The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Twentington on December 15, 2009, 10:46:17 PM
-
One thing that's been commonly discussed on this board is the opinion that, while Gene Wood was typically a great announcer, he was ill-suited for The Price Is Right. Are there any other announcers that you think were a poor match to a certain show?
Regarding Gene, I didn't like him much on Tattletales. For some reason, he always sounded much flatter and less energetic than usual. Just listen to how he says Bert's name on TT versus how he says it on Super Password or WLoD.
Also, I thought that Johnny Jacobs was too restrained and unenthusiastic for the Chuck Barris library. As over-the-top as most Barris shows were, they seemed like they needed an energetic announcer, maybe one with a slightly abnormal voice. Had Rod Roddy been working in the 1970s, I think that he would've been a good fit for the Barris library. After all, he seemed like a perfect match on PYL, which — like most of the Barris library — didn't exactly take itself seriously.
Speaking of PYL, I'm not much of a fan of John Harlan's announcing style as is, but it was particularly jarring to hear him fill in on that show since his voice just seemed too darn serious for such a show.
-
Strong Disagree regarding Johnny Jacobs esp. on "Treasure Hunt".
Hearing him describe a horrible prize and then hearing "Total Retail Value: Eight dollars, forty-three cents" in that oh-so-serious voice was terrific (in an awful way).
-
That's an easy one. Daniel Rosen on TPIR.
-
M.G. Kelly on Wheel. As much as I love Jack Clark's mellow announcing, I thought M.G. was just too dry for the show. Oddly enough, I thought Charlie O'Donnell was too upbeat during the 70s era. For some odd reason, he does just fine in the current era.
Staying on the subject of Charlie, I preferred Jay Stewart's announcing on the B&E shows over Charlie's...maybe it's just the latter's announcing style is a little more...how do I put it..."sophisticated", and just sounds odd on such a cheesy show like Joker. Not that I'm questioning Jay's sophistication...
/Love the show
//However, Jack manufactured more drama than an Endemol game show
I also found it quite jarring whenever I heard Johnny Gilbert announce the 80s Pyramid...dunno why.
-
By the same token, I think John Harlan was not right for SOTC. Comparing Jay's booming, (although becoming less so later in the run) voice to John's more serious tone, it just didn't suit me.
Charlie O'Donnell also sounded awkward on PYL. Rod just had the right style for that show.
I never heard Art James announce on TJW, but I heard for some reason he didn't work out on that show. However, he did a competent job on TTD.
Jay Stewart's booming enthusiasm was almost gone when he filled in on Blackout too, and unfortunately it turned out to be the last show he did.
-
[quote name=\'whewfan\' post=\'232400\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 05:29 AM\']By the same token, I think John Harlan was not right for SOTC.[/quote]
When did John announce on $otC? Didn't it go straight from Jay Stewart to Don Morrow?
Or do you perhaps have John confused with Don, who, indeed, had a serious dramatic delivery?
-
Paul Boland on TPIR.
-
May just be me; but I've always found Bob Hilton's delivery to be rather monotonous and flat; regardless of the show. Rich Jeffries is the other that seems like he's just there for the paycheck, at best.
-
While he was a great promo voice for radio, Mark Driscoll didn't work at all as a game show announcer. He did the first few weeks of Chuck Henry's "Now You See It!" in 1989 and was a train wreck. They brought in Don Morrow to clean up the mess.
-
[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'232405\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 07:07 AM\']Rich Jeffries is the other that seems like he's just there for the paycheck, at best.[/quote]
God, yes. His fill-in work on Price was only marginally better than Daniel Rosen's.
Don Bishop wasn't that great, either. I can't even remember his voice, but every time Barker tried to interact with him, he went straight to the script. "Don, I need a winner. Can you get me a winner this time?" "Edward Smith, come on down!"
-
Gene Wood was splendid on so many things, but TPIR was not one of them. And Johnny Olson seemed out of place on "Double Dare" and "Now You See It," the more cerebral shows. Maybe it's just because there wasn't much for him to do on those.
-
Johnny Gilbert wore a 9 & 1/2 C, even though his feet were actually 10 & 1/2 E.
/Crap. Misread the thread topic.
-
• Don Morrow on $ale of the Century
• Charlie Tuna on Scrabble
(Jay Stewart sounded like he was having much more fun than both of them on the Reg Grundy shows -- Case in point, Charlie Tuna coming out of commercial saying, "And now, back to Scrabble with Chuck Woolery & Today's Winner" -- sounded like a pre-recorded, generic track).
• Charlie O'Donnell on Pyramid -- always sounded more rushed than the other 26 announcers they used.
• John Kramer on The Newlywed Game
• Art James on Family Feud (although he was just a fill in).
-
[quote name=\'Thunder\' post=\'232389\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 01:01 AM\']Strong Disagree regarding Johnny Jacobs esp. on "Treasure Hunt".[/quote]
I did like Jacobs on Treasure Hunt (especially that intro!) and BtB'76; he sounded much more animated on the latter. Otherwise, not a fan of him.
[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'232407\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 09:15 AM\']While he was a great promo voice for radio, Mark Driscoll didn't work at all as a game show announcer. He did the first few weeks of Chuck Henry's "Now You See It!" in 1989 and was a train wreck. They brought in Don Morrow to clean up the mess.[/quote]
I don't think he was that bad, myself. What made you dislike him?
Just thought of another one: Harry Stevens on Finders Keepers. He was pretty bad when it came to emphasis: "Where whatcha FIND is whatcha KEEP on FINDERRrrrrs… Keepers. And now here's your host, LARryyyyyy Toffler."
[quote name=\'TheLastResort\' post=\'232412\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 11:50 AM\']Johnny Gilbert wore a 9 & 1/2 C, even though his feet were actually 10 & 1/2 E.
/Crap. Misread the thread topic.[/quote]
Is it any wonder why I love this board? There's always someone ready with a snappy one-liner.
-
[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'232429\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 01:12 PM\']• John Kramer on The Newlywed Game[/quote]
John Kramer on any of the Sony shows he announced (NG/DG/Pyramid)...I always thought he sounded completely generic.
-
What about Steve Dunne announcing What's This Song? I mention at my fanpage (http://mysite.verizon.net/reszuh21/musicalgames.html) that they should have used either John Harlan or Johnny Jacobs instead!
Any of you who have the 10 or so minutes of this show in your collections, next time you view it, you might (or might not) understand why I made this statement.....
Cordially,
Tammy
-
Rod Roddy on everything but TPIR and Press Your Luck (Pyramid and Family Feud immediately come to mind).
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'232398\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 03:36 AM\']I also found it quite jarring whenever I heard Johnny Gilbert announce the 80s Pyramid...dunno why.[/quote]I thought Johnny Gilbert was the best at the Pyramid with his very loud and enunciating tone. Charlie O worked too. Jack Clark, not so much.
-
[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'232450\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 12:14 PM\']I thought Johnny Gilbert was the best at the Pyramid with his very loud and enunciating tone.[/quote]
For whatever reason, Gilbert's voice is the one I associate with the Pyramid intro.
-
Bern Bennett when guest-announcing for a week for Johnny Olson on Match Game '75/PM.
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'232453\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 03:19 PM\'][quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'232450\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 12:14 PM\']I thought Johnny Gilbert was the best at the Pyramid with his very loud and enunciating tone.[/quote]
For whatever reason, Gilbert's voice is the one I associate with the Pyramid intro.
[/quote]
Agreed and agreed.
-
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'232453\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 02:19 PM\']For whatever reason, Gilbert's voice is the one I associate with the Pyramid intro.[/quote]
Same here, even more than Bob Clayton, whom I actually liked better.
-
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'232398\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 03:36 AM\']M.G. Kelly on Wheel. As much as I love Jack Clark's mellow announcing, I thought M.G. was just too dry for the show. Oddly enough, I thought Charlie O'Donnell was too upbeat during the 70s era. For some odd reason, he does just fine in the current era.
Staying on the subject of Charlie, I preferred Jay Stewart's announcing on the B&E shows over Charlie's...maybe it's just the latter's announcing style is a little more...how do I put it..."sophisticated", and just sounds odd on such a cheesy show like Joker. Not that I'm questioning Jay's sophistication...
/Love the show
//However, Jack manufactured more drama than an Endemol game show
I also found it quite jarring whenever I heard Johnny Gilbert announce the 80s Pyramid...dunno why.[/quote]
It was always weird when Johnny would say "dolla" instead of "dollar" on Pyramid when doing the intro.
-
Johnny Olson did not fit Tattletales or Match Game Hollywood Squares!
-
I always thought Dick Tufeld sounded almost too polished for "Celebrity Sweepstakes." Anybody but Bob Clayton sounded out of place on NYC Pyramid. Of course, that couldn't be helped. When Fred Saxon subbed on "Child's Play," I thought it was a little strange that a CNN staffer would be announcing a game show. He must have lost the CNN gig by then.
-
[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'232450\' date=\'Dec 16 2009, 03:14 PM\']Rod Roddy on everything but TPIR and Press Your Luck (Pyramid and Family Feud immediately come to mind).[/quote]
I dunno, Rod was pretty good on "Whew!" and "Hit Man".