Nancy Meyers and Goodson Todman

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'213058\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 05:09 PM\']
[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'212995\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 11:46 AM\']What about Roger? He goes back that far.[/quote]
I'm pretty certain Roger's name was in the credits from the beginning.
[/quote]

In the credits or not, Roger was there during the preproduction days before the show's debut.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'213111\' date=\'Apr 14 2009, 11:57 AM\']
In the credits or not, Roger was there during the preproduction days before the show's debut.
[/quote]
IIRC, isn't his thesis what helped him get the position?

[Chief-O]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'213112\' date=\'Apr 14 2009, 10:58 AM\']
IIRC, isn't his thesis what helped him get the position?
[/quote]

Believe so---here's his story [and you can even download the thing if you want!].

[chris319]

I eventually was appointed producer of the Price Is Right in 1987.

I wonder about that date. ISTR he replaced Barbara Hunter when she took a job in CBS daytime. I remember pitching shows to her as early as 1985.

He still had that '59 Bug in 1980.

[Steve Gavazzi]

I want to say Roger was made a producer sometime in 1984.  It was certainly before 1987.

Funny to see him literally give himself less credit than he deserves.

[chris319]

1984 sounds right. Steve, have you ever met Roger or know him very well?

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'213158\' date=\'Apr 14 2009, 09:44 PM\']1984 sounds right. Steve, have you ever met Roger or know him very well?[/quote]
I wish.

[pentellit]

JAY WOLPERT

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'213039\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 01:57 PM\']Great guy, and BRILLIANT! Randytvrandywest.com[/quote]
Since this thread moved into talking about Jay Wolpert, I thought that if you haven't seen this 2007 interview with Holly Hallstrom on the subject of Jay Wolpert, you might enjoy it.

"Oh Jay, amazing Jay.  What a great time that was.  Jay was, no Jay is, so fun loving, and so off-the-charts brilliant.  What a mind.  But so easily bored.  So at rehearsals he used to lean back in his chair at the production desk, (demonstrates) feet up, hands clasped behind his head and yell “Okay kiddies, I’m bored.  Entertain me.”  And we would scramble to come up with some crazy gag, uhmmm, bit, to make Jay laugh, or at least get a smile and nod (imitates Wolpert pushing his glasses).

I remember my best gag I did was The Dreaded Camping Trailer Slayer.  I got a roll of red stage tape and me and Jimmy Smith, an absolute sweetheart stage manager, tore it into little pieces and made drops of blood all behind Door2 in front of the camping trailer door, and taped a big gory red slash across my throat.  When Johnny O announced “A new camping trailer!” and Door2 opened, there I was laying inside the trailer on my back with my head hanging out the trailer door, bright red tape blood dripping from my mouth and slashed throat, clearly dead.  Another tragic victim of (quotes) "The Dreaded Camping Trailer Slayer"!

I actually got applause from Jay for that one!

Another time Jimmy (Smith) found some old junk station wagon from over on Sanford and Son I think, and he set it up in Door2 and when the doors opened he and Janice were sitting in the front seat pretending to be making out like 1950s teenagers!  Johnny was like “It’s a new…uh, old, uh, what the heck is that?”!  Johnny loved our fun at rehearsals, and also every showcase he was ever in.  He was a doll, a delight. A pure pleasure to work with.  Everybody loved Johnny.

Another time Breslow pushed into a trip card which instead of being a photo of a beach in Hawaii it read “Marc, your Clenet is on fire in the parking lot”.  (She laughs)

Those were such good times.  Definitely the best times.

You know the phrase “salad days”? Y’know a time of enthusiasm, idealism, innocence.  Well on Price our salad days were definitely the Jay Days.  It was a great time.  It was the best.  The most fun, with wrap-nite jump in your cars at 10:30 and go out for deli ‘til 2 in the morning, and especially the Our Gang type “Hey let’s get some costumes and put on a show!“ esprit de corps.  I look back now and I am so glad that even at that young age I realized what a special time and place we were in.  And Jay made it that way.  And Barbara.  It was so special, it was magical.  It was the best time on Price, the Jay Days."
Holly Hallstrom
Los Angeles 2007

[Steve Gavazzi]

Where is this interview that you're citing?

[chris319]

I've only met Jay once and talked to him a couple of times on the phone, but Barbara was instrumental in getting me into G-T and she has always been unswervingly supportive both during and after my time there, when I used to bring her game show ideas at CBS. It would be nice to talk to/see her again and thank her for that.

If it hadn't been for Barbara I might have wound up working for Jay on Whew!

Nowadays I'm not so sure a person would want to work there, even with Barker gone.

You're going to fit in just fine here, pentellit.

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'pentellit\' post=\'213483\' date=\'Apr 19 2009, 12:02 AM\']
JAY WOLPERT

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'213039\' date=\'Apr 13 2009, 01:57 PM\']Great guy, and BRILLIANT! Randytvrandywest.com[/quote]
Since this thread moved into talking about Jay Wolpert, I thought that if you haven't seen this 2007 interview with Holly Hallstrom on the subject of Jay Wolpert, you might enjoy it.

"Oh Jay, amazing Jay.  What a great time that was.  Jay was, no Jay is, so fun loving, and so off-the-charts brilliant.  What a mind.  But so easily bored.  So at rehearsals he used to lean back in his chair at the production desk, (demonstrates) feet up, hands clasped behind his head and yell “Okay kiddies, I’m bored.  Entertain me.”  And we would scramble to come up with some crazy gag, uhmmm, bit, to make Jay laugh, or at least get a smile and nod (imitates Wolpert pushing his glasses)."
[/quote]
That was an interesting interview with Holly. I have to second your opinion on Jay Wolpert - even though his shows from his own company weren't long running - "Whew", "Rodeo Drive", "Blackout", "Hit Man" - they were all very well thought out and very clever shows and that all comes from the man at the top. But there was a certain swagger that his version of "Price" had that sort of went away when Barbara and Phil took over as producers. I seem to remember there were a lot of pirate references back then, lots of swashbuckling showcases and dressing up the models as pirates for the "Pirates and their Treasure" showcases. You think Jay was already dreaming up Jack Sparrow back then?

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'213498\' date=\'Apr 19 2009, 07:41 AM\']
I seem to remember there were a lot of pirate references back then, lots of swashbuckling showcases and dressing up the models as pirates for the "Pirates and their Treasure" showcases. You think Jay was already dreaming up Jack Sparrow back then?
[/quote]


He once had (and probably still does) a license plate on his car which read -- in Bumper Stumpers spelling --

Swashbuckler  (SWSHBKLR ??)

[chris319]

If I remember the story correctly he used to come to the office dressed in pirate regalia pretending to be Erroll Flynn.

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' post=\'213485\' date=\'Apr 18 2009, 09:16 PM\']
Where is this interview that you're citing?
[/quote]
I second that. I'd enjoy reading / viewing that interview. I first met Holly at Mark Goodson's final birthday party at AFI, but never got the chance to exchange for than a few words with her.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[chris319]

final birthday party

That phrase creeps me out.