Marc Summers replaced by Nipsey Russell for Your Number’s Up

[kesqchris]

In Marc Summers’ latest podcast episode with Jm J Bullock (and a fantastic episode it is — great to hear from him again), they share stories of getting jobs only to be replaced afterwards.

Most interestingly, Marc relays that he was given the hosting gig of Your Number’s Up only for the network to turn around and inform Sande Stewart to hire someone with more experience.

If he had been given that gig, who knows if he would’ve gotten Double Dare and game show history may have changed.

[tyshaun1]

In Marc Summers’ latest podcast episode with Jm J Bullock (and a fantastic episode it is — great to hear from him again), they share stories of getting jobs only to be replaced afterwards.

Most interestingly, Marc relays that he was given the hosting gig of Your Number’s Up only for the network to turn around and inform Sande Stewart to hire someone with more experience.

If he had been given that gig, who knows if he would’ve gotten Double Dare and game show history may have changed.

Hmmm, so they replaced an inexperienced host with (yes, I know he did several pilots)another inexperienced host? Also, Geoff Edwards hosted the pilot, so not sure when Marc would've been replaced.

[SamJ93]

Hmmm, so they replaced an inexperienced host with (yes, I know he did several pilots)another inexperienced host?

Presumably from an average TV exec's perspective, "experienced" just meant "eh, he was on Match Game and Pyramid a bunch of times, same difference, right?"

[BrandonFG]

If he had been given that gig, who knows if he would’ve gotten Double Dare and game show history may have changed.

I think he still gets Double Dare in ‘86. I don’t see the host making a difference in Your Number’s Up getting renewed. IIRC Pyramid still did pretty well in that time slot.

[Joe Mello]

If he had been given that gig, who knows if he would’ve gotten Double Dare and game show history may have changed.

I think he still gets Double Dare in ‘86. I don’t see the host making a difference in Your Number’s Up getting renewed.

I agree on the fate of YNU, but if Marc has that host credit (and paycheck) under his belt, does that make him now too expensive for Nickelodeon to hire?

[TimK2003]

Marc not "experienced"

Sure, Nipsey may have "appeared" in far more game shows by that point,...But how many shows did Nipsy work on in depth & behind the scenes by that point???

[Jamey Greek]

If any of you want to watch/listen to the podcast I put it in the Video/Audio clips section

[carlisle96]

If he had been given that gig, who knows if he would’ve gotten Double Dare and game show history may have changed.

I think he still gets Double Dare in ‘86. I don’t see the host making a difference in Your Number’s Up getting renewed. IIRC Pyramid still did pretty well in that time slot.

The only time I saw this show, my mother's phone number became eligible for a prize. She never heard of this show so I mailed in the postcard for her. She didn't win

[steveleb]

Nipsey hosted at least two pilots—Star Words and Jackpot—as well as the BET version of Juvenile Jury, which showed off his interviewing potential as well.  More to the  point, he likely had an off-the-charts Q score among daytime viewers, and as we’ve established for many executives numbers mean more than an eye test.

[bulldog_06]

Nipsey hosted at least two pilots—Star Words and Jackpot—as well as the BET version of Juvenile Jury, which showed off his interviewing potential as well.  More to the  point, he likely had an off-the-charts Q score among daytime viewers, and as we’ve established for many executives numbers mean more than an eye test.

Exactly. I think this is why Nipsey got his first gig. Plus I believe he had a better relationship with Bob Stewart.

[steveleb]

Sande himself will tell you he was trying to establish his own creative expression and was not necessarily tied to an “old school personality” .  But NBC wanted a name and the Jackpot pilot was fairly well-received. So like any good salesman, you never argue when someone offers you a desk even if you may not think it’s your optimal product.

Sight unseen, with a format as dense as that particular show was I kinda doubt in that format Marc would have had a chance to break out as he did on DD.  Especially going head-to-head with the best Stewart format ever at arguably the peak of its resurrection’s popularity. 

So I guess it all worked out for the best for all parties involved.

[Jimmy Owen]

Sande himself will tell you he was trying to establish his own creative expression and was not necessarily tied to an “old school personality” .  But NBC wanted a name and the Jackpot pilot was fairly well-received. So like any good salesman, you never argue when someone offers you a desk even if you may not think it’s your optimal product.

Sight unseen, with a format as dense as that particular show was I kinda doubt in that format Marc would have had a chance to break out as he did on DD.  Especially going head-to-head with the best Stewart format ever at arguably the peak of its resurrection’s popularity. 

So I guess it all worked out for the best for all parties involved.

What might have worked is have Marc as the co-host, filling Lee Menning's role or maybe do Gene Wood's or Johnny Hamer's announcing job.

[steveleb]

Ask Mark if at that point, three years before Double Dare hit and while he was not exactly receiving the same kind of success as his Comedy Store buddies and warm-up gigs were scarce if he would have refused an NBC paycheck to rattle off arguably the most complicated set of home viewer participation rules read on a network show in decades.  I know I would have been happy with that.

And where does anyone think Johnny Hamer is these days?