Which game show most suited the announcer?

[BillCullen1]

Gene was basically a freelance announcer who worked mostly for G-T. When Johnny O died, Gene for all intents and purposes became the voice of Mark Goodson Productions. Right up until FF went off with Dawson in '95, Gene was quite busy. He basically did WLoD because of his friendship with Bert Convy, but hey, it helped to pay his bills.

As for game shows that fit the announcer, here's my Top 5

Johnny Olson - TPIR
Gene Wood - FF
Jay Stewart - LMAD
Rod Roddy - PYL
Don Pardo - Jeopardy

[tvmitch]

[quote name=\'wdm1219inpenna\' post=\'214074\' date=\'Apr 25 2009, 08:21 PM\']
Rich Jeffries, who I did not see mentioned, was like nails on a blackboard to me.  I disliked him during the first few weeks on Super Password, and on Rafferty's Blockbusters too.  His voice was just too nasally or shrill somehow.  He sounds like a very nice guy, but as announcers go, just not up to snuff.
[/quote]
I agree with the discussion thus far but wanted to second this opinion in particular. I didn't mind Rich Jeffries on Blockbusters because I think his voice was more "in key" with the BB theme song than SP. On SP, he was absolutely dreadful those first couple weeks.

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'LetsGoMets2003\' post=\'214105\' date=\'Apr 26 2009, 11:13 AM\']
I feel bad for Gene in that PiR intro - he was kind of robotic when saying "you are the first four contestants..."
[/quote]
The result of following up Johnny O, who was nearly as identified with Price as Barker at that point.

If you look through the G-T roster of shows in the 1970s, I would think they were assigned based on their different strengths.  Johnny was probably better at at shows that needed a livelier audience, Gene was better at doing the rapid fee plugs at the tail end of shows.  I suspect, as the decade went along, Johnny had all the work he wanted (this was a 70-year-old man still working at Price; Gene was semi-retired by that age).

This is (I think) a roster of the shows shot in California from 1971 until Johnny died:

Password -- John Harlan, Johnny was still based in NYC
Price -- Johnny
I've Got a Secret -- Johnny
Match Game -- Johnny
Tattletales -- Jack Clark, then Gene -- maybe G-T didn't want Jack doing their show and Dealer's Choice simultaneously, and Gene took over after Beat the Clock expired
Now You See It -- Johnny
Showoffs -- Gene
Family Feud -- Gene
Double Dare -- Johnny, then Gene
The Better Sex -- Gene
Card Sharks -- Gene
Password Plus -- Gene
Mindreaders -- Johnny (maybe because it was a comedy game?)
Blockbusters -- Bob Hilton (by this time, Gene was doing 20 shows a week)
Tattletales '82 -- Johnny (anybody know why?)
Child's Play -- Gene
Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour -- Gene
Body Language -- Johnny
Super Password -- Rich Jeffries, then Gene

[Jimmy Owen]

Johnny O also handled Narz Concentration, which I think was taped at KTTV, so he was doing Price, Match and NYSI in 1974-75 simultaneously.

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' post=\'214199\' date=\'Apr 27 2009, 04:20 PM\']
The result of following up Johnny O, who was nearly as identified with Price as Barker at that point.

If you look through the G-T roster of shows in the 1970s, I would think they were assigned based on their different strengths.  Johnny was probably better at at shows that needed a livelier audience, Gene was better at doing the rapid fee plugs at the tail end of shows.  I suspect, as the decade went along, Johnny had all the work he wanted (this was a 70-year-old man still working at Price; Gene was semi-retired by that age)... [/quote]
Much of this is answered in the definitive Johnny O bio which is at the publisher for what is promised to be a summer release. In brief, Goodson realized that the streamlined TPiR format being prepped for 1972 was so copy intensive that it needed Johnny who was already planning his retirement. He was reticent to relocate to LA, but did so with his wife's blessing, under the assumption that it would, like most shows, probably not run more than a few years. Once in LA he started with IGAS while Price was still in pre-production. The subsequent  "assignments" were more about availability and taping schedules than any other single factor.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[BillCullen1]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'214222\' date=\'Apr 27 2009, 08:38 PM\']
Johnny O also handled Narz Concentration, which I think was taped at KTTV, so he was doing Price, Match and NYSI in 1974-75 simultaneously.
[/quote]

With Concentration, Johnny O was doing four shows between April 1974 and June 1975. This was BEFORE Price became a 60-minute show. I saw Johnny O at TPIR, MG and Concentration in 1975. I had no idea he was that old, but he definitely didn't act his age mentally. He was a bundle of energy. I guess in 1977 Double Dare was a bit much for him with three other shows, the 60-minute Price being one of them.

Concentration did indeed tape at KTTV. I even whispered the answer of one of the puzzles to Johnny. "Complaint department." He was impressed. I was 16 at the time.

[gaubster2]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'214249\' date=\'Apr 27 2009, 08:20 PM\']
[quote name=\'calliaume\' post=\'214199\' date=\'Apr 27 2009, 04:20 PM\']
The result of following up Johnny O, who was nearly as identified with Price as Barker at that point.

If you look through the G-T roster of shows in the 1970s, I would think they were assigned based on their different strengths.  Johnny was probably better at at shows that needed a livelier audience, Gene was better at doing the rapid fee plugs at the tail end of shows.  I suspect, as the decade went along, Johnny had all the work he wanted (this was a 70-year-old man still working at Price; Gene was semi-retired by that age)... [/quote]
Much of this is answered in the definitive Johnny O bio which is at the publisher for what is promised to be a summer release. In brief, Goodson realized that the streamlined TPiR format being prepped for 1972 was so copy intensive that it needed Johnny who was already planning his retirement. He was reticent to relocate to LA, but did so with his wife's blessing, under the assumption that it would, like most shows, probably not run more than a few years. Once in LA he started with IGAS while Price was still in pre-production. The subsequent  "assignments" were more about availability and taping schedules than any other single factor.

Randy
tvrandywest.com
[/quote]

Now I'm really intrigued!  While I was only 14 when he passed away, I've always enjoyed Johnny's announcing immensely.  Is this bio going to be solely on Johnny's life and career?  With all due respect, I find it difficult to imagine that there would be much of a demand for a tome such as this.  That being said, I will buy it as soon as I'm able to.

Chris

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'gaubster2\' post=\'214279\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 08:49 AM\']
Now I'm really intrigued!  While I was only 14 when he passed away, I've always enjoyed Johnny's announcing immensely.  Is this bio going to be solely on Johnny's life and career?  With all due respect, I find it difficult to imagine that there would be much of a demand for a tome such as this.  That being said, I will buy it as soon as I'm able to.
[/quote]
It all started as an article for Emmy magazine, as a labor of love to the guy who inspired my life's work and started me in the business. But because of Johnny's extensive personal writings and the goodwill of the dozens of his co-workers and his surviving relatives who really encouraged me and provided pieces of the puzzle, it became a history of broadcasting as Johnny lived it.

Johnny's career paralleled the development of broadcasting - he was there at the birth of network radio, working for NBC's Red and Blue Networks, CBS and the infant ABC. He hosted a very early experimental television show in 1944, emceed one of the first daily simulcast (radio and TV) programs, was the star of America's very first daytime network entertainment show. He sang on network radio and hosted a dozen early TV shows, working for all four TV nets, before he was there for the birth of Goodson-Todman's empire, the blacklist, and the game show scandals. And before you enjoyed his TV announcing Johnny toured the country as a big band singer, and even starred in a feature film and appeared on Broadway!

Working from his oral and written memoirs we go behind-the-scenes of all of it, as he experienced it. And from personal interviews with Mark Goodson, Gene Rayburn, Bob Barker, Roger Dobkowitz, Barbara Hunter, etc., and the crews at TV City, as well as his old scripts and personal photos it's a total history of broadcasting as he lived it... even some of the scandals that involved his friends and co-workers - including Garry Moore's battle with a CBS exec and IGAS' Allen Sherman's tragic decent into alcoholism.

And for those who want to know more about the birth of TPiR, the funny moments on the set, and want to see some of the scripts for the funny showcases that Johnny appeared in, with his personal markings and notes (with Fremantle's permission), there's all that cool stuff, too.

You're right - it will never be a mass- appeal best-seller and it won't make me rich. But that isn't the motivation   ;-)

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[BillCullen1]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'214286\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 01:22 PM\']
And for those who want to know more about the birth of TPiR, the funny moments on the set, and want to see some of the scripts for the funny showcases that Johnny appeared in, with his personal markings and notes (with Fremantle's permission), there's all that cool stuff, too.

You're right - it will never be a mass- appeal best-seller and it won't make me rich. But that isn't the motivation   ;-)

Randy
tvrandywest.com
[/quote]

Count me as another person who will buy this book. I'll buy and read this over Barker's book anyday. Do we have a release date for it? I'm looking forward to this and Chris Mann's book about TPIR.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'214276\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 10:13 AM\']I guess in 1977 Double Dare was a bit much for him with three other shows, the 60-minute Price being one of them.[/quote]What exactly does this mean?

[BillCullen1]

[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'214308\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 05:54 PM\']
[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'214276\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 10:13 AM\']I guess in 1977 Double Dare was a bit much for him with three other shows, the 60-minute Price being one of them.[/quote]What exactly does this mean?
[/quote]

Johnny O was doing TPIR, MG and Concentration along with Trebek's DD in 1977. Even though it was done in Studio 33 like TPIR and MG, it was probably a bit much and maybe Johnny wanted to lighten his work load. That might be why Gene Wood became the announcer for DD.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'214310\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 05:06 PM\']it was probably a bit much and maybe Johnny wanted to lighten his work load. [/quote]Oh, OK.  I thought you meant something more serious happened.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'214288\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 12:41 PM\']
[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'214286\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 01:22 PM\']
And for those who want to know more about the birth of TPiR, the funny moments on the set, and want to see some of the scripts for the funny showcases that Johnny appeared in, with his personal markings and notes (with Fremantle's permission), there's all that cool stuff, too.

You're right - it will never be a mass- appeal best-seller and it won't make me rich. But that isn't the motivation   ;-)

Randy
tvrandywest.com
[/quote]

Count me as another person who will buy this book. [/quote]

I would, too.  It'd be nice to have a book signing as well.

[gaubster2]

[quote name=\'tvrandywest\' post=\'214286\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 10:22 AM\']
[quote name=\'gaubster2\' post=\'214279\' date=\'Apr 28 2009, 08:49 AM\']
Now I'm really intrigued!  While I was only 14 when he passed away, I've always enjoyed Johnny's announcing immensely.  Is this bio going to be solely on Johnny's life and career?  With all due respect, I find it difficult to imagine that there would be much of a demand for a tome such as this.  That being said, I will buy it as soon as I'm able to.
[/quote]
It all started as an article for Emmy magazine, as a labor of love to the guy who inspired my life's work and started me in the business. But because of Johnny's extensive personal writings and the goodwill of the dozens of his co-workers and his surviving relatives who really encouraged me and provided pieces of the puzzle, it became a history of broadcasting as Johnny lived it.


You're right - it will never be a mass- appeal best-seller and it won't make me rich. But that isn't the motivation   ;-)

Randy
tvrandywest.com
[/quote]

Randy, I WILL buy this book as soon it is available.  I'm assuming that you played a very major role in collating together the information for the book and for that, I thank you.  Your website is a very nice tribute to the man (who by all accounts was a terrific human being).  I'm sure Johnny would have been honored to have you carry on his legacy.  Once you can, please let us know when the book will become available and if we can place pre-orders.  Again, thank you, for providing us an opportunity to get to know more about Johnny, the history of television and radio, and more anecdotes about TPIR.

Chris

[Jamey Greek]

EoTVGS stated that Johnny Gilbert did serve as interim announcer on TPIR after Johnny O died.  Is this true or not?  If it's not.  Then he would have been a good fit after Johnny O.