Author Topic: Best/Worst Warmups You've Ever Seen (Read 8753 times)

davidhammett · « **Reply #30 on:** January 21, 2007, 06:25:11 PM »

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' post=\'144105\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 06:20 PM\']
[quote name=\'davidhammett\' post=\'144072\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 01:05 PM\']
[The worst (that I can remember) was probably Steve Saunders at Pyramid[/quote]
John Cramer couldn't be bothered to do the warm-up himself?
[/quote]
I'm hard-pressed to think of a show where he has done the warm-up... it's always (usually?) just the announcing, and that's often done away from the taping itself. He certainly didn't do warm-up on "21", "Weakest Link" (where Randy had a yeoman's task at best for those epic tapings), or "Pyramid."

davidhammett · « **Reply #31 on:** January 21, 2007, 06:28:08 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'144074\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 01:35 PM\']
[quote name=\'davidhammett\' post=\'144072\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 01:05 PM\']The worst (that I can remember) was probably Steve Saunders at Pyramid... as much as I like the game, the tapings were interminable because of him.[/quote]
Hey, you took my answer!

Though David saw Pyramid plenty of times, he and I attended a taping together and were both stunned at Saunders' almost total lack of effort. He didn't really try to be funny, and he didn't really know anything about the game, so he couldn't answer questions. A warm-up kinda needs to do one or the other.
[/quote]
Actually, Matt, that was the only Pyramid taping I went to... hadn't made it to one before your visit, and certainly didn't go out of my way to get to one afterwards thanks to what I knew was in store for the studio audience.

joshg · « **Reply #32 on:** January 21, 2007, 06:33:49 PM »

[quote name=\'davidhammett\' post=\'144106\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 03:25 PM\']
I'm hard-pressed to think of a show where he has done the warm-up... it's always (usually?) just the announcing, and that's often done away from the taping itself. He certainly didn't do warm-up on "21", "Weakest Link" (where Randy had a yeoman's task at best for those epic tapings), or "Pyramid."
[/quote]

Think of how more enjoyable those 'Link' tapings were with Randy there. Can you imagine Chunky D or Steve Saunders warming-up 'Link'? There would have been an audience revolt.

EDIT: Didn't know the grammar police were in the crowd today.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #33 on:** January 21, 2007, 06:45:39 PM »

[quote name=\'matchgame\' post=\'144109\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 03:33 PM\']
There would of have been an audience revolt.
[/quote]
There, fixed it for you. Sorry, but that's a pet peeve of mine.

TLEberle · « **Reply #34 on:** January 21, 2007, 06:59:20 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'144111\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 03:45 PM\'][quote name=\'matchgame\' post=\'144109\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 03:33 PM\']There would of have been an audience revolt.
[/quote]There, fixed it for you. Sorry, but that's a pet peeve of mine.[/quote]Don't apologize. I'm the same way.

I was waiting for the StarFace warm-up where Shlubby the Clown asked Kevin Olmstead, "You sir? You must know what I'm talking about! What's the biggest thing YOU ever won?"

When I read that on Chris's blog, I actually LOL'd for several minutes. A completely geeky moment, sure, but I have no sympathy for a guy who can't string together a few jokes.

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #35 on:** January 21, 2007, 07:03:46 PM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'144113\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 03:59 PM\']
I was waiting for the StarFace warm-up where Shlubby the Clown asked Kevin Olmstead, "You sir? You must know what I'm talking about! What's the biggest thing YOU ever won?"
[/quote]
I've got to know. What was Kevin's response? Did he toy with him? Please say he toyed with him.

BrandonFG · « **Reply #36 on:** January 21, 2007, 07:48:54 PM »

[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'144115\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 07:03 PM\']
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'144113\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 03:59 PM\']
I was waiting for the StarFace warm-up where Shlubby the Clown asked Kevin Olmstead, "You sir? You must know what I'm talking about! What's the biggest thing YOU ever won?"
[/quote]
I've got to know. What was Kevin's response? Did he toy with him? Please say he toyed with him.
[/quote]
KEVIN: "I won on a little-known game show called 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'..."
SHLUBBY: "Oh, and did you win a million dollars, final answer, yuk yuk?!"
KEVIN: "Actually, I did not win a million..."
SHLUBBY: "Yuk yuk...tough break! Well..."
KEVIN: "I won TWO million and change...heeeeere's your sign."

(allegedly)

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #37 on:** January 21, 2007, 11:38:56 PM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'144119\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 04:48 PM\']
KEVIN: "I won on a little-known game show called 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'..."
SHLUBBY: "Oh, and did you win a million dollars, final answer, yuk yuk?!"
KEVIN: "Actually, I did not win a million..."
SHLUBBY: "Yuk yuk...tough break! Well..."
KEVIN: "I won TWO million and change...heeeeere's your sign."
[/quote]
He has done Kevin's everywhere proud.

comicus · « **Reply #38 on:** January 22, 2007, 12:32:46 AM »

The aforementioned "Chunky D" is the absolute worst excuse for a comedian/warm-up guy I've ever seen or heard of. Ran afoul of him in 2002... as excruciating as an 8-hour long taping for one lousy episode of "Dog Eat Dog" was, his awful jokes and general rudeness to the audience were even worse. I damn near got up and left on more than one occasion... and I was being paid to sit there and watch!

TLEberle · « **Reply #39 on:** January 22, 2007, 12:39:42 AM »

[quote name=\'CountdownRound\' post=\'144150\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 09:32 PM\']The aforementioned "Chunky D" is the absolute worst excuse for a comedian/warm-up guy I've ever seen or heard of. Ran afoul of him in 2002... as excruciating as an 8-hour long taping for one lousy episode of "Dog Eat Dog" was, his awful jokes and general rudeness to the audience were even worse. I damn near got up and left on more than one occasion... and I was being paid to sit there and watch![/quote]I wish I could say I have trouble grasping the idea of a show like Dog Eat Dog taking eight hours to tape, but now...no I don't.

bricon · « **Reply #40 on:** January 22, 2007, 12:41:15 AM »

[quote name=\'davidhammett\' post=\'144106\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 06:25 PM\']
I'm hard-pressed to think of a show where he [John Cramer] has done the warm-up... it's always (usually?) just the announcing, and that's often done away from the taping itself. He certainly didn't do warm-up on "21", "Weakest Link" (where Randy had a yeoman's task at best for those epic tapings), or "Pyramid."
[/quote]

He did do the warmup on "The Hollywood Game" , as well as a pilot I worked on. He brought a bunch of trivia questions to work with. Nothing special.

clemon79 · « **Reply #41 on:** January 22, 2007, 12:46:53 AM »

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'144153\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 09:39 PM\']
I wish I could say I have trouble grasping the idea of a show like Dog Eat Dog taking eight hours to tape, but now...no I don't.
[/quote]
I never did. That was a damned lot of apparatus to drag in and out over the course of the show.

Win a Pile · « **Reply #42 on:** January 22, 2007, 03:43:17 AM »

[quote name=\'davidhammett\' post=\'144072\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 10:05 AM\']

Yes... Bob Perlow. I know for a fact that there are some who can't seem to get enough of his kind of humor, but don't count me in that batch. I ended up on the front row once and became one of his random targets; it was all I could do not to just slap the guy and/or leave. Eventually he was replaced with Tom Riles, a PA who was given a shot at warm-up and did much better IMHO (he has since done Ryan Seacrest's warm-up on his ill-fated show, and is now doing it for Ellen's show).
[/quote]

Wow, I actually think the reverse. Perlow's could be a little mean, but much more of a pro.

The best over the years: Gene Wood and his audience skits between shows.

The worst: Too many to mention, but Rich Fields is in there with his Game Show Marathon debacle.

mmb5 · « **Reply #43 on:** January 22, 2007, 08:07:21 AM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'144119\' date=\'Jan 21 2007, 07:48 PM\']
KEVIN: "I won on a little-known game show called 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'..."
SHLUBBY: "Oh, and did you win a million dollars, final answer, yuk yuk?!"
KEVIN: "Actually, I did not win a million..."
SHLUBBY: "Yuk yuk...tough break! Well..."
KEVIN: "I won TWO million and change...heeeeere's your sign."

(allegedly)
[/quote]

Allegedly, yes. Actually, no. I can't remember the exact words since I was laughing way too hard, but Kevin was incredibly gracious about it, as he always is. If he had went down the line, Ed Toutant and James Dinan were there too.

Randy, if it helps jog the memory, he did mention he had done road-work stand-up comedy, because he did mention (and trash) playing in a Detroit suburb, which did not help his standing with Kevin and me, since, you know, live in the Detroit area.

--Mike

colonial · « **Reply #44 on:** January 22, 2007, 11:27:52 AM »

Having organized the *Starface* taping trek (and I'm still apologizing, given, IMO, how bad the show was

), I'll try and add an extra cent.

IIRC, Kevin did note to the comic that Ed and I had appeared on game shows. I also made a brief comment that my wife (who also attended the taping) was with us as our groupie.

This was, BTW, the first time the Mrs. attended a TV taping. We went to see *The Tonight Show* the next day to make up for the *Starface* debacle.

In regards to the *DonnyMid* warmup guy -- I attended a Pyramid taping in 2002 -- Richard Jeni and Leeza Gibbons were the panelists -- and said warmup guy was pathetic. I was the only guy in the audience (not including family of contestants or crew) who wasn't paid to be there, and alleged "comic" spent most of his warmup handing out bags of M&Ms to contestants or asking a few of the paid audience members (some of whom had been there several times before) if they had any gigs or auditions coming up.

Finally he got to me.

COMIC: So, what's your name?
Me: James.
COMIC: Where you from?
Me: Just outside Washington, DC.
COMIC: Cool. What do you do.
Me: I work for the federal government.
COMIC: OK. What specifically do you do?
Me: If I told you, I'd then have to kill you.

He quickly moved to paid audience member #52 after that.

*2-Minute Drill* had a warm-up guy who did a weekend show on WFAN-AM called *Sports Rap*. He was a barrel-chested African-American gentleman who didn't look like he wanted to be there. He'd mumble something to an audience member, then move on for more of the same. True story: said warm-up guy passed away a few months after I taped the show from a heart attack.

Anyone hear of a guy who did warmups for Regis WWTBAM who called himself the *Q Man*? He was there when I taped that show, and he did all of three things...

1) Promote a cell phone commercial he filmed in Canada that he said "spoofed the Sopranos". Never saw that ad.
2) Promote that he does shows in Atlantic City. A fellow contestant worked at an AC casino, and openly contemplated running this guy over with his car if he saw him (Yikes!)
3) Had audience members sing TV theme songs. I remember one audience did a great performance of *Fresh Prince,* but the others were barely passable.

James