Author Topic: Game show personalities... (Read 16022 times)

Twentington · « **Reply #30 on:** July 07, 2011, 07:49:01 PM »

Quote from: knagl on July 07, 2011, 04:21:16 AM

I met Todd Newton and Daniel Rosen at TPIR Live at Harrah's North Kansas City in 2004 (where I may or may not have been called to "come on down" -- you can read about my experience here if you're interested).

I'm very surprised to see the word "enthusiastic" in the same sentence as "Daniel Rosen". (Also, I think someone else posted here once that they thought he was a total prick at a TPIR live event, but I can't find the post.)

Quote from: knagl on July 07, 2011, 04:21:16 AM

I created the opportunity to talk with Charlie O'Donnell for a few minutes between tapings of Wheel of Fortune in Las Vegas, which was also a true pleasure -- he was a very kind person.

I'm a bit let down that I didn't get to see Charlie when I attended a Wheel taping (May 7, 2008 episode from Navy Pier). In fact, I don't think he was actually there — there was nobody roaming the audience except for stagehands, and the only person I heard talking to the audience on the shows before mine didn't sound like Charlie. (They were letting us see the May 5 and 6 episodes on video screens while we waited in line, and I could hear most of the between-rounds chatter through the wall.)

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #31 on:** July 07, 2011, 09:04:31 PM »

Quote from: SamJ93 on July 06, 2011, 11:33:45 AM

-Back in 1994 or so, Greg Lee of Carmen Sandiego came to my local mall for a special brunch hosted by the local PBS station. He answered some questions about the show, hosted a very brief mock game, and then autographed some photos. I was only 8 or 9 at the time, so memories are quite hazy, but I remember him being a pretty nice guy. I still have his signed photo in storage somewhere.

Long before the GSCs and Usenet conections had provided me more opportunities than I ever thought possible, I too met Greg Lee at a mall event. In my case, QuizBusters was a couple of years old, and WKAR made the event about both shows. I got to introduce him for his mock game, and we both signed autographs afterwards. Pretty sure most of the kids there didn't have a clue who the bald guy was.

SRIV94 · « **Reply #32 on:** July 07, 2011, 09:17:45 PM »

Quote from: Twentington on July 07, 2011, 07:49:01 PM

I'm a bit let down that I didn't get to see Charlie when I attended a Wheel taping (May 7, 2008 episode from Navy Pier). In fact, I don't think he was actually there — there was nobody roaming the audience except for stagehands, and the only person I heard talking to the audience on the shows before mine didn't sound like Charlie. (They were letting us see the May 5 and 6 episodes on video screens while we waited in line, and I could hear most of the between-rounds chatter through the wall.)

Hate to break this to you, but Charlie O. was indeed there. I was at the two shows that taped after yours and Charlie warmed us up at both shows.

Twentington · « **Reply #33 on:** July 07, 2011, 09:41:04 PM »

Quote from: SRIV94 on July 07, 2011, 09:17:45 PM

Quote from: Twentington on July 07, 2011, 07:49:01 PM
I'm a bit let down that I didn't get to see Charlie when I attended a Wheel taping (May 7, 2008 episode from Navy Pier). In fact, I don't think he was actually there — there was nobody roaming the audience except for stagehands, and the only person I heard talking to the audience on the shows before mine didn't sound like Charlie. (They were letting us see the May 5 and 6 episodes on video screens while we waited in line, and I could hear most of the between-rounds chatter through the wall.)

Hate to break this to you, but Charlie O. was indeed there. I was at the two shows that taped after yours and Charlie warmed us up at both shows.

Huh. I wonder why he wasn't warming up for my taping? I didn't even see anyplace where he could've been announcing from.

PYLdude · « **Reply #34 on:** July 08, 2011, 03:35:47 AM »

Quote from: chris319 on July 07, 2011, 05:36:00 AM

I wonder whether Jack Barry was any less brusque and curt to people who expressed an interest in putting his show on the air.

Admittedly I don't have any knowledge of Jack Barry nor game show production- being since you, Chris, were once employed by a production company and Jack Barry died when I was (I think) barely a year old- but I'd have to imagine based on what I've heard through the grapevine and read he probably was at least a little pushy.

I read somewhere (I think it might've been at Nedeff's site (Edit: and in fact it was, thanks Adam)) where Geoff Edwards had issues with Barry when he was hosting "Hollywood's Talking", plus there's that odd story (can it be confirmed one way or another, I dunno) about him and Dan Enright trying to take the winnings limit off The Joker's Wild by shopping it to other non-CBS stations.

(Then again, why'd Geoff go back years later to host Play the Percentages, how was Barry able to get so many high/quasi-high profile names to host his shows while he was alive, and was Joker really on mostly CBS stations back then? I know it was on the O&O here and probably others but still?)

chris319 · « **Reply #35 on:** July 08, 2011, 05:47:00 AM »

The answers to your questions are simple: Geoff Edwards was a good emcee and smart enough not to piss off a potential employer, whatever issues he may have had with the partners. Barry & Enright's money was as good as anyone else's.

whewfan · « **Reply #36 on:** July 08, 2011, 05:50:10 AM »

Geoff was hired by Enright. Jack had nothing to do with the hiring apparantly. There have been stories about how difficult and mean Dan Enright could be, but on PTP he showed an occasional sense of humor. Geoff told me Dan handled the cue cards and wasn't fast enough to keep up with Geoff. Geoff told him to "keep the cards moving" so Dan did that LITERALLY by passing the cue cards from one staff member to another all the way across the stage!

Jamey Greek · « **Reply #37 on:** July 08, 2011, 08:14:02 AM »

Welp, I guess that they potrayed Jack Barry very well when Christopher McDonald played him, I guess he was slick in real life eh? But anyway, the closer I came to meeting GS personalities when I saw J! in person from Atlanta in 2000 and I saw Johnny warm up the audience and Alex in the flesh.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #38 on:** July 08, 2011, 08:21:48 AM »

Never met Jack Barry, but even on TV when he gave a "most cordial welcome" to everyone, it seemed less than cordial.

Mike Tennant · « **Reply #39 on:** July 08, 2011, 10:29:00 AM »

I shook Johnny Gilbert's hand and got his autograph when the J! college tourney taped at the University of Pittsburgh several years ago.

I saw Peter Tomarken (sans 'stache) in the Pittsburgh airport. Other people were getting his autograph, but my parents wouldn't let me. When they finally relented, his flight was called, so I didn't get to meet him.

knagl · « **Reply #40 on:** July 08, 2011, 08:40:03 PM »

Quote from: Twentington on July 07, 2011, 07:49:01 PM

I'm very surprised to see the word "enthusiastic" in the same sentence as "Daniel Rosen". (Also, I think someone else posted here once that they thought he was a total prick at a TPIR live event, but I can't find the post.)

Hmm. Yeah, he was over-the-top happy in warming up the crowd and doing his thing. As I recall, he was literally running around the stage and the room during the warm-up, and was pretty sweaty by the end. He was exceedingly nice in the meet-and-greet and also the day I won and he had come back into the ballroom where the show was. Perhaps the post you're thinking of was about someone else, or perhaps Rosen was having a crummy day.

Quote from: Jimmy Owen on July 08, 2011, 08:21:48 AM

Never met Jack Barry, but even on TV when he gave a "most cordial welcome" to everyone, it seemed less than cordial.

This made me laugh very loudly in the otherwise empty office that I'm in right now. Thanks for that.

PYLdude · « **Reply #41 on:** July 08, 2011, 09:05:39 PM »

Quote from: Jamey Greek on July 08, 2011, 08:14:02 AM

Welp, I guess that they potrayed Jack Barry very well when Christopher McDonald played him, I guess he was slick in real life eh?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the character limited to just the hosting appearances on Twenty One? I've seen Quiz Show a bunch of times and do enjoy the film in spite of some of the liberties it took, and as far as I remember the larger focus was placed on Enright's behind-the-scenes tinkering.

(That plus Barry wasn't as complicit in the entire exercise as his partner was.)

chris319 · « **Reply #42 on:** July 09, 2011, 12:57:40 AM »

The movie made me a lifetime fan of David Paymer. He was totally convincing as Dan Enright.

whewfan · « **Reply #43 on:** July 09, 2011, 06:17:18 AM »

Les Roberts, who produced HS, told us at GSC that he didn't think Quiz Show portrayed Jack Barry accurately, but Dan Enright was right on the money. When I interviewed Sarabeth Rothfeld a few years ago, she also said that Dan was a bit creepy. He made her pull her hair back because it was blocking too much of her face when she was on Tic Tac Dough. Geoff told me he didn't have any problems with Dan, but as mentioned Jack Barry disliked him, and Geoff told him that if he wanted to replace him after the first 13 weeks (the standard for one season at the time) that was fine by him. Of course, the show was cancelled anyway. For those that don't know, Betty White was originally considered to host Hollywood Connection.

chris319 · « **Reply #44 on:** July 09, 2011, 09:42:24 AM »

Quiz Show cast the parts of Jack Barry and Charles Van Doren very poorly. Ralph Fiennes is a Brit who wasn't true to the Charles Van Doren part at all.