[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Dec 4 2003, 07:47 AM\'] Some might argue a part of the reason CBS tried an hour-long Feud in 1992 is to see if Ray Combs could handle an hour-long format, and if he could handle it(he did an admirable job), perhaps then he could have been prepped to succeed Barker. [/quote]
I agree on Ray Combs. He'd have been terrific. His kind of energy seems more suited to TPIR than Bergeron's. Not that Bergeron isn't great, but he seems a little too cerebral, a little too sophisticated for this. Todd Newton'll be fine once he escapes Whammy.
The question I was trying to raise, though, was more about how hard it will be to pry Barker's hands off the mike.
Is it kind of a vanity thing, or will it be the financial interest in seeing the show remain successful be the motivation? I'd hate to see him go on so long we remember him as a doddering old fool, rather than an amazing broadcaster. Also, a timely, well-handled transition would help keep the show on the air.