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Author Topic: Executive Producers Question  (Read 8450 times)

TimK2003

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Executive Producers Question
« on: October 06, 2005, 09:16:52 PM »
Over the years, there have been great new game show host and/or announcer talent.  And most, if not all of that "newly found talent" came from the Executive Producers of the shows, The Bob Stewarts, Merv Griffins, etc... of the game show world.

• Which producer(s) in your opinion have had the knack for finding good announcing or host talent?  

• Who seemed to constantly shove the worst Patrick Wayne-ish talent down our throats?

• And which producer(s) are the ones who first discovered the "newcomers" who went on to become the major names in the game show world?  

For example, Ralph Edwards gets the credit for first introducing Bob Barker to game show audiences via "Truth Or Consequences".  

Discuss...
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Dbacksfan12

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2005, 09:24:25 PM »
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'Oct 6 2005, 08:16 PM\']• Who seemed to constantly shove the worst Patrick Wayne-ish talent down our throats?
[/quote]
IMO, Merv Griffin was pretty hit or miss...(Michael Reilly, Nick Spano)...while other times, finding good talent. (Pat Sajak, Ryan Seacrest...)
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tyshaun1

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2005, 09:33:31 PM »
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' date=\'Oct 6 2005, 09:16 PM\']• Who seemed to constantly shove the worst Patrick Wayne-ish talent down our throats?
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Well, Dan Enright was partly (mostly?) to blame for bringing Jim Caldwell AND Patrick Wayne into the fold.........

Tyshaun
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SRIV94

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2005, 09:34:39 PM »
Would Chuck Barris be credited for finding Bob Eubanks (I *think* he was hired for NEWLYWED while employed at KRLA-AM in L.A.)?

Doug
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Doug
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"When you see the crawl at the end of the show you will see a group of talented people who will all be moving over to other shows...the cameramen aren't are on that list, but they're not talented people."  John Davidson, TIME MACHINE (4/26/85)

zachhoran

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2005, 09:44:49 PM »
[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' date=\'Oct 6 2005, 08:33 PM\']
Well, Dan Enright was partly (mostly?) to blame for bringing Jim Caldwell AND Patrick Wayne into the fold.........


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Pat Bullard and possibly Al Dubois can be blamed on Enright, too(Bumper Stumpers was co-produced with Global/Wink Martindale Enterprises). Dubois doesn't seem to be laughed at too much around these parts, however.
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chris319

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2005, 12:50:48 AM »
Merv Griffin did not discover Pat Sajak. The account related to me is that the then-producer of Wheel called a certain individual at Goodson-Todman, seeking an emcee to replace Chuck Woolery. The individual at G-T suggested Sajak, who had just completed the Puzzlers pilot. It is also possible that people at NBC pointed Wheel in the direction of Sajak after Puzzlers.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2005, 12:51:15 AM by chris319 »
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davemackey

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2005, 07:44:51 AM »
[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Oct 6 2005, 09:34 PM\']Would Chuck Barris be credited for finding Bob Eubanks (I *think* he was hired for NEWLYWED while employed at KRLA-AM in L.A.)?

Doug
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Chuck Barris was responsible for Eubanks and Jim Lange, both of whom had healthy careers as game hosts and as radio personalities. Barris seized on the fact that game show hosts and disk jockeys (as the job was at the time - it's so much different now in these days of tracking) shared the same skill set. Even so, Barris had written in his memoirs that Eubanks particularly didn't "get it" at first and slowly developed his Mr. Whoopee persona.

Not all of Barris' discoveries clicked with viewers (see under Race, Clark).
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calliaume

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2005, 07:54:22 AM »
[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Oct 7 2005, 06:44 AM\']Not all of Barris' discoveries clicked with viewers (see under Race, Clark).
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Not to mention Barbour, John.  But at least everyone realized that straightaway.

Chuck also has Dick Stewart, the first host of Dream Girl of '67, in the minus column, as well as Tom Campbell of Camouflage.  But he also gave Jim MacKrell his first hosting gig.

I can't remember in which of his two books he claimed he'd wanted a homeless person to host The Gong Show.

For purposes of this discussion, shall we defined "discovered" as "gave first national exposure"?  Several hosts were well known before they started their gigs (e.g. Arte Johnson, Dick Martin, Gary Owens).
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zachhoran

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2005, 08:11:41 AM »
[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Oct 7 2005, 06:54 AM\']
Not to mention Barbour, John.  But at least everyone realized that straightaway.

Chuck also has Dick Stewart, the first host of Dream Girl of '67, in the minus column, as well as Tom Campbell of Camouflage.  But he also gave Jim MacKrell his first hosting gig.


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He also has Jeff McGregor and Don Bleu among the hosts he gave their first national exposure, too(at least his company does, as Barris sold off his company around that time, no?)
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SRIV94

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2005, 10:06:08 AM »
[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Oct 7 2005, 06:44 AM\']Chuck Barris was responsible for Eubanks and Jim Lange, both of whom had healthy careers as game hosts and as radio personalities.
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I didn't include Lange because he had hosted a show prior to TDG (granted, a local show, but a show nonetheless).

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Oct 7 2005, 06:54 AM\']I can't remember in which of his two books he claimed he'd wanted a homeless person to host The Gong Show.
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I'm almost positive it was Confessions.

Doug
« Last Edit: October 07, 2005, 10:09:57 AM by SRIV94 »
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"When you see the crawl at the end of the show you will see a group of talented people who will all be moving over to other shows...the cameramen aren't are on that list, but they're not talented people."  John Davidson, TIME MACHINE (4/26/85)

Jimmy Owen

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2005, 12:35:44 PM »
I was gonna say Merv, but then I remembered that his wife found Art Fleming anchoring the news in New York and Chuck Woolery was a regular on Chuck Barris' version of "Your Hit Parade" in 1974. I know Merv saw the revival because he mentioned to a guest on his talk show (might have been Snooky Lanson) "they tried to bring it back, and it didn't work."
« Last Edit: October 07, 2005, 12:41:46 PM by Jimmy Owen »
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uncamark

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2005, 03:31:56 PM »
[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Oct 7 2005, 06:54 AM\'][quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Oct 7 2005, 06:44 AM\']Not all of Barris' discoveries clicked with viewers (see under Race, Clark).
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Not to mention Barbour, John.  But at least everyone realized that straightaway.

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Wasn't Barbour more NBC's idea?  At that time, he was the caustic movie critic at KNBC and everyone thought that he would be perfect for this bad talent show.  Turned out he didn't get the joke.

As for Nick Spano, don't blame Merv for that--"Peer Pressure" was Burt Wheeler and Sharon Sussman's show.  (We can also blame Wheeler and Sussman for giving Jenny McCarthy a career.)   Merv ran "Click" and for that we owe him the opportunity to eventually hear those magic words "Seacrest--Out!"  :)
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Winkfan

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2005, 11:22:31 PM »
I believe that Goodson & Todman has the best track record for finding and 'nurturing' talent. Two cases in point: Gene Rayburn was a panelist on their The Name's the Same before he got into the hosting game. Ditto for Bert Convy; he was on the panel of the original To Tell the Truth during its final years.

Also, we should thank these guys for giving us their discoveries:

Heatter & Quigley -- Peter Marshall
Ron Greenberg -- Jim Peck
Jay Wolpert -- Peter Tomarken and Ron Pearson
Wink Martindale -- Wayne Cox
Al Howard -- David Ruprecht

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Debbie Barlett of the Big Board!'
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Dbacksfan12

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2005, 11:55:49 PM »
[quote name=\'Winkfan\' date=\'Oct 7 2005, 10:22 PM\']Jay Wolpert -- Peter Tomarken and Ron Pearson
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I thought Ron Peason had done some kiddie show in 1988; "Skeddale" or something to that effect.

Not that it was widely known.
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zachhoran

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Executive Producers Question
« Reply #14 on: October 08, 2005, 07:20:26 AM »
[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Oct 7 2005, 10:55 PM\'][quote name=\'Winkfan\' date=\'Oct 7 2005, 10:22 PM\']Jay Wolpert -- Peter Tomarken and Ron Pearson
[/quote]
I thought Ron Peason had done some kiddie show in 1988; "Skeddale" or something to that effect.

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Wasn't Skedaddle also produced by J. Wo?
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