Announcer choices

[Twentington]

I've noticed that a lot of the 80s-early 90s shows had obscure announcers, and many of them only did one or two shows. Like Ed Mackay on TJW'90, Larry van Nuys on TTD'90, Ken Ryan on Bumper Stumpers, etc. Furthermore, even the "bigger" companies were often going off the board to pick their voice talent. Why was that? Not enough resources to hire someone more famous? Smaller pool of experienced announcers who were active? Lack of availiabilty among the few veterans who were still working? Contractual obligations to certain distributors?

One that always sticks out to me is Mark Driscoll for NYSI'89. Anyone know the story as to how he got picked? (Replacing him with Don Morrow also seemed odd, since I don't think Morrow had done anything else for G-T.) I could see that they probably passed up Gene Wood since his plate was pretty full in 1989 (Super Password, Feud, Concentration, WLoD — was he still doing Your Number's Up, too?), but it just seems so strange that they went with an unknown quantity who'd never done a game show before, instead of someone whom they'd used before, like Bob Hilton or Rich Jeffries. I wonder if maybe G-T just wanted to try something different, which might also explain Burton Richardson doing TTTT'90.

M.G. Kelly doing Wheel also seemed kind of an oddball pick. This one struck me as odd, since it seems like they had decent time to find a replacement — especially since Jack seemed to have left before Season 5 ended. I base this on the fact that a.) Charlie is clearly heard on from a late Season 5 episode, and b.) several people telling me they recall hearing both Charlie O'Donnell and Johnny Gilbert fill in on daytime in Summer '88. What I also find odd is that contemporary articles call M.G. the "permanent" announcer (or at least, there's no verbiage implying that he was only a fill-in), and yet he only made it to February 1989.

tl;dr: How did some of these unknown quantities get picked? Some of them just seem downright random.

[BrandonFG]

I know Larry is/was a DJ in L.A. As for why, cheaper and had a professional enough voice, perhaps?

[Chief-O]

I've noticed that a lot of the 80s-early 90s shows had obscure announcers, and many of them only did one or two shows. Like Ed Mackay on TJW'90, Larry van Nuys on TTD'90, Ken Ryan on Bumper Stumpers

In Ken's case, I'm sure it was because he was Canadian-based. He did also do the Mike Darrow "Jackpot" [taped in, I believe, the same Global TV studio]. With Ed and Larry, I'd guess because B&E's former go-to guy was getting busy with "Wheel".

One that always sticks out to me is Mark Driscoll for NYSI'89. Anyone know the story as to how he got picked? (Replacing him with Don Morrow also seemed odd, since I don't think Morrow had done anything else for G-T.) I could see that they probably passed up Gene Wood since his plate was pretty full in 1989 (Super Password, Feud, Concentration, WLoD — was he still doing Your Number's Up, too?)

Re. Mark Driscoll: It's possible that they held an audition [Mr. Clementson, did G-T ever do old-fashioned auditions for announcers back then?]. [strike]As for Don Morrow, my best guess would be that he needed the work [SOTC had just been canceled] and just happened to take whatever he could get.[/strike] Just remembered that Don himself mentioned this on Greg Palmer's blog---a "Sale" staffer got hired by NYSI, and they put in a good word for Don.

ETA: Not sure if you confused it with something else, but "Your Number's Up" was long gone by '89.

[Twentington]

ETA: Not sure if you confused it with something else, but "Your Number's Up" was long gone by '89.

Bleah. Sinus headaches do weird things to my brain.

[chris319]

did G-T ever do old-fashioned auditions for announcers back then?

As in cattle-call type auditions, no. ISTR we got a taste of Bob Hilton when he emceed an office run-through of Puzzlers and he wound up announcing Blockbusters (I'm not sure how he got to do the Puzzlers run-through in the first place). When Johnny Olson passed away, the on-air auditionees for TPIR were known quantities. When we needed a substitute on P+, we used a known quantity such as John Harlan. I believe Jack Narz got All-New Beat the Clock as sort of a consolation prize for not getting the emcee gig. Does that answer it for you?

[Twentington]

As in cattle-call type auditions, no. ISTR we got a taste of Bob Hilton when he emceed an office run-through of Puzzlers and he wound up announcing Blockbusters (I'm not sure how he got to do the Puzzlers run-through in the first place). When Johnny Olson passed away, the on-air auditionees for TPIR were known quantities. When we needed a substitute on P+, we used a known quantity such as John Harlan. I believe Jack Narz got All-New Beat the Clock as sort of a consolation prize for not getting the emcee gig. Does that answer it for you?

Any explanation for how Fred Saxon ended up doing a few episodes of Child's Play? Or were you gone from G-T by that point?

[Chief-O]

did G-T ever do old-fashioned auditions for announcers back then?

As in cattle-call type auditions, no. ISTR we got a taste of Bob Hilton when he emceed an office run-through of Puzzlers and he wound up announcing Blockbusters (I'm not sure how he got to do the Puzzlers run-through in the first place). When Johnny Olson passed away, the on-air auditionees for TPIR were known quantities. When we needed a substitute on P+, we used a known quantity such as John Harlan. I believe Jack Narz got All-New Beat the Clock as sort of a consolation prize for not getting the emcee gig. Does that answer it for you? [bolding mine----C-O]

Totally forgot about the TPIR on-air auditions, but as for everything else---thanks.

[TimK2003]

Did the hosts have any pull as to who they would like to have as their announcer, if multiple announcers were available?  It seems that there were some shows where a host/announcer seemed to click together real well and would continue almost as a team on subsequent shows -- whether with the same production company or not.

[chris319]

Did the hosts have any pull as to who they would like to have as their announcer, if multiple announcers were available?

At G-T, not that I'm aware of. If it was a H-Q show you pretty much knew who the announcer would be.

[Jimmy Owen]

"Joe Garagiola's Memory Game" was a a rare non-GT game that Johnny Olson announced.

[Winkfan]

If it was a H-Q show you pretty much knew who the announcer would be.

With one or two exceptions. Example: Johnny Gilbert did The Magnificent Marble Machine; and I believe is was Carl King that was heard on Temptation (not the 2007 SotC clone, mind you).

Cordially,
Tammy

[BillCullen1]

If it was a H-Q show you pretty much knew who the announcer would be.

With one or two exceptions. Example: Johnny Gilbert did The Magnificent Marble Machine; and I believe is was Carl King that was heard on Temptation (not the 2007 SotC clone, mind you).

Cordially,
Tammy

Kenny Williams was H-Q's main announcer, but he was doing three shows already (HS, HR, Gambit) when Marble Machine went on the air. Kenny also announced G-T's Two for The Money hosted by Herb Shriner way back when.

Johnny Jacobs was Barris' main announcer, IIRC.

[Argo]

did G-T ever do old-fashioned auditions for announcers back then?

As in cattle-call type auditions, no. ISTR we got a taste of Bob Hilton when he emceed an office run-through of Puzzlers and he wound up announcing Blockbusters (I'm not sure how he got to do the Puzzlers run-through in the first place). When Johnny Olson passed away, the on-air auditionees for TPIR were known quantities. When we needed a substitute on P+, we used a known quantity such as John Harlan. I believe Jack Narz got All-New Beat the Clock as sort of a consolation prize for not getting the emcee gig. Does that answer it for you?

Mind you, it being a 'consolation prize', he did do a great job. Surprised he didnt get put into the announcers pool, unless he didnt want to be.

M

[danderson]

I've noticed that a lot of the 80s-early 90s shows had obscure announcers, and many of them only did one or two shows. Like Ed Mackay on TJW'90, Larry van Nuys on TTD'90, Ken Ryan on Bumper Stumpers, etc. Furthermore, even the "bigger" companies were often going off the board to pick their voice talent. Why was that? Not enough resources to hire someone more famous? Smaller pool of experienced announcers who were active? Lack of availiabilty among the few veterans who were still working? Contractual obligations to certain distributors?

One that always sticks out to me is Mark Driscoll for NYSI'89. Anyone know the story as to how he got picked? (Replacing him with Don Morrow also seemed odd, since I don't think Morrow had done anything else for G-T.) I could see that they probably passed up Gene Wood since his plate was pretty full in 1989 (Super Password, Feud, Concentration, WLoD — was he still doing Your Number's Up, too?), but it just seems so strange that they went with an unknown quantity who'd never done a game show before, instead of someone whom they'd used before, like Bob Hilton or Rich Jeffries. I wonder if maybe G-T just wanted to try something different, which might also explain Burton Richardson doing TTTT'90.

M.G. Kelly doing Wheel also seemed kind of an oddball pick. This one struck me as odd, since it seems like they had decent time to find a replacement — especially since Jack seemed to have left before Season 5 ended. I base this on the fact that a.) Charlie is clearly heard on from a late Season 5 episode, and b.) several people telling me they recall hearing both Charlie O'Donnell and Johnny Gilbert fill in on daytime in Summer '88. What I also find odd is that contemporary articles call M.G. the "permanent" announcer (or at least, there's no verbiage implying that he was only a fill-in), and yet he only made it to February 1989.

tl;dr: How did some of these unknown quantities get picked? Some of them just seem downright random.

i wonder how good as announcers were Ed Mackay on TJW'90, Larry van Nuys on TTD'90? i have heard both and i thought there were ok

[dale_grass]

Two years, three months, two days.  Roger, is that a record?