Who can host a game show?

[Jay Temple]

Not every sportscaster would be a good host, but I imagine a good number of them would be. I think Bob Costas would be good for a serious show like J! or WWTBAM.

I would venture to say that in any successful team of an ex-player and a non-player, the non-player could probably handle the duties of a mid-level straight quizzer or even a celeb-based communication game.

\would love to see Sportscasters v. Managers Week on Pyramid

[J.R.]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'239986\' date=\'Apr 25 2010, 11:45 PM\']The only way to find out if someone's any good as an emcee is through an audition. You know, an audition, the thing Drew Carey never had to do.[/quote]
Shut up about Drew Carey.

He's the host of TPIR now. Get over it.

[Joe Mello]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'239986\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 12:45 AM\']Then you need people evaluating the audition who aren't saying how lovely the emperor's new clothes look if the auditioner doesn't measure up.[/quote]
The next time a job interviewer straight-up tells me "you suck, get out" will probably be the first.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'Joe Mello\' post=\'239990\' date=\'Apr 25 2010, 10:13 PM\']The next time a job interviewer straight-up tells me "you suck, get out" will probably be the first.[/quote]That is more-or-less what keeps me going when thinking about work, that eventually I'll be the one in charge of hiring and firing.

"If you can tell me why I shouldn't fire you without using the letter E, you can stick around."

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'239987\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 12:47 AM\']Bob Costas[/quote]
I knew there was a name that I always liked, and just couldn't place it. Costas rounds out my list.

[chris319]

He's the host of TPIR now.

And a thoroughly mediocre one at that.

[J.R.]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'239993\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 02:13 AM\']And a thoroughly mediocre one at that.[/quote]
I never said he was Emmy worthy. But he certainly doesn't deserve constant bashing.

[mmb5]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'239985\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 12:28 AM\']It absolutely is. Which genius thought that Monty Hall would be a good host for Split Second? He's awesome when he has a crowd of people and a free-form format to work with, but when it came to just reading questions, it was awful[/quote]
That genius would be Monty Hall.

And I'll also chime in that format does mean something.  You would not want Bill Cullen hosting Jeopardy.  His skills are best used in a loose game.


--Mike

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'mmb5\' post=\'239997\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 07:34 AM\'][quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'239985\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 12:28 AM\']It absolutely is. Which genius thought that Monty Hall would be a good host for Split Second? He's awesome when he has a crowd of people and a free-form format to work with, but when it came to just reading questions, it was awful[/quote]
That genius would be Monty Hall.

And I'll also chime in that format does mean something.  You would not want Bill Cullen hosting Jeopardy.  His skills are best used in a loose game.


--Mike
[/quote]

Listening to Bill's radio work, I think he could adapt to a more serious J!-style game if need be.

[BillCullen1]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'239985\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 12:28 AM\'][quote name=\'Otm Shank\' post=\'239915\' date=\'Apr 24 2010, 08:40 AM\']Format of the show is not relevant to the talent[/quote]It absolutely is. Which genius thought that Monty Hall would be a good host for Split Second? He's awesome when he has a crowd of people and a free-form format to work with, but when it came to just reading questions, it was awful

On the other hand, Tom Kennedy could take anything you threw at it and host it with excitement and a fervor that didn't look forced. Alex Trebek is known for being the no-nonsense host of Jeopardy!, but his turn as host of Concentration showed that he was able to have a good time, joke around and to not need to be a stuffy all the time.  [/quote]

Monty probably thought he could host SS, he owned the show.

I agree with your assessments of TK and AT. Throw in Cullen and Martindale as well.

Now to answer the question. Costas was considered for Millionaire in 1999. It was in a book about ABC written by James Stewart a few years back (can't think of the title). Here are my five:

Bob Costas
Montel Williams
Phil Donahue (if Maury and Jerry can do it, give him a chance)
Dan Patrick
Tom Brokaw

[chris319]

But he certainly doesn't deserve constant bashing.

He doesn't get "constant bashing". I made a simple statement of fact that Drew never had to audition for TPIR. Now tell me, how is that considered "bashing", and how does the occasional remark about Drew qualify as "constant"?

If you have problems with posts which contain strong opinions or which defile your personal icons as you seem to, Mr. Raygor, I would respectfully suggest that Internet discussion boards are not the place for you to be.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'239999\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 06:08 AM\']Monty probably thought he could host SS, he owned the show.[/quote]

There were a lot of things about the revised Split Second that made that show far less enjoyable than it's predecessor.  Monty as host was one reason, but some of that was because he was the "Canadian Content" of the show that was required for shows shot in Canada. I'm not sure who of Canadian heritage could have done better at the time, but under the right circumstances, Jim Perry would have been a great candidate for that show since he was out of the game show hosting circuit by that time.

[Joe Mello]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'240002\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 10:10 AM\']Jim Perry would have been a great candidate for that show since he was out of the game show hosting circuit by that time.[/quote]
$ale lasted all through the 80's.

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'240002\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 10:10 AM\'][quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'239999\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 06:08 AM\']Monty probably thought he could host SS, he owned the show.[/quote]

There were a lot of things about the revised Split Second that made that show far less enjoyable than it's predecessor.  Monty as host was one reason, but some of that was because he was the "Canadian Content" of the show that was required for shows shot in Canada. I'm not sure who of Canadian heritage could have done better at the time, but under the right circumstances, Jim Perry would have been a great candidate for that show since he was out of the game show hosting circuit by that time.
[/quote]


Jim was still doing $ale and Definition in 87, but would have done a good job on the show.  I can think of a number of Canadian hosts who might have done the show well, but none with any name recognition in the U.S.

[Unrealtor]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'240001\' date=\'Apr 26 2010, 08:31 AM\']

But he certainly doesn't deserve constant bashing.

He doesn't get "constant bashing". I made a simple statement of fact that Drew never had to audition for TPIR. Now tell me, how is that considered "bashing", and how does the occasional remark about Drew qualify as "constant"?

If you have problems with posts which contain strong opinions or which defile your personal icons as you seem to, Mr. Raygor, I would respectfully suggest that Internet discussion boards are not the place for you to be.
[/quote]

To be frank, you've been pissing me off with this, too. You've made it clear from the first fifty times you've repeated it that you don't think he's a good host and you don't like how Drew was picked without an audition, and now you're trying to argue semantics to claim that this isn't the fifty-first time. That sentence may be a "simple statement of fact", but it is one which is worded in a way that makes the author's opinion on the subject matter clear. That post would have worked without mentioning Drew Carey; in fact, without the sentence that mentions him, it would have been a wonderful insight from your time in the business, but it comes off completely differently when you throw in that little dig.

Bottom line, it's not about "If you don't have anything nice to say..." for me, it's about "If you don't have anything original to say...."