Memorial tributes to hosts

[Bob Zager]

Next Thursday, May 2, marks the 35th anniversary of Jack Barry's passing.  Did The Joker's Wild, Tic Tac Dough, or even Hot Potato--three B&E Productions airing at that time--pay tribute to him at all?  I also wondered if a similar tribute was paid to Allen Ludden on Password Plus?  If so, I'd never seen them.

I know Tom Kennedy appeared in a pre-recorded "well-wish," for Allen when he was stricken.  The Wikipedia site mentions that Barry, who finished taping the '83-'84 season of TJW before his death, supposedly was planning on appearing the following September, announce he was retiring, and turn over the hosting chores to frequent substitute host Jim Peck; but that, of course, did not happen!

[BrandonFG]

If I'm not mistaken, Bill made a small statement on either TJW's 1984 season premiere or finale.

[Eric Paddon]

There was never any reference to Jack's death on any of his shows.    Bill made a brief reference during his first show about having seen Jack do the show for years during the bonus round but it wasn't cued to any reference that he was gone now.   

There was no tribute to Allen when he actually died on Password Plus though Richard Dawson paid tribute to him at the end of a FF that aired around the same time.

[JMFabiano]

What was said above.  No direct tributes from the shows themselves. 

Closest was Tom at the PW+ finale simply saying Allen "isn't with us at this moment.". I think when Pat Sajak was on the show, he did mention writing to Betty White when he passed away.

I guess certain affiliates could have inserted something if they saw fit.  Which reminds me, I'm curious to see the last four weeks of Allen's run on PW+ as seen on the NBC OBs.
 As I remember hearing the announcement plastered over his intro (and I was only three!)

[Casey Buck]

On Countdown, after Richard Whiteley's passing, not only was there a memorial message from Carol Vorderman, but an entire tribute show soon after, as well.

[SRIV94]

What was said above.  No direct tributes from the shows themselves. 

Closest was Tom at the PW+ finale simply saying Allen "isn't with us at this moment.". I think when Pat Sajak was on the show, he did mention writing to Betty White when he passed away.

I guess certain affiliates could have inserted something if they saw fit.  Which reminds me, I'm curious to see the last four weeks of Allen's run on PW+ as seen on the NBC OBs.
 As I remember hearing the announcement plastered over his intro (and I was only three!)

What announcement?  Allen didn’t pass until several months after Kennedy took over.

[Jimmy Owen]

It had been widely reported that Allen had a health issue.  There was a voiceover during the intro that the show was recorded before his illness.

[Eric Paddon]

When Allen suffered what was reported as a stroke, there were several weeks of unaired episodes with him already taped.    Apparently on the original NBC broadcasts there was a staff voiceover announcement explaining Allen's illness so viewers who would have read about this in the newspapers (and I remember it also being reported on TV) wouldn't be confused.    But these voiceovers are not on the archival copies of the tapes used for GSN airing so the only way to hear them would be if you recorded the episode when it first aired.

I think Allen's last episodes were taped just days before he fell ill and I remember watching them and noticing how he seemed to be just a bit "off".    More in the sense of being a little irritable it seemed.

[SRIV94]

When Allen suffered what was reported as a stroke, there were several weeks of unaired episodes with him already taped.    Apparently on the original NBC broadcasts there was a staff voiceover announcement explaining Allen's illness so viewers who would have read about this in the newspapers (and I remember it also being reported on TV) wouldn't be confused.    But these voiceovers are not on the archival copies of the tapes used for GSN airing so the only way to hear them would be if you recorded the episode when it first aired.

I think Allen's last episodes were taped just days before he fell ill and I remember watching them and noticing how he seemed to be just a bit "off".    More in the sense of being a little irritable it seemed.

Gotcha.  Thx for the refresher.

[JMFabiano]

When Allen suffered what was reported as a stroke, there were several weeks of unaired episodes with him already taped.    Apparently on the original NBC broadcasts there was a staff voiceover announcement explaining Allen's illness so viewers who would have read about this in the newspapers (and I remember it also being reported on TV) wouldn't be confused.    But these voiceovers are not on the archival copies of the tapes used for GSN airing so the only way to hear them would be if you recorded the episode when it first aired.

I think Allen's last episodes were taped just days before he fell ill and I remember watching them and noticing how he seemed to be just a bit "off".    More in the sense of being a little irritable it seemed.

That's the one.  I can't say I'd "love" to see it, but I'm highly curious should OBs of these episodes ever turn up again.

Come to it, don't think this or Super Password directly mentioned Allen passing away.  They'd pay tribute to him once in a while, but did not mention his fate of course, nor call him "the late" Allen Ludden or such.  Bert once said he associated the game with him, and of course Betty mentioning a "guy she liked a lot" in the finale.