Author Topic: And now, the host of Password Plus... (Read 19130 times)

chris319 · « **Reply #45 on:** April 13, 2005, 06:12:28 PM »

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Some people in this business take jobs to fill time till the next best thing comes along. Ludden took the Liars Club job not necessarily because he needed work, but because he *wanted* work.

Allen Ludden was not in demand as a game show emcee (or anything else for that matter). Like everyone who works for a living, TV personalities included, it was in his best interest to accept whatever employment was offered him.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #46 on:** April 13, 2005, 06:14:23 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 05:12 PM\']Allen Ludden was not in demand as a game show emcee (or anything else for that matter). [/quote]
Do you say this because its fact; or because you seemingly didn't get along with him?

chris319 · « **Reply #47 on:** April 13, 2005, 06:36:35 PM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 02:14 PM\'][quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 05:12 PM\']Allen Ludden was not in demand as a game show emcee (or anything else for that matter). [/quote]
Do you say this because its fact; or because you seemingly didn't get along with him?

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Use your head, Mark. Outside of Password and the early days of College Bowl, Allen's game show credentials were meager. Can you name any producers or networks who were eager for his services the way they were for Bill Cullen's or Tom Kennedy's?

calliaume · « **Reply #48 on:** April 13, 2005, 10:14:34 PM »

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 05:36 PM\'][quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 02:14 PM\'][quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 05:12 PM\']Allen Ludden was not in demand as a game show emcee (or anything else for that matter). [/quote]
Do you say this because its fact; or because you seemingly didn't get along with him?

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Use your head, Mark. Outside of Password and the early days of College Bowl, Allen's game show credentials were meager. Can you name any producers or networks who were eager for his services the way they were for Bill Cullen's or Tom Kennedy's?

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Chris is right; other than Password and College Bowl, he did Stumpers, Liar's Club, and Win With the Stars. Packagers: Lin Bolen, Ralph Andrews, and Stuart Phelps-Jesse Martin -- none of whom are among the top five game show packagers.

Allen was good at handling Password, but if you do the same thing 250 or more times a year for 10 years, you're bound to get it down sooner or later. Further, when it's the standard format and not Password Plus/Super Password, it's one of the easiest formats in the world - hand out word packets, announce whose turn it is, count down from 10, repeat. Hell, I hosted Password three times on my college local-access station and the format was never a problem. (However, since I tended to babble, had a wardrobe courtesy of The Salvation Army, a haircut inspired by Duran Duran and a barely visible mustache, I haven't watched the one surviving tape for a long, long time.)

clemon79 · « **Reply #49 on:** April 13, 2005, 11:10:37 PM »

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 07:14 PM\']a haircut inspired by Duran Duran and a barely visible mustache, I haven't watched the one surviving tape for a long, long time.)
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I, for one, am tiring of the Duran Duran prejudice on this forum.

That said, even THEY didn't try to do that with facial hair. Kudos.

JMFabiano · « **Reply #50 on:** April 14, 2005, 09:24:42 AM »

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 08:54 AM\'][quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Apr 12 2005, 11:44 PM\']

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As for Perry getting his "CS" job back, the understanding I had was that all hands wanted something closer to Bruce Forsyth's take on the format in the UK, which was more of a comedy show.

In fact, the original revival plans called for the use of married couples, just as it was played across the pond.

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Ah ha! That could explain why Bob was selected for this version of the show. It's well known that he had a rich on-camera history in dealing with couples and perhaps that was the reason he was considered the top candidate.

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And to the person who got it back to the CS we know and love, A) Thank you and B) WHERE IN THE BLUE HELL WERE YOU IN 2001?!!?

I do have one episode of Play Your Cards Right in my collection, aside from the couples and the "sing along with Bruce" cathcphrases it seemed pretty much the same to me.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #51 on:** April 14, 2005, 07:37:01 PM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 06:14 PM\'][quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Apr 13 2005, 05:12 PM\']Allen Ludden was not in demand as a game show emcee (or anything else for that matter). [/quote]Do you say this because its fact; or because you seemingly didn't get along with him?[/quote]
It's a pretty open secret that Ludden was...let's say "not beloved' by most of the people who worked around him at ANY level.

Neumms · « **Reply #52 on:** April 15, 2005, 01:12:39 AM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Apr 14 2005, 06:37 PM\']It's a pretty open secret that Ludden was...let's say "not beloved' by most of the people who worked around him at ANY level.

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Why did Ludden leave (or get the boot from) Liar's Club? It was syndicated, so he could have done P+ at the same time.

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #53 on:** April 15, 2005, 02:18:41 AM »

[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Apr 15 2005, 12:12 AM\']Why did Ludden leave (or get the boot from) Liar's Club? It was syndicated, so he could have done P+ at the same time.
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If I remember what I learned in Game Show 101 correctly; Liar's Club was cancelled in or around September 1978, freeing him to do P+.

It was Bill Armstrong that got axed from Liar's.

zachhoran · « **Reply #54 on:** April 15, 2005, 08:14:28 AM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Apr 15 2005, 01:18 AM\'][quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Apr 15 2005, 12:12 AM\']Why did Ludden leave (or get the boot from) Liar's Club? It was syndicated, so he could have done P+ at the same time.
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If I remember what I learned in Game Show 101 correctly; Liar's Club was cancelled in or around September 1978, freeing him to do P+.

It was Bill Armstrong that got axed from Liar's.

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LC aired through the 1978-79 season, as per the EOTVGS. THey could have finished taping LC for the 1978-79 season before tapings of P+ began in 12/78, as syndicated shows in those days were often finished taping for the season before the NATPE convention was held.

Neumms · « **Reply #55 on:** April 15, 2005, 03:51:37 PM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Apr 15 2005, 01:18 AM\']It was Bill Armstrong that got axed from Liar's.

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Ooops! Thanks for the correction. Why did they ax Bill Armstrong? Just because Ludden became available?

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #56 on:** April 15, 2005, 04:32:09 PM »

[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Apr 15 2005, 02:51 PM\'][quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Apr 15 2005, 01:18 AM\']It was Bill Armstrong that got axed from Liar's.

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Ooops! Thanks for the correction. Why did they ax Bill Armstrong? Just because Ludden became available?

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There seemed to be somewhat of a relaunch of that show. When it started in syndication 20th Century-Fox Television distributed it and it seemed to be on very few stations. Channel 20 in Detroit had it. When AL took over, it was distributed by Sandy Frank and had moved from Channel 20 to 50 (which was considered an upgrade.) In NY, the Armstrong eps were on WOR and the Luddens on WCBS.

Though Allen may not have been in demand, he may have been perceived as more of a "name" than Bill Armstrong. I'm pretty sure more stations aired the Ludden version.

calliaume · « **Reply #57 on:** April 15, 2005, 09:43:16 PM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Apr 15 2005, 03:32 PM\']In NY, the Armstrong eps were on WOR and the Luddens on WCBS.

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I honestly don't remember the Luddens being on WCBS. Doesn't mean it didn't happen (the show was the logical successor to the departing To Tell the Truth, but I don't remember it airing there. Might have been either 9 a.m. or late at night.

I can't find it on the old alt.tv.game-shows list, but I seem to remember someone mentioning Armstrong suing after being removed as host; don't know what came of it (if my memory's even right).

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #58 on:** April 15, 2005, 11:02:16 PM »

Curt, you are correct about the time slot. LC did succeed TTTT on Channel 2 on 11/14/77, both shows sharing the 9-10 hour with a local talk show with Jeanne Parr. That did not last long. In mid-January of 78, a Jim Nabors talk show succeeded both shows. Nabors lasted until July 78 and was replaced until September with a combo of "The New Truth or Consequences" and the Canadian "Celebrity Cooks" with Bruno Gerussi. Source: my trusty TV Guide collection.

sshuffield70 · « **Reply #59 on:** April 15, 2005, 11:45:26 PM »

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Apr 15 2005, 01:18 AM\'][quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'Apr 15 2005, 12:12 AM\']Why did Ludden leave (or get the boot from) Liar's Club? It was syndicated, so he could have done P+ at the same time.
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If I remember what I learned in Game Show 101 correctly; Liar's Club was cancelled in or around September 1978, freeing him to do P+.

It was Bill Armstrong that got axed from Liar's.

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I normally bow to your knowledge, but ISTR Armstrong served as EP or producer on this show, and as announcer on Boardman's version. If given the choice of himself or Allen Ludden, who would you pick?