An interesting classic GS production article...

[TwoInchQuad]

I found this transcription of an article on Google (in the a.t.g.s. archive) while surfing for some other information, and felt that it might be of interest to dredge it up again:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22the+b...gte.net&rnum=14

With numbers like these, it's no wonder they liked games shows so much back then...  

-Kevin

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'TwoInchQuad\' date=\'Feb 1 2004, 11:30 PM\'] I found this transcription of an article on Google (in the a.t.g.s. archive) while surfing for some other information, and felt that it might be of interest to dredge it up again:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22the+b...gte.net&rnum=14

With numbers like these, it's no wonder they liked games shows so much back then...  

-Kevin [/quote]
 And leave it to Bob Stewart to end a great story by being a jerk.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Feb 2 2004, 01:00 AM\']And leave it to Bob Stewart to end a great story by being a jerk.[/quote]

Mr. Stewart is less sanguine about the chances of a black host's making it
in the near future because "the MC has to be a pretty stern organizer to
keep the show moving along, but he can't let that sternness show.  He has
to be both affirmative and inoffensive."  Under this theory, a black man
might be perceived as stern by enough people to give a potential sponsor
the willies.

He was being a jerk way before the end of the story. :-P

However, I will give him credit on calling the first female hostess, being Betty White, one of his "nominees."

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' date=\'Feb 2 2004, 10:51 AM\']

He was being a jerk way before the end of the story. :-P

However, I will give him credit on calling the first female hostess, being Betty White, one of his "nominees." [/quote]
 Jack Barry had considered Betty White to host Hollywood's Talking a year or so before this article was written.

[bricon]

Jack Barry had considered Betty White to host Hollywood's Talking a year or so before this article was written.

She actually hosted a pilot for it, called "Hollywood Talkabout", on 1/28/73.

[zachhoran]

Bob Stewart also points out about how he didn't want to try an African-American as host for any of his shows, but it was his company that gave the venerable Nipsey Russell his first pilot, the 1984 CBS pilot for a Jackpot revival, and his son Sande's company that gave him his only aired hosting gig, Your Number's Up in 1985. Admittedly Nipsey wasn't the best host of all time, but he was well known to game show fans and tried hard. Adam Wade's Musical Chairs gig also came a year after said article, and Sarah Purcell's Better Sex co-hosting gig came three years after the article, as we stated on Usenet at the time.

The part about ladies not being used as a game show host is still partly true. No lady has yet to last longer than two years as a host(Vicki Lawrence on Daytime WLOD holds that record), though Betty won her Emmy and other ladies have tried and failed. And the African American hosts we've seen didn't have long term success either, though some of them did a pretty good job. I think Ahmad Rashad tried really hard, as did Lynn Swann, and Al ROker on his MSNBC Remember This? gig.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Feb 2 2004, 09:19 AM\'] I think Ahmad Rashad tried really hard, [/quote]
 Rashad didn't have a prayer without Dan "Tes-ti-klees" Doherty at the slot machine.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 2 2004, 11:26 AM\'] [quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Feb 2 2004, 09:19 AM\'] I think Ahmad Rashad tried really hard, [/quote]
Rashad didn't have a prayer without Dan "Tes-ti-klees" Doherty at the slot machine. [/quote]
Rashad was no worse than Caldwell on TTD when reading questions, they both had occasional trouble pronoucing words. Rashad stumbled on the word "Appomattox" a bit as I recall.

SPeaking of sports broadcasting guys, Greg Gumbel reportedly did a stellar job hosting the CBS pilot for a revamped $64K question in 2000.

[Tony]

No lady has yet to last longer than two years as a host(Vicki Lawrence on Daytime WLOD holds that record), though Betty won her Emmy and other ladies have tried and failed.

Call me nuts ("You're nuts!"), but I have a sneaky feeling that Meredith Viera will do just that come September 2004.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Feb 2 2004, 11:19 AM\'] The part about ladies not being used as a game show host is still partly true. [/quote]
 I'm just waiting for GSWitch to pipe up on this thread.

Anyhow, I don't think the ladies not being used is their fault.  Has a female ever been given a solid format?

[whizofthequiz]

Bob Stewart also points out about how he didn't want to try an African-American as host for any of his shows, but it was his company that gave the venerable Nipsey Russell his first pilot, the 1984 CBS pilot for a Jackpot revival, and his son Sande's company that gave him his only aired hosting gig, Your Number's Up in 1985. Admittedly Nipsey wasn't the best host of all time, but he was well known to game show fans and tried hard. Adam Wade's Musical Chairs gig also came a year after said article, and Sarah Purcell's Better Sex co-hosting gig came three years after the article, as we stated on Usenet at the time.

This is my first quote so please forgive me if this isn't formatted correctly.

Bob Stewart gave Nipsey Russell THREE other pilots to host. Back in the mid-70's, Bob taped two pilots at NBC for syndication by Viacom which were based on hidden camera films. One was a straightforward game which had contestants guessing the outcome of hidden camera situation.

The format was later simplified and another pilot was taped at NBC as "The Nipsey Russell Show." Again, hidden camera situations were presented and audience members were asked to guess the outcome (ala Second Gussers.) At the end of the show, two audience members faced off for some small prize.

Also in the mid-70s, Nipsey hosted a pilot for ABC (at the Elysee Theater) that was called "That's Life" on the tickets to the show and "The Ratings Game" on the actual pilot. It was a cross between Family Feud and The Better Sex. Two teams of three had to guess answers off a survey. They could either guess them themselves or challenge the other team ala Hot Potato. The team that survived played a bonus game where they had to guess to three answers in each of three  categories such as "things about Jane Fonda" in 60 seconds (ala Pass The Buck.). If I recall correctly, Dick Heatherton, WCBS-FM DJ was the show's announcer.

I feel Bob Stwart was a real fan of Nipsey and really tried to find a format that showcased his talents.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Feb 2 2004, 04:10 PM\'] [quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Feb 2 2004, 11:19 AM\'] The part about ladies not being used as a game show host is still partly true. [/quote]
I'm just waiting for GSWitch to pipe up on this thread.

Anyhow, I don't think the ladies not being used is their fault.  Has a female ever been given a solid format? [/quote]
 Louise Duart had J.Wo's Rodeo Drive(done as a pilot nearly a decade earlier with Peter Tomarken, and some like to think J.Wo's shows have solid formats), and Vicki Lawrence had WLOD, and Elaine Joyce had the already proven Dating Game format.

[ChuckNet]

She actually hosted a pilot for it, called "Hollywood Talkabout", on 1/28/73.

And there was a 2nd pilot produced, which was hosted by Roger Barkley...although Betty's pilot tested higher, it was believed that a woman GS host wouldn't work in the long run, so when HT made it to air 2 mos later, both were turned down in favor of Geoff Edwards.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[ChuckNet]

Rashad was no worse than Caldwell on TTD when reading questions, they both had occasional trouble pronoucing words. Rashad stumbled on the word "Appomattox" a bit as I recall.

During an audience game, he also mispronounced "apply" as "apple-y".

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Feb 2 2004, 08:25 PM\']

She actually hosted a pilot for it, called "Hollywood Talkabout", on 1/28/73.

And there was a 2nd pilot produced, which was hosted by Roger Barkley... [/quote]
Without Al Lohman??!!!!