
[/quote]

Of the Secret panelists that filled in for Garry, I liked Henry the best.  Absolutely nothing against Bill, I just really enjoyed the back-and-forth between Henry (at the host desk) and the panel (particularly Bill), like Garry was there.  I found myself missing it during the Steve Allen tenure.

As for Bill, he was spot on in his month subbing on P+.

I think I'll also add Tim Vincent on Millionaire.  If Chain Reaction had gone to series with him, it may not have sucked so very much.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'Queen of Nerdocrombesia\' post=\'194251\' date=\'Aug 15 2008, 08:39 PM\']I think I'll also add Tim Vincent on Millionaire.  If Chain Reaction had gone to series with him, it may not have sucked so very much.[/quote]I don't think Bill Cullen himself could have saved the black hole of suck that was Chain Reaction 2006.

All the same, there's a happy thought.

[Jay Temple]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'194252\' date=\'Aug 15 2008, 10:52 PM\']I don't think Bill Cullen himself could have saved the black hole of suck that was Chain Reaction 2006.[/quote]
Whether he could is the classic example of an undefined limit: +∞ plus -∞ is unanswerable.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'rwalker\' post=\'194061\' date=\'Aug 14 2008, 03:53 PM\']
May I ask what I missed on H2? Rosie filled in for Tom? Or is it a joke I missed?
[/quote]
She hosted a round or two in the first season (1998). By that point, Tom had already built up a great hosting style, and maintained a laid-back approach, esp. when confirming a right answer. Rosie, IMO, brought too much of a sitcom game show hostess approach to the game.

[whewfan]

I don't know if this was mentioned, but Ralph Andrews was a subpar fill in for Michael Reagan on Lingo (he actually ended up hosting for the rest of the run). Apparently this version of Lingo was having budget problems and contestant's didn't get their earnings. Michael Reagan himself, IMO, was no flashy guy either, but it was obvious that Ralph couldn't find anyone else to host, and ended up doing the show himself. Chuck Woolery had them both beat being a far more competent host than either of them on Lingo.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Queen of Nerdocrombesia\' post=\'194251\' date=\'Aug 15 2008, 11:39 PM\']Of the Secret panelists that filled in for Garry, I liked Henry the best.  Absolutely nothing against Bill, I just really enjoyed the back-and-forth between Henry (at the host desk) and the panel (particularly Bill), like Garry was there.  I found myself missing it during the Steve Allen tenure.[/quote]
I'm not absolutely sure, but Bill may never have actually filled in for Garry Moore on IGAS.  Probably for the same reason he didn't permanently replace Garry on TTTT.  He was too good as a panelist.

It worked just fine to have Henry as a substitute host, even if he wasn't as smooth.  Better to keep it "in the family" than to bring in an outsider to host.  I even liked it when Bennett Cerf hosted WML, and he was just awful.  

Henry did substitute for Steve Allen at least once, but by that point in the run they could tape shows in advance, and missing a live broadcast became less of an issue.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'194282\' date=\'Aug 16 2008, 10:04 AM\']Apparently this version of Lingo was having budget problems and contestant's didn't get their earnings. [/quote]
Which is a shame for many reasons, but the one $64,000 win they had (floating around in pretty bad shape) is one of my all-time favorite bonus rounds, and probably my absolute favorite of those without a countdown clock.

[Queen of Nerdocrombesia]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'194315\' date=\'Aug 16 2008, 07:58 PM\']
I'm not absolutely sure, but Bill may never have actually filled in for Garry Moore on IGAS.[/quote]

According to the archive of Tammy's list, Bill subbed on July 24, 1957 (and what a week, with guest Gypsy Rose Lee).  The next week, Henry subbed, and then for the next month, it was Hal March at the helm.


[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'194315\' date=\'Aug 16 2008, 07:58 PM\']
Probably for the same reason he didn't permanently replace Garry on TTTT.  He was too good as a panelist.[/quote]

My thoughts precisely.

[Adam Nedeff]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'194315\' date=\'Aug 16 2008, 07:58 PM\']
I'm not absolutely sure, but Bill may never have actually filled in for Garry Moore on IGAS.
[/quote]
Yes he did. He guest-hosted a "Summer Special" in 1957. My thought while watching it was that Bill probably didn't do it very often because after IGAS morphed into "variety show that looks like a game show," it may have required a bit more mobility than Bill could have handled. In fact, it was after watching that show that I suddenly realized how active Garry was every week.

[chris319]

[quote name=\'TwoInchQuad\' post=\'184670\' date=\'Apr 23 2008, 11:19 AM\']
Worst:

Mark Goodson on "to Tell the Truth".  For a guy who created so many television shows, and therefore spent so much time around TV studios, he had the most wooden on-camera demeanor that I've ever seen.

I mean, the show cues were all written out for the host on those cards that Bud would carry out to the desk with him every day... it's not **that** hard to deliver lines that a) you've heard about a million times before and  b) are sitting right in front of your face![/quote]
To be fair to my former employer, I've seen the episode he emceed with Betsy Palmer sitting in for Kitty and I've also seen him emcee it in the office in preparation for the 1980 version. He was fine with the format, i.e. conducting business, moving things along and getting the language out, but you are correct, as a personality he was stiff and wooden. But he was like that in person, and it explains why he hired affable guys like Bill Cullen, Bud Collyer and Gene Rayburn as emcees instead of trying to emcee his shows himself as Jack Barry and Monty Hall did.

[Jay Temple]

[quote name=\'TwoInchQuad\' post=\'184670\' date=\'Apr 23 2008, 01:19 PM\']
Worst:

Mark Goodson on "to Tell the Truth".  For a guy who created so many television shows, and therefore spent so much time around TV studios, he had the most wooden on-camera demeanor that I've ever seen.

I mean, the show cues were all written out for the host on those cards that Bud would carry out to the desk with him every day... it's not **that** hard to deliver lines that a) you've heard about a million times before and  b) are sitting right in front of your face!

-Kevin
[/quote]
Four and a half months later, I noticed the reference to Bud. You mean he filled in for two different hosts? Interesting.

[pyrfan]

While maybe not the best, I have to say that Sally Struthers did an admirable job subbing for Vicki Lawrence on the daytime "Win, Lose or Draw." Not that the show had the toughest format, but still, she seemed pretty natural in the host(ess) role.

Speaking of female sub hosts, did anyone see Betty White's week of hosting "Password" in 1975?


Brendan