MG / Steve Allen

[melman1]

MG seemed to be a perfect format for Steve Allen - lots of opportunities for one-liners, double-entendres, etc.   He would have been a perfect replacement for Dawson when he left.

But he only made one appearance (early 1974), one episode of which was shown on the Marathon and he didn't appear to be enjoying it at all.

Is there more to this?  Was he simply not a good \"panelist\", having been a host himself?

[trolloninvision]

I get the feeling the renaissance men of all renaissance men Steve Allen didn't want to be a regular or semi-regular on a game show after his SYndicated IGAS crashed and burned a year earlier. It doesn't seem like he made quite as many game show appearances from 1973-on after IGAS as he had in the 50s and 60s

[JohnXXVII]

Perhaps Steve was uncomfortable with what he took to be the low brow nature of the show itself. I'm sure MG, whether fairly or unfairly, had a reputation in those days that kept many celebs away.

[ChuckNet]

Incidentally, during the sole MG '74 week Steve Allen did (along w/Kaye Ballard, another 1-shot guest) , the show was taping in Studio 31 instead of 33...it seemed a bit cramped, and you could see the first coupla rows during the opening WS of the set just before Gene made his entrance.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")

[Neumms]

In his later years, Steve Allen did a fair amount of campaigning for higher decency standards for television. I remember seeing full page newspaper ads adorned with his face that said write your network, write your congressional delegation, stuff like that. I can imagine, then, that holding up a card reading \"boobs\" wouldn't be his cup of tea.

This is despite Allen's being pretty hip earlier in his career, accompanying Jack Kerouac on piano being one occasion.