Substitute hosts

[Twentington]

So I'm looking up the 1950s version of The Price Is Right on IMDb and I see several substitute hosts and announcers — Robert Q. Lewis, Sonny Fox, Jack Narz, Merv Griffin, Arlene Francis, Sam Levenson and Bob Kennedy are all listed as sub-hosts; Roger Tuttle, Edward Haeffor, Vic Roby and Ed Jordan sub-announced; and Jack Clark did both.

I've noticed this with many 1950s and 1960s shows in general — lots and lots of substitutes in both departments. What was the reasoning behind it?

[Matt Ottinger]

This is so easy even I can answer it.  Shows back then were live, and daily shows ran daily throughout the year.  The only ways for on-air talent to get time off would be to bring in a substitute or to not do a show.

[Winkfan]

So I'm looking up the 1950s version of The Price Is Right on IMDb and I see several substitute hosts and announcers.....and Jack Clark did both.

So did Johnny Gilbert during the ABC run of TPIR.

Cordially,
Tammy

[ChuckNet]

While we're on the subject, which GS holds the record for most sub hosts? TTTT was def up there...during the Collyer era, quite a few hosts got the chance to pinch-hit for Bud:

Ralph Bellamy
Sonny Fox
Robert Q. Lewis
Jim Fleming
Orson Bean
Gene Rayburn
John Cameron Swayze
Merv Griffin
Mark Goodson
Bert Convy

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[Matt Ottinger]

While we're on the subject, which GS holds the record for most sub hosts? TTTT was def up there...during the Collyer era, quite a few hosts got the chance to pinch-hit for Bud:

Ralph Bellamy
Sonny Fox
Robert Q. Lewis
Orson Bean
Gene Rayburn
John Cameron Swayze
Merv Griffin
Mark Goodson
Bert Convy

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

When you look at the fruit-basket turnover of the 1990 version, plus the fact that there have been five distinct versions, I think it's safe to say that more different people have hosted TTTT at least once than have hosted any other show.  There are at least twenty.  By comparison, the number of different people who have hosted Jeopardy at least once is three.

[Twentington]

This is so easy even I can answer it.  Shows back then were live, and daily shows ran daily throughout the year.  The only ways for on-air talent to get time off would be to bring in a substitute or to not do a show.

I figured that might be the answer, but I wasn't too sure.

(Next question: Once live dailies became a thing of the past, which shows had intentional substitute hosts — not counting instances where the previous host died, or instances where the original host traded places to play their own game? First ones I thought of were Bill Cullen on P+, Jim Peck on TJW and the revolving door of hosts on TTTT'90.)

[Matt Ottinger]

the revolving door of hosts on TTTT'90.

Except that the "revolving door" was a series of people who, at the time, were the regular host, weren't they?  Was Lynn Swann presented as a substitute before Trebek came along?  If not, then really all you have is the couple of shows that Mark Goodson stepped in to do.

You've also got Geoff Edwards on Chain Reaction while Bill was filling in on Password Plus.

[tpirfan28]

You've also got Geoff Edwards on Chain Reaction while Bill was filling in on Password Plus.

This I've never understood.  Was it an NBC decision?  Seems odd that Bill could switch shows (and production companies to boot) for a couple weeks.

[Eric Paddon]

(Next question: Once live dailies became a thing of the past, which shows had intentional substitute hosts — not counting instances where the previous host died, or instances where the original host traded places to play their own game? First ones I thought of were Bill Cullen on P+, Jim Peck on TJW and the revolving door of hosts on TTTT'90.)

Jack Clark filled in for Bill Cullen on daytime TPIR on ABC for a five week stretch in early 1965.   We have shows from four of those weeks in the trade circuit (this was when a celeb would also play for audience members all week long too).

[whewfan]

Bud Collyer's Beat the Clock also had a fair number of guest hosts, didn't it? Sonny Fox and Frank Wayne come to mind immediately, but I think there were more.

Chances are, Cullen's TPIR had many guest hosts because Bill was a busy man. He also did IGAS, Name's the Same, and other shows while TPIR was on the air. By coincidence, Truth or Consequences followed TPIR on NBC in the beginning, so in theory, they COULD'VE asked Bob Barker to guest host, considering it was on the same network.

[Unrealtor]

Am I correct in my recollection that, with the exception of stunts (The April Fools J!/WOF host switch, Peter Marshall and Tom Bergeron switching places, etc.), Millionaire is the only show to have a guest host since Goodson filled in for Trebek on TTTT '90?

[clemon79]

By comparison, the number of different people who have hosted Jeopardy at least once is three.

Four, if you count Jeff Probst. Unless we're being sticklers and only counting shows actually titled Jeopardy!

[chad1m]

Four, if you count Jeff Probst.

And we can make it five, too, if you want to include Bob Bergen and Jep! using similar logic.

[clemon79]

And we can make it five, too, if you want to include Bob Bergen and Jep! using similar logic.

Not willing to go that far. Jep! was a demonstrably different game.

[chad1m]

Not willing to go that far.

I would be. Separate categories with clue values of similar rising increments, phrasing responses in a question-like form and writing a question down at the end would be enough similarities, buuut of course that's just me. What's some bouncy balls and big button buzzers between friends?