Beat The Clock '79

[chris319]

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'181209\' date=\'Mar 13 2008, 03:38 AM\']
I think Jack Narz might have gotten the announcing gig because G-T's two main announcers, Johnny Olson and Gene Wood, were both very busy at the time.  Johnny O was doing TPIR, MG and Mindreaders, and Gene was doing, FF, CS and PP. I can't say this is the absolute reason Narz got the job, but it's a definite possibility.[/quote]
It's a big reason he got the job. I'm sure Frank would have liked to see him emcee it, but CBS had different ideas, so Jack was given the position of associate producer, possibly to enhance his announcer fee and make it closer to what he would have gotten as emcee. Even with Jack as associate producer, Mark Bowerman was brought in to oversee the inventory of physical props.

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'181352\' date=\'Mar 14 2008, 02:54 PM\']
[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'181209\' date=\'Mar 13 2008, 03:38 AM\']
I think Jack Narz might have gotten the announcing gig because G-T's two main announcers, Johnny Olson and Gene Wood, were both very busy at the time.  Johnny O was doing TPIR, MG and Mindreaders, and Gene was doing, FF, CS and PP. I can't say this is the absolute reason Narz got the job, but it's a definite possibility.[/quote]
It's a big reason he got the job. I'm sure Frank would have liked to see him emcee it, but CBS had different ideas, so Jack was given the position of associate producer, possibly to enhance his announcer fee and make it closer to what he would have gotten as emcee. Even with Jack as associate producer, Mark Bowerman was brought in to oversee the inventory of physical props.
[/quote]
Would you have known if Gene Wood was considered for hosting it as well? And I know it's been said before, but it's odd that G-T would hire the head of a rival production company to host a show.

Having Jack Narz around was a nice touch for the '79 BTC. Gave it a bit of heritage, and Jack was starting to gain a little prominence as an announcer again after a lot of hosting gigs, sort of like Jack Clark.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'182175\' date=\'Mar 22 2008, 05:49 AM\']
Having Jack Narz around was a nice touch for the '79 BTC. Gave it a bit of heritage, and Jack was starting to gain a little prominence as an announcer again after a lot of hosting gigs, sort of like Jack Clark.
[/quote]
Purely speculative, but from the stories I've read in the many years on line, I've always gotten the impression that G/T was a very good company when it came to loyalty to it's staff in terms of job security. All the more reason why they found a gig for Jack on the show, and all the more reason why it was indeed odd to see Monty host BtC.

[Jimmy Owen]

This may not exactly be a rival company but, another instance of G-T employing a company head was "Missing Links" with Dick Clark, who was selling daytime music show strips to ABC (AB, Where the Action Is, It's Happening) and NBC (Swingin' Country) in the '60's as well as later getting into game show production.  Of course, Monty Hall later hosted the Dick Clark-Ron Greenberg Prods. version of LMAD.

[chris319]

Would you have known if Gene Wood was considered for hosting it as well?

I doubt he was. His plate was plenty full with other shows.

[BillCullen1]

In the book Television Game Show Hosts by David Baber, both Monty Hall and Jack Narz say they hated the version of BTC they both worked on.  Both were glad when the show was cancelled.  Monty thought some of the stunts were stupid (I thought so too, but I didn't hate the show for it) and Narz didn't like the way the TV business was going at that time. Guess it goes to show that everyone gets a job that they don't like at some point in their lives.

[Master Shake]

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'182607\' date=\'Mar 26 2008, 09:07 PM\']
In the book Television Game Show Hosts by David Baber, both Monty Hall and Jack Narz say they hated the version of BTC they both worked on.  Both were glad when the show was cancelled.  Monty thought some of the stunts were stupid (I thought so too, but I didn't hate the show for it) and Narz didn't like the way the TV business was going at that time. Guess it goes to show that everyone gets a job that they don't like at some point in their lives.
[/quote]

That's interesting.  I like the 1979 version of BTC, but I've always had the opinion that Monty Hall was too stiff, merely going through the motions.

Aside from the stupid stunts, does the book give any other reasons why he hated it?

[clemon79]

I think calling the stunts on BTC stupid is amusing. Um, that's the WHOLE IDEA. And this from a man who owed his career to giving refrigerators to people dressed like radishes?

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'182917\' date=\'Mar 31 2008, 12:16 PM\']
I think calling the stunts on BTC stupid is amusing. Um, that's the WHOLE IDEA. And this from a man who owed his career to giving refrigerators to people dressed like radishes?
[/quote]

It always seemed to me that Hall had mixed emotions about his success on "LMAD."  As much as it made him wealthy and able to conduct the charitable activities that he seemed to value more than anything else, there always seemed to be a hunger for breaking the box and becoming known for something other than giving out refrigerators to people dressed like vegetables.  All of his attempts never seemed to work--I seem to recall his attempt at a nightclub act in Las Vegas, which started out as a song-and-dance act with "LMAD" as a five-minute turn in the act to being swallowed up by "LMAD."

At least he could live vicariously through his daughter Joanna Gleason, who may not be a superstar but has been able to have a continuous and respected acting and directing career over the course of four decades and still works consistently despite being middle-aged.  And I bet Monty still comes to see her shows and acts like the proud father he should be.

[chris319]

It always seemed to me that Hall had mixed emotions about his success on "LMAD." As much as it made him wealthy and able to conduct the charitable activities that he seemed to value more than anything else, there always seemed to be a hunger for breaking the box and becoming known for something other than giving out refrigerators to people dressed like vegetables.

It seems maybe he wanted to be the next Johnny Carson.

After ANBTC was cancelled I asked Frank Wayne what he thought of Monty as emcee. The reply: "Monty Hall wouldn't say "s***" if he had a mouthful of it."