Author Topic: Game Show Mt. Rushmore (Read 7257 times)

edholland83 · « **on:** December 23, 2003, 10:02:23 PM »

Sometimes it seems that everyone has an opinion on who the best game show host ever was or is, so if you were to pick the four best game show hosts, who would they be and why?

Here's mine:

Bob Barker - Of course, his longevity in television in an age where Johnny Carson was forced into early retirement before he even reached 70.

Bill Cullen - He was able to carry a clunker past 13 weeks, and he was able adapt to any format ranging from TPIR to Password to Joker's Wild.

Allen Ludden - From what I have watched of him which was mainly Password, he added an intelligent spin to the shows he hosted without be condescending on camera like Trebek is.

Gene Rayburn - His abilty to control what could have been thought of as uncontrollable celebs while being able to still have fun and play a game is what makes him one of my four choices.

clemon79 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 23, 2003, 10:09:14 PM »

[quote name=\'edholland83\' date=\'Dec 23 2003, 08:02 PM\'] Sometimes it seems that everyone has an opinion on who the best game show host ever was or is, so if you were to pick the four best game show hosts, who would they be and why?
[/quote]
I'd replace Rayburn with Trebek. Why? Versatility. Rayburn had ONE hit show (granted, what a hit it was!). Trebek not only filled in shoes that many thought were impossible to fill in Art Fleming's, but had success with High Rollers and Concentration, and displayed flexibility in hosting a one-shot stint of WOF, as well as TTTT and Battlestars.

(Yes, I know Rayburn did other shows, such as the guest shots on Tattletales. But he's primarily known for Match Game 7x.)

One might make the same argument for Ludden, but I would point out that Password was the show that made the transition from "quiz show", a phrase made distasteful because of the scandals, to "game show", and for that he should be recognized.

JayC · « **Reply #2 on:** December 23, 2003, 10:11:12 PM »

For once, I have to agree with Chris. Barker, Cullen, Trebeck, Ludden

whampyl03 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 23, 2003, 10:32:30 PM »

My top 4.

1. Gene Rayburn
2. Bill Cullen
3. Tom Kennedy
4. Allen Ludden

clemon79 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 23, 2003, 10:36:59 PM »

[quote name=\'whampyl03\' date=\'Dec 23 2003, 08:32 PM\'] My top 4.

1. Gene Rayburn
2. Bill Cullen
3. Tom Kennedy
4. Allen Ludden [/quote]
Leaving Barker off? That takes balls. What's your reasoning?

whampyl03 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 23, 2003, 10:45:51 PM »

Quote

Leaving Barker off? That takes balls. What's your reasoning?

Well, please don't get me wrong, I think ol' Bob is great. (Actually if this was a top 10 list, he'd be number 6.) However, I think there were a few better hosts than Bob Barker. I don't hate his hosting style, I just think there were 5 hosts that were better than him. I grade purely on who's hosting style I like better; Longevity (Something that Bob has a lot of; Case in point, 3 decades on "Price".) doesn't make much of a dent in my final list.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #6 on:** December 23, 2003, 11:09:56 PM »

My choices are the same as the original poster. However, Mt. Rushmore has the curious choice of Theodore Roosevelt, perhaps as a nod to his recency, when they could have had Madison, Monroe, Jackson or McKinley. So I would consider the Roosevelt spot a wild card slot. The faces on the mount don't necessarily have to be the four best game show hosts.

Starkman · « **Reply #7 on:** December 23, 2003, 11:45:07 PM »

Cullen (The overall Dean of game shows)

Ludden (The one who made game shows out of discarded quiz shows)

Barker (over 30 seasons on TPIR, nuff said)

Tom Kennedy (Mr. Versatility, from celeb games, to NTT, To hard quizzers he handled it all)

Winkfan · « **Reply #8 on:** December 23, 2003, 11:58:30 PM »

I'd also go with Geno; my other three choices are.....

Wink Martindale (need you ask why?)
Alex Trebek
Dick Clark

Alternates: Richard Dawson, Jim Lange, Bob Eubanks, Bud Collyer, and 'the two Peters' -- Marshall and Tomarken. Oh, and George DeWitt, too!

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Rita Hayes of the Big Board!'

Dbacksfan12 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 24, 2003, 01:17:30 AM »

[quote name=\'edholland83\' date=\'Dec 23 2003, 10:02 PM\'] Sometimes it seems that everyone has an opinion on who the best game show host ever was or is, so if you were to pick the four best game show hosts, who would they be and why?

Here's mine:

Bob Barker - Of course, his longevity in television in an age where Johnny Carson was forced into early retirement before he even reached 70.

Bill Cullen - He was able to carry a clunker past 13 weeks, and he was able adapt to any format ranging from TPIR to Password to Joker's Wild.

Allen Ludden - From what I have watched of him which was mainly Password, he added an intelligent spin to the shows he hosted without be condescending on camera like Trebek is.

Gene Rayburn - His abilty to control what could have been thought of as uncontrollable celebs while being able to still have fun and play a game is what makes him one of my four choices. [/quote]
Very interesting question.

My four would be:
Tom Kennedy, Bob Barker, Mike Stokey, and Jim Peck...

ilb4ever2000 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 24, 2003, 01:59:39 AM »

My choices:

J.D. Roth
Pat Finn
Patrick Wayne
Sonny Fox

inturnaround · « **Reply #11 on:** December 24, 2003, 06:32:22 AM »

What about Chuck Barris in the Teddy Roosevelt spot? Like TR, Barris was a maverick who marched to the beat of his own drummer. Not only that, but Barris was the only person I can think of to somehow conquer the game show world, but then to make two movies and a few books about them.

There's no way you can have a game show Mount Rushmore without Bill Cullen. I don't even think I have to say why he belongs. For the purposes of the Mount Rushmore analogy, he is our George Washington.

I have to agree with Chris Lemon and what he said about Allen Ludden. He's our Abraham Lincoln, keeping the union together at all costs.

Alex Trebek is so good that he's taken for granted. His career has spanned over 35 years and he has shown his versatility with very different formats. CC to TTTT to J!? Those shows are nothing alike and yet he does it with such a quiet competence. I'm not surprised that people were surprised when he was first mentioned as a candidate, but he most certainly belongs. By default, he is the Thomas Jefferson...which I don't think fits, but hey, this is the game show Rushmore.

DrBear · « **Reply #12 on:** December 24, 2003, 08:36:27 AM »

I think we've all been going for hosts; if that's the case, Chucky Baby doesn't get on there.

Now, if you were doing a producer Mt. Rushmore...

Mark Goodson
Merrill Heater
Chuck Barris

OK, who's your fourth?
Michael Davies (for Millionaire?)
Monty Hall?
Merv Griffin?

And the big question - if this were built, would ProfSteve call it a gameument?

Starkman · « **Reply #13 on:** December 24, 2003, 09:51:32 AM »

LOL actually if we were making a kids game show mt rushmore (you know one of the lil plastic models they hawk at the bottom of the hill) JD roth probs would be up there just cuz of his longevity in the genre.

If we did a kids game show Mt Gamesmore

it would probs be

Mark Summers (need I explain)
JD Roth (For fun house and it's great antics that lasted 3 years and was an institution)
Greg Lee (proved you can have a kids game show be entertaining and high rated without slop)
Summer Sanders (Brought the panel show to the kiddies, and if it wasnt for crappy panelists and production decisions, it probs would have lasted longer)

clemon79 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 24, 2003, 11:25:23 AM »

[quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'Dec 24 2003, 06:36 AM\'] OK, who's your fourth?
Michael Davies (for Millionaire?)
Monty Hall?
Merv Griffin?
[/quote]
Gotta be Griffin. The man created (or was alleged to have created) two shows that have run a combined 55+ years.

Author Topic: Game Show Mt. Rushmore (Read 7257 times)

edholland83

JayC

whampyl03

whampyl03

Starkman

Starkman