The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: ChuckNet on June 20, 2003, 11:35:50 AM
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NBC bid High Rollers, HS, and Chain Reaction a fond farewell after runs of 2 yrs, 14 yrs, and 6 mos, respectively. The David Letterman Show takes over the 10-11:30 AM slot on Mon, resulting in CS being pushed to noon and slowly leading to its cancellation.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")
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NBC bid High Rollers, HS, and Chain Reaction a fond farewell after runs of 2 yrs, 14 yrs, and 6 mos, respectively. The David Letterman Show takes over the 10-11:30 AM slot on Mon, resulting in CS being pushed to noon and slowly leading to its cancellation.
Or, you could choose to believe Peter Marshall and Art Alisi's account of the story, where WHEEL was actually cancelled instead of CR and was in the midst of their wrap party when NBC hurriedly announced that WoF was being renewed. :)
But what classic finales those shows were!
Doug
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Just think, if HR had been spared and not WOF. We would of never heard: \"Many Moon Come... A Niner !\" : P
-Joe R.
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Just think, if HR had been spared and not WOF. We would of never heard: \"Many Moon Come... A Niner !\"
Nor would we be telling Johnny Come Latelys (Myself, included, at times) that Woolery is leaving Wheel. :-P
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May I reply to this post? I remember watching some of those game shows on NBC when I was a baby. High Rollers, Wheel of Fortune, Card Sharks, and Password Plus is all I could remember from that time.
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May I reply to this post?
Nope, sorry, you can't. But thanks anyway. :)
Doug
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[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jun 20 2003, 10:35 AM\'] NBC bid High Rollers, HS, and Chain Reaction a fond farewell after runs of 2 yrs, 14 yrs, and 6 mos, respectively. The David Letterman Show takes over the 10-11:30 AM slot on Mon[/quote]
A decision which The Peacock Network would later come to sorely regret; The David Letterman Show would be pulled after three months, despite Letterman winning his first Emmys for best host of and best writing for a daytime variety series.
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I remember watching the very first show - two interesting things happened:
1) he was introduced as \"the man for whom NBC cancelled three game shows\"
2) one of the guests was a critic who reviewed the show, and even stated that it's hard to do an honest review on just one show. He also compared the show to an earlier NBC talk show attempt \"America's Alive\", which aired from June 1978-January 1979. \"America's Alive\" may not have been successful, but the theme song from that show was GREAT! (I wonder if anyone, anywhere has a clean copy of it...)
Also, in reading over old TVGuides recently, it was stated in an early 1980 issue that *four* game shows might have been cancelled. Plans then were for a half-hour midday version of \"Today\". Obviously plans were scrapped, which saved us one game show, anyway.
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Also, in reading over old TVGuides recently, it was stated in an early 1980 issue that *four* game shows might have been cancelled. Plans then were for a half-hour midday version of \"Today\". Obviously plans were scrapped, which saved us one game show, anyway.
Also, when Another World was briefly tried as a 90-minute show a year earlier (until the premiere of spinoff series Texas in 1980), NBC would've followed suit w/Days of Our Lives had the expansion been successful, which would've spelled disaster for GS fans.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")
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[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jun 20 2003, 10:35 AM\'] The David Letterman Show takes over the 10-11:30 AM slot on Mon [/quote]
Ya know - I would much rather have Dave than a few more years of a GS. Who knows - if NBC hadn't cancelled all of those shows, we might not have Late Show...
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Dave actually commented on this on the Late Show a few weeks ago. After his morning show was pulled, he noted that it was replaced by Las Vegas Gambit and Blockbusters. \"Two evergreens,\" he said with a chuckle. Wouldn't there have been a third show replacing his, as well?
Regards,
- CA -
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Dave actually commented on this on the Late Show a few weeks ago. After his morning show was pulled, he noted that it was replaced by Las Vegas Gambit and Blockbusters. \"Two evergreens,\" he said with a chuckle. Wouldn't there have been a third show replacing his, as well?
No, since it had been cut to an hr after 2 mos or so.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")
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[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jul 15 2003, 11:27 PM\']
Dave actually commented on this on the Late Show a few weeks ago. After his morning show was pulled, he noted that it was replaced by Las Vegas Gambit and Blockbusters. \"Two evergreens,\" he said with a chuckle. Wouldn't there have been a third show replacing his, as well?
No, since it had been cut to an hr after 2 mos or so.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")[/quote]
Just to expound on that further, the half hour trimmed from Dave's morning show was combined with a half hour trimmed from ANOTHER WORLD to form the AW spinoff TEXAS (it was not to bring WoF back from cancellation, as Peter Marshall's book incorrectly mentions) on 8/4/80. Then LVG and BLOCKBUSTERS replaced Dave's morning show entirely on 10/27/80.
I'll be the first to admit it took me a while to get used to Dave's comic sensibility (even watching reruns of him on P+ or GONG I got a sense that Mother McKenzie didn't quite know what to do with him). I don't know if Dave starting playing to the masses a few years into his LATE NIGHT run or if magically I just figured it out, but I never found his morning show to be all that funny. It did seem pretty obvious from the get go that late nights (filling in for and later following Johnny) was where he really found his voice.
Not to begrudge Jay Leno's success, but count me among the people who thought that Dave should've gotten the first shot to succeed Johnny (getting royally screwed in the process).
Doug
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[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jun 20 2003, 10:35 AM\'] NBC bid High Rollers, HS, and Chain Reaction a fond farewell after runs of 2 yrs, 14 yrs, and 6 mos, respectively.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby") [/quote]
ya see, that really Sucks. Just to think if Wheel was canceled instead, we could of been watching The Nightime versions of High Rollers and Chain Reaction every evening now instead of Wheel and Jeopardy. I can picture the High Roller Mobile traveling across the Country for contestant searches. A Big Truck with two Giant Dice on the side! :-)
John
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[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Jul 16 2003, 10:39 AM\']
Just to expound on that further, the half hour trimmed from Dave's morning show was combined with a half hour trimmed from ANOTHER WORLD to form the AW spinoff TEXAS (it was not to bring WoF back from cancellation, as Peter Marshall's book incorrectly mentions) on 8/4/80. Then LVG and BLOCKBUSTERS replaced Dave's morning show entirely on 10/26/80.
I'll be the first to admit it took me a while to get used to Dave's comic sensibility (even watching reruns of him on P+ or GONG I got a sense that Mother McKenzie didn't quite know what to do with him). I don't know if Dave starting playing to the masses a few years into his LATE NIGHT run or if magically I just figured it out, but I never found his morning show to be all that funny. It did seem pretty obvious from the get go that late nights (filling in for and later following Johnny) was where he really found his voice.
Not to begrudge Jay Leno's success, but count me among the people who thought that Dave should've gotten the first shot to succeed Johnny (getting royally screwed in the process).
Doug [/quote]
Ok, veering dangerously off topic here, but:
I think that in the LN show, Dave was more at ease because he was appealing to an audience that would understand him. In the daytime show, he was appealing to housewives, etc., and it wasn't working. Could you imagine some of Conan's bits appealing to the same audience that Price does? (The Bear, Preperation H guy, etc.)
..and yes, Doug, I'm with you in the \"Dave should have gotten it\" belief.
OBGameshow: TRIO airs a Late Night episode with Pat Sajak 7/23! (Never reran anywhere outside of NBC)
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I don't know if Dave starting playing to the masses a few years into his LATE NIGHT run or if magically I just figured it out, but I never found his morning show to be all that funny.
In the beginning, the network \"suits\" wanted a more convential variety show, w/Dave doing cooking demonstrations and so forth. After producer Edythe Chan and director Bruce Burmster (direct from Stewart's camp...their boss was supposed to produce the show, but left shortly before its premiere over creative differences) were replaced by Robert Morton and Hal Gurnee, respectively, the show began hitting its stride, but it was too late.
However, the imminent cancellation did give the show a chance to let Dave really be himself and give us a glimpse of things to come...
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")
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In the beginning, the network \"suits\" wanted a more convential variety show, w/Dave doing cooking demonstrations and so forth.
Not to mention my favorite incongruous element -- live news updates with Edwin Newman, who was actually on the set with Dave for the first little while. They eventually removed Newman to a separate studio that Dave would \"throw\" to, but even the unflappable Newman never entirely got used to having to wait for the studio audience applause to die down before he could start.
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[quote name=\'Skynet74\' date=\'Jul 16 2003, 10:54 AM\']ya see, that really Sucks. Just to think if Wheel was canceled instead, we could of been watching The Nightime versions of High Rollers and Chain Reaction every evening now instead of Wheel and Jeopardy. I can picture the High Roller Mobile traveling across the Country for contestant searches. A Big Truck with two Giant Dice on the side! :-)
[/quote]
Heehee I remember reading back on ATGS that Merv had been trying desparately to sell Wheel into syndication, during the Woolery days. I'm assuming that this is when they thought it would be cancelled in 1980, and therefore Merv wanted to go ahead with a syndie deal, even though a lot of syndicators were extremely reluctant to do syndicate Wheel.
BTW, if there had been a nighttime HR, would Trebek have done J!? :-)
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[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jul 16 2003, 01:49 PM\']
I don't know if Dave starting playing to the masses a few years into his LATE NIGHT run or if magically I just figured it out, but I never found his morning show to be all that funny.
In the beginning, the network \"suits\" wanted a more convential variety show, w/Dave doing cooking demonstrations and so forth. After producer Edythe Chan and director Bruce Burmster (direct from Stewart's camp...their boss was supposed to produce the show, but left shortly before its premiere over creative differences) were replaced by Robert Morton and Hal Gurnee, respectively, the show began hitting its stride, but it was too late.[/quote]
I guess I should've clarified--it even took me a couple of years into his LATE NIGHT run before I got the gist of his humor (granted that if I knew then what I know now I probably could've appreciated the first couple of years and the morning show that much more).
As an aside, Morty never produced the morning show--that honor (?) went to Barry Sand (Morty was elevated from segment producer of LNWDL to producer when Sand left to helm the [rightly] lamented WILTON NORTH REPORT, then shared executive producing chores with Peter Lassally when Johnny left THE TONIGHT SHOW and Lassally moved to NY to be with Dave).
Doug
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I was too young to remember Letterman's daytime show, but one of the clips they showed on Headliners and Legends from it was his audience waving homemade signs to the camera (similar to those you see on Raw and Smackdown) when he came out. Some were...
KILL WINK? (referring to Wink Martindale)
NOBODY CAN FILL THE GAP LIKE DAVID
DAVID LETTERMAN FOR PRESIDENT, (some other name) FOR V.P.
And my favorite: NBC IS A PEACOCK! (since they were dead last among the Big Three networks at the time)
Of course Dave would get a second chance in 1982 replacing Tom Snyder, and the rest was late night history.
Jonathan Allen
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[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Jul 16 2003, 03:16 PM\'] the [rightly] lamented WILTON NORTH REPORT [/quote]
What was that, exactly? All I could gather from reading \"The Late Shift\" was that it kept Arsenio from a regular show on FOX.
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Not to mention my favorite incongruous element -- live news updates with Edwin Newman, who was actually on the set with Dave for the first little while.
Bill Adler reported in his book \"The Letterman Wit\" that the audience would cheer at the news stories they like and boo the ones they didn't...he described it as \"like doing the news in a nightclub\", for which Newman quickly learned to roll w/the punches and play his delivery to the audience.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious \"Chuckie Baby\")
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[quote name=\'tommycharles\' date=\'Jul 17 2003, 11:28 AM\'][quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Jul 16 2003, 03:16 PM\'] the [rightly] lamented WILTON NORTH REPORT [/quote]
What was that, exactly? All I could gather from reading \"The Late Shift\" was that it kept Arsenio from a regular show on FOX.[/quote]
It was a poor effort (to say the least) to do a comedic take on the news and died quite quickly (the one witty moment I do recall was some comedienne doing a commentary on the Kelly LeBrock \"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful\" commercial: \"No, Kelly, we hate you because you're exceedingly annoying.\"). When Joan Rivers was forced out of her LATE SHOW, Arsenio Hall was among those who filled in as FOX warmed up WILTON NORTH as the eventual replacement. Under Hall's hostship the ratings got better (not dynamite--after all this is FOX we're talking about) but had FOX not already committed to WN as a replacement they've could've kept him aboard. By the time FOX pulled the plug on WN, Arsenio Hall had already inked the deal with Paramount to start up his show and FOX had to scramble to find someone who could fill the slot (Ross Shafer, soon to host MG90, was among the people who tried. . .and failed).
Ironically enough, Conan O'Brian was one of WN's writers.
Doug
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[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Jul 17 2003, 09:57 AM\'] (Ross Shafer, soon to host MG90, was among the people who tried. . .and failed).
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One needs to be aware that Ross Shafer wasn't without pedigree for the Late Show gig...he left Almost Live, Seattle's version of SNL, to take that job.
(We would just about kill to get Almost Live back here in first run. I know they used to air it on Comedy Central...it's even funnier when you _live_ here and get all of the regional jokes. :))
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the [rightly] lamented WILTON NORTH REPORT
Two game show announcer connections to this show.
Announcer #1 was Michael Hanks, from the God-awful mid 80s edition of Break The Bank.
Announcer #2 was Don Morrow, just a few weeks before he succeeded Jay Stewart on $ale of the Century.
BTW, if there had been a nighttime HR, would Trebek have done J!? :-)
I'd like to think Tom Kennedy would've gotten the gig, based on his stellar work on Split Second. Ah, what could've been.
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Two game show announcer connections to this show (\"The Wilton North Report\").
Announcer #1 was Michael Hanks, from the God-awful mid 80s edition of Break The Bank.
Announcer #2 was Don Morrow, just a few weeks before he succeeded Jay Stewart on $ale of the Century.
And the show's theme music, featuring a fiddle on amphetemines, was by Edd Kalehoff, was very much in the mold of his late 80s work like \"Double Dare\" and was by far the best thing about the show.