Author Topic: To Say The Least... (Read 12342 times)

The Ol' Guy · « **Reply #15 on:** May 16, 2008, 02:10:22 PM »

...and since Stuart Shokus is a real pal to collectors like us, shall we start the petition drive to have Stuart ask to "borrow" Tom's copy of Big Game for a couple of days and see what happens? We could only hope....

Don Howard · « **Reply #16 on:** May 16, 2008, 05:11:59 PM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' post=\'186064\' date=\'May 15 2008, 12:26 PM\']
I also thought the show he turned down must have been Card Sharks - and considering it debuted the week after To Say the Least left the air, if Tom had ended up hosting it he would have been another of the MCs to end a show on a Friday and begin a new one the following Monday.
[/quote]
He already is in that club as 50 Grand Slam exited on the final Friday of 1976 and daytime Name That Tune began the following Monday, same time same channel on most NBC stations. Did mid-1970s You Don't Say! begin the Monday after the original Split Second went off or was there a one-week break in-between?

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #17 on:** May 16, 2008, 05:18:10 PM »

Quote

He already is in that club as 50 Grand Slam exited on the final Friday of 1976 and daytime Name That Tune began the following Monday, same time same channel on most NBC stations. Did mid-1970s You Don't Say! begin the Monday after the original Split Second went off or was there a one-week break in-between?

You're right...about about an hour after I originally posted I thought of that...I must be getting forgetful in my old age

Split Second went off June 27, 1975 and You Don't Say came on July 7.

calliaume · « **Reply #18 on:** May 16, 2008, 11:56:28 PM »

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'186052\' date=\'May 15 2008, 08:48 AM\']
Stu had said at one point this show had broken the record for the most listeners!

From the 'clues' given, it sounds like he actually turned down the chance to host Card Sharks, which ultimately led Jim Perry to the gig.
[/quote]
Ouch. That would have kept Tom busy for awhile.

Let's play What If... Tom Kennedy had taken Card Sharks in 1978?

1) Jim Perry is best known in the states as a weekend air personality on WABC.
2) Tom hosts the show until its cancellation in 1981.
3) Gene Rayburn turns down Whew! Wink Martindale takes the show, and it's cancelled in 13 weeks.
4) Bill Cullen becomes permanent host of Password Plus in 1980. Pat Sajak takes over Blockbusters and stays until its cancellation in early 1982 -- whereupon he takes over Wheel of Fortune, which had been in reruns for a month.
5) Tom takes over the daytime revival of Card Sharks in 1986, directly following the cancellation of Body Language (thus following himself up again). Bill Rafferty gets the nighttime edition.
6) Wordplay is hosted by Jamie Farr, cancelled after 13 weeks, and replaced by reruns of Night Court until Win, Lose, or Draw is ready.

TLEberle · « **Reply #19 on:** May 17, 2008, 01:32:47 AM »

[quote name=\'calliaume\' post=\'186194\' date=\'May 16 2008, 08:56 PM\']
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'186052\' date=\'May 15 2008, 08:48 AM\']
Stu had said at one point this show had broken the record for the most listeners!

From the 'clues' given, it sounds like he actually turned down the chance to host Card Sharks, which ultimately led Jim Perry to the gig.
[/quote]
Ouch. That would have kept Tom busy for awhile.

Let's play What If... Tom Kennedy had taken Card Sharks in 1978?[/quote]That was a not entirely horrible outcome. Someone fetch the flux capacitor!

tvwxman · « **Reply #20 on:** May 17, 2008, 06:25:45 AM »

[quote name=\'calliaume\' post=\'186194\' date=\'May 16 2008, 11:56 PM\']
1) Jim Perry is best known in the states as a weekend air personality on WABC.
2) Tom hosts the show until its cancellation in 1981.
3) Gene Rayburn turns down Whew! Wink Martindale takes the show, and it's cancelled in 13 weeks.
4) Bill Cullen becomes permanent host of Password Plus in 1980. Pat Sajak takes over Blockbusters and stays until its cancellation in early 1982 -- whereupon he takes over Wheel of Fortune, which had been in reruns for a month.
5) Tom takes over the daytime revival of Card Sharks in 1986, directly following the cancellation of Body Language (thus following himself up again). Bill Rafferty gets the nighttime edition.
6) Wordplay is hosted by Jamie Farr, cancelled after 13 weeks, and replaced by reruns of Night Court until Win, Lose, or Draw is ready.
[/quote]
Not only is this well thought out, but I absolutely think that many of these steps would have occured. Well done!

My only exception...was NBC desperate to give Sajak a game? I always thought he was a Merv push, not an NBC one...

Blockbusters with....Jim Perry? Then - Win Lose or Draw with Eubanks?

Don Howard · « **Reply #21 on:** May 17, 2008, 08:06:16 AM »

[quote name=\'calliaume\' post=\'186194\' date=\'May 16 2008, 11:56 PM\']
Bill Cullen becomes permanent host of Password Plus in 1980.[/quote]
Taking this a step further, does Bill get the nod to host Super Password in 1984?
Does he then host both Super Password and The Joker's Wild from 1984-86?
Or does Jim Peck get the gig on TJW replacing Jack Barry?

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #22 on:** May 17, 2008, 08:50:28 AM »

Was it stated that the show was indeed Card Sharks "78? I find it hard to believe that Tom would have turned down what would have been his first Goodson show.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #23 on:** May 17, 2008, 10:08:02 AM »

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' post=\'186202\' date=\'May 17 2008, 06:25 AM\']My only exception...was NBC desperate to give Sajak a game? I always thought he was a Merv push, not an NBC one...[/quote]
I don't know about 'desperate', but before getting Wheel, Sajak did a pilot called Puzzlers for Goodson-Todman and NBC. So it wasn't just Merv, anyway.
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'186206\' date=\'May 17 2008, 08:50 AM\']Was it stated that the show was indeed Card Sharks "78? I find it hard to believe that Tom would have turned down what would have been his first Goodson show.[/quote]
But would that really be so much of a consideration? If he didn't like the game, what difference would it make to him who produced it? A job's a job. In fact, I think the bigger surprise is that he'd turn down any available network job. Like Cullen, his reputation was secure by that point, and if the show really did tank, he'd be in line for another soon enough.

tpirfan28 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 17, 2008, 11:16:25 AM »

[quote name=\'calliaume\' post=\'186194\' date=\'May 16 2008, 11:56 PM\']
1) Jim Perry is best known in the states as a weekend air personality on WABC.
2) Tom hosts the show until its cancellation in 1981.
3) Gene Rayburn turns down Whew! Wink Martindale takes the show, and it's cancelled in 13 weeks.
4) Bill Cullen becomes permanent host of Password Plus in 1980. Pat Sajak takes over Blockbusters and stays until its cancellation in early 1982 -- whereupon he takes over Wheel of Fortune, which had been in reruns for a month.
5) Tom takes over the daytime revival of Card Sharks in 1986, directly following the cancellation of Body Language (thus following himself up again). Bill Rafferty gets the nighttime edition.
6) Wordplay is hosted by Jamie Farr, cancelled after 13 weeks, and replaced by reruns of Night Court until Win, Lose, or Draw is ready.
[/quote]
I would assume in that list that he still would have had his '85-'86 syndie TPIR too?

Tony Peters · « **Reply #25 on:** May 17, 2008, 01:17:32 PM »

So what would this have meant for $ale of the Century?

/someone had to ask

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #26 on:** May 17, 2008, 03:36:37 PM »

[quote name=\'Tony Peters\' post=\'186222\' date=\'May 17 2008, 01:17 PM\']
So what would this have meant for $ale of the Century?

/someone had to ask
[/quote]

Joe Garagiola would have done it.

Chief-O · « **Reply #27 on:** May 17, 2008, 03:53:51 PM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'186230\' date=\'May 17 2008, 02:36 PM\']
[quote name=\'Tony Peters\' post=\'186222\' date=\'May 17 2008, 01:17 PM\']
So what would this have meant for $ale of the Century?

/someone had to ask
[/quote]

Joe Garagiola would have done it.
[/quote]

And then from there, he wouldn't have had to put up with "Strike it Rich".

aaron sica · « **Reply #28 on:** May 17, 2008, 07:24:06 PM »

These "what if..." questions can be fun to think about.

One that I've always wondered about was if MG('7X) would have not lost its 3:30pm timeslot, how much longer it would have lasted...

SRIV94 · « **Reply #29 on:** May 17, 2008, 08:02:55 PM »

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'186246\' date=\'May 17 2008, 06:24 PM\']
These "what if..." questions can be fun to think about.

One that I've always wondered about was if MG('7X) would have not lost its 3:30pm timeslot, how much longer it would have lasted...
[/quote]
With GENERAL HOSPITAL starting to take off, I'm not sure it would've lasted all that much longer.