Johnny O and Gene Wood are not necessarily always interchangeable.
GOOD FIT:
Johnny O - The Price is Right, Match Game, Tattletales, Body Language
Gene Wood - Family Feud, Card Sharks
BAD FIT:
Johnny O - Card Sharks
Gene Wood - The Price is Right
I thought Johnny didn't sound quite right for the Family Feud pilot. As for Card Sharks, the opening poem's meter has a certain rhythm, and it should match the rhythm of the clapping intro, and Gene had the rhythm perfect. Other announcers that would fill in for Gene, it was off... Gene "read" the poem, while the other announcers "announced" the poem.
Gene Wood didn't have the right inflections for Price. His voice was too coarse.
I never thought Don Morrow sounded right on SOTC. Then again, Jay Stewart, the last couple years he announced, sadly sounded like he was gasping for air.
Other announcers that didn't fit in at all with Price...
Daniel Rosen- He sounded forced. Not at all natural.
Brad Sherwood- Sounded more like a parody of an announcer... noticed some "Don Pardo" in his inflections.
Steve White- Tried to sound like Burton Richardson... and not a very funny stand up comic either. (Saw him live years ago when I used to do stand up)