"A-List" Celebrities on Game Shows

[TimK2003]

Yet another polling question -- a 3-parter to boot:

Out of all the big name, "A-List Celebrities" out there over the years...

1•  Who would have been a great celebrity player or part of a celebrity panel, but never appeared on any game show?

2•  Who appeared on a show that you thought would never be caught on a game show stage, but did indeed appear on a show either as a player or on a panel?

3•  Which "A-Lister" would have been a perfect fit on a specific game show?

For Parts 2 and 3, I would have to say Robin Williams on Bergeron's HSq was very surprising!  Although Whoopi had some pull to get some of the Comic Relief cast to appear on the show, I wished he was on more game shows over the years.  

I would have loved to see Robin Williams on "The Gong Show" with Jaye P. and maybe Jamie Farr.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'May 4 2005, 04:36 PM\']For Parts 2 and 3, I would have to say Robin Williams on Bergeron's HSq was very surprising!  Although Whoopi had some pull to get some of the Comic Relief cast to appear on the show, I wished he was on more game shows over the years. 
[/quote]
Considering how hopped up he was on various and sundry illegal substances during much of the 80's when he'd be on those shows, you couldn't pay me enough to be his partner.

[Adam Nedeff]

1•  Who would have been a great celebrity player or part of a celebrity panel, but never appeared on any game show?

Tom Hanks, to my knowledge, never appeared on any game show but seemed like he would have been a lot of fun; in addition to a sharp wit, he strikes me as the type who would genuinely care if the contestant won or lost. Bad news is game shows were in a downtime when "Bosom Buddies" was on so we couldn't get too much out of him.

2•  Who appeared on a show that you thought would never be caught on a game show stage, but did indeed appear on a show either as a player or on a panel?

It's a tie between Steve Martin ("The Gong Show") and Andy Kaufman ("The Dating Game").

3•  Which "A-Lister" would have been a perfect fit on a specific game show?

Bill Murray on "Match Game" would have been pretty interesting.

QUOTE(TimK2003 @ May 4 2005, 04:36 PM)
For Parts 2 and 3, I would have to say Robin Williams on Bergeron's HSq was very surprising!  Although Whoopi had some pull to get some of the Comic Relief cast to appear on the show, I wished he was on more game shows over the years. 


Considering how hopped up he was on various and sundry illegal substances during much of the 80's when he'd be on those shows, you couldn't pay me enough to be his partner.

Depends on his tolerance level, really. I don't know how true it was, but I recall David Letterman once telling a story about drinking throughout a flight to NY without thinking about what he was doing and showing up drunk for a "$20,000 Pyramid" taping. He said he just pulled himself together as best he could and survived the five episodes without anyone catching on.

[TimK2003]

[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' date=\'May 4 2005, 07:34 PM\']

1•  Who would have been a great celebrity player or part of a celebrity panel, but never appeared on any game show?

Tom Hanks, to my knowledge, never appeared on any game show but seemed like he would have been a lot of fun; in addition to a sharp wit, he strikes me as the type who would genuinely care if the contestant won or lost. Bad news is game shows were in a downtime when "Bosom Buddies" was on so we couldn't get too much out of him.

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I think Tom Hanks would've been in the same league as Billy Crystal, especially in something like $xxx,000 Pyramid, or even a Password incarnation.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'May 4 2005, 08:06 PM\'][quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' date=\'May 4 2005, 07:34 PM\']

1•  Who would have been a great celebrity player or part of a celebrity panel, but never appeared on any game show?

Tom Hanks, to my knowledge, never appeared on any game show but seemed like he would have been a lot of fun; in addition to a sharp wit, he strikes me as the type who would genuinely care if the contestant won or lost. Bad news is game shows were in a downtime when "Bosom Buddies" was on so we couldn't get too much out of him.

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I think Tom Hanks would've been in the same league as Billy Crystal, especially in something like $xxx,000 Pyramid, or even a Password incarnation.

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Supposedly, during that period of time in LA some years ago that the parlor game "Celebrity" was really big, Hanks was hooked on the game.

If you could get him on, he'd probably want his wife Rita Wilson to be on with him.  Wouldn't hurt anything, unless she's a Gary Morton.

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'May 5 2005, 11:34 AM\']Supposedly, during that period of time in LA some years ago that the parlor game "Celebrity" was really big, Hanks was hooked on the game.

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What's "Celebrity?"

[Jimmy Owen]

"Movie Game" had a lot of panelists I would consider "A-listers."  Joan Crawford, John Wayne, James Stewart, Bob Hope, Henry Fonda.  Burt Reynolds was another major star who did game shows, even before WLD.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'May 5 2005, 12:11 PM\'][quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'May 5 2005, 11:34 AM\']Supposedly, during that period of time in LA some years ago that the parlor game "Celebrity" was really big, Hanks was hooked on the game.

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What's "Celebrity?"

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A sort of conglomeration of "Password," "Pyramid" and Charades (there may've even been Pictionary/"WLOD" involved) regarding the names of famous people.  Sometime in the late 90s, it had the Hollywood party cachet that Texas Hold 'em has now.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'May 4 2005, 07:36 PM\']2•  Who appeared on a show that you thought would never be caught on a game show stage, but did indeed appear on a show either as a player or on a panel?[/quote]
If you look back on all the great stars who appeared on What's My Line?, the biggest "get" for the show was probably Frank Sinatra near the peak of his Rat Pack fame.  

But person for person, Jimmy's right:  The Movie Game had a preposterously high-wattage list of stars for a measly little syndicated lark.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'May 5 2005, 10:42 AM\'][quote name=\'Neumms\' date=\'May 5 2005, 12:11 PM\'][quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'May 5 2005, 11:34 AM\']Supposedly, during that period of time in LA some years ago that the parlor game "Celebrity" was really big, Hanks was hooked on the game.

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What's "Celebrity?"

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A sort of conglomeration of "Password," "Pyramid" and Charades (there may've even been Pictionary/"WLOD" involved) regarding the names of famous people.  Sometime in the late 90s, it had the Hollywood party cachet that Texas Hold 'em has now.

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Sounds like "Names in a hat."  I'm sure someone's figured out a way to make some decent coin by putting the names in a box.

[Neumms]

Jerry Lewis did a week of "Password." Darn good at it, too, except he had no patience with his partners.

Jimmy Stewart did "Password," too, along with his wife, Mrs. James Stewart (as she was introduced).

And George C. Scott did the Squares, along with his wife Trish Van Devere (who was a marginally famous actress, I think).

[DrBear]

And, as noted by Peter Marshall in his book, Gloria Swanson and Helen Hayes.

Never got Greta Garbo to show up, and that disappointed him.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'May 4 2005, 06:36 PM\']•  Who appeared on a show that you thought would never be caught on a game show stage, but did indeed appear on a show either as a player or on a panel?

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G. Gordon Liddy on Super Password. Also Edwin Newman on Hollywood Squares.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'May 5 2005, 01:11 PM\'][quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'May 4 2005, 07:36 PM\']2•  Who appeared on a show that you thought would never be caught on a game show stage, but did indeed appear on a show either as a player or on a panel?[/quote]
If you look back on all the great stars who appeared on What's My Line?, the biggest "get" for the show was probably Frank Sinatra near the peak of his Rat Pack fame.  

But person for person, Jimmy's right:  The Movie Game had a preposterously high-wattage list of stars for a measly little syndicated lark.

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Probably thanks to Army Archerd--when almost everyone in Hollywood reads your Daily Variety column as they did back then, you would have some influence.

[cweaver]

1• Who would have been a great celebrity player or part of a celebrity panel, but never appeared on any game show?

Peter Marshall said the only reason no one ever asked Greta Garbo to appear on "The Hollywood Squares" was because no one had the guts.  (She was a big fan and even sent Paul Lynde a fan letter to NBC Burbank.)  If she'd appeared that would've been huge, but I'm guessing she would've written a memorable but polite turn-down letter.

I'm with those who say Tom Hanks would've been great on a game show.

2• Who appeared on a show that you thought would never be caught on a game show stage, but did indeed appear on a show either as a player or on a panel?

The biggest surprise from "The Hollywood Squares" would have been Gene Hackman.  I think "The French Connection" was actually in theaters at the time.  Alice Cooper would've been another one, along with Ray Charles.

Someone mentioned Steve Martin and Andy Kaufman, both of whom also appeared on "The Hollywood Squares," as did Jay Leno and David Letterman.

From "What's My Line?" I guess the biggies would have been Woody Allen, John Wayne, Bob Hope and Alan Alda.

3• Which "A-Lister" would have been a perfect fit on a specific game show?

If Jerry Seinfeld had appeared on "The Hollywood Squares" with Peter Marshall when he was just starting out (would've had to be in the 1979-81 range).  Ditto Eddie Murphy (Vegas season).

John Lennon on "Password" (he apparently loved wordplay).

Humphrey Bogart as a "What's My Line?" panelist.

Dixon