Cedric Doesn't Want to Be a Millionaire Host

[chad1m]

Deadline has reported that Cedric "The Entertainer" won't be coming for a second season of hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The show is moving production to Connecticut and he didn't find it feasible to come along for the ride.

I gave him a few months as host and tried to enjoy him, but I really couldn't. Granted, they can always find someone "worse" but I'm curious to see who will fill the role.

Update: A possible successor is apparently Terry Crews. Alright, then.

[TLEberle]

I gave him a few months as host and tried to enjoy him, but I really couldn't. Granted, they can always find someone "worse" but I'm curious to see who will fill the role.

What did he do/not do that you didn't like?

[chad1m]

What did he do/not do that you didn't like?

I felt like he forced the comedy ahead of the game. I didn't think his personality meshed with the kind of show he's on and his attempts to inject humor took away from the game. One moment that really was the "that's it" point for me was him "hurrying up" a contestant just to make a joke (video at the bottom). I may be blowing out of proportion but re-watching it months later, it's how I feel. I think it's a microcosm of the bigger picture with him.

[PYLdude]

Isn't the joke you're blowing out of proportion (and you are) a stereotypical game show host joke? Pretty sure you'd see that anywhere.

[PYLdude]

Re: Ced leaving.

I was VERY critical of the idea of having Cedric take over. Because even though I did enjoy some of his work, I felt he was way out of his element.

Sure, he had some blips along the way. But let me say this, I feel he has done an admirable job as host. He proved me wrong. And even if he wasn't as polished as could be, I didn't feel he did anything to take away from the show. And I'm not just saying that because I was on the show with him. Cedric brought his own style to the proceedings and even if you didn't enjoy it, you have to admit that nothing was lost.

Although I do have to imagine, with this being the third straight year of changing taping locations and hosts, it's gonna wear on people. Which sucks because I thought the Rando-Quiz format did inject some life back intothe show that the clock era really sapped from it.

[BrandonFG]

If there's anything to remember, it's that Family Feud has somehow remained on the air for 15 years with four hosts. Then again, that's a different style of show, and it hasn't radically changed its format, except for the scoring.

I'd like to see them go back to having a host with news chops, but if Cedric kept ratings solid, I guess that's the route they're taking. I know Terry Crews has been the go-to guy for a lot of stuff (three sitcoms in the last 10 years and a few movie roles), and I like his work on some of those shows, but I'm not so sure here. I get that the days of "traditional" hosts are more or less over, but this seems more like reaching for whatever random name is big right now.

ETA: I agree with Chris...that was more of a game show throwaway line. I immediately thought of John Davidson on Hollywood Squares joking that it was only a half-hour show...

[cyclone45]

Isn't the joke you're blowing out of proportion (and you are) a stereotypical game show host joke? Pretty sure you'd see that anywhere.

This...He would have been better suited for a show like Family Feud. Millionaire is more pressure packed.

[PYLdude]

Isn't the joke you're blowing out of proportion (and you are) a stereotypical game show host joke? Pretty sure you'd see that anywhere.

This...He would have been better suited for a show like Family Feud. Millionaire is more pressure packed.

Um...I said Cedric did a decent job. So you're not actually agreeing with me.

[PYLdude]

ETA: I agree with Chris...that was more of a game show throwaway line. I immediately thought of John Davidson on Hollywood Squares joking that it was only a half-hour show...

I'm pretty sure I've seen Pat Sajak say something like that too. But it's not like Cedric said anything that was out of the ordinary.

If I noticed anything other than this guy's freezing (like I did using both of my jumps) it was how much he looked like Ced. As a matter of fact, I thought he was upon first glance.

[BrandonFG]

I was confused for a second too. Looking at the screenshot, I actually asked myself when did Ced lose weight. :-P

[JakeT]

I know it shouldn't matter but Cedric wearing the hat bothers me...and please don't Steve Beverly-me but I'm also kinda bugged by a host who doesn't actually use a last name...just is kinda weird to me...

Pity...Cedric no longer wants to "entertain" Millionaire viewers...<ducking>

JakeT

[cmjb13]

Feud kept being renewed because it's dirt cheap to produce even when it reached low level ratings. Probably the same reason why this show is still around long after it should have been gone.

CT isn't really that far from NY so I can't take his explanation at face value.

a production-base in Connecticut would make it quite difficult to maneuver the many moving parts on my plate

It's not like they are moving the show cross country. I can't help but think a pay cut was involved in some way and he said no thanks.

In theory, hiring Cedric should have saved millions of dollars because I can't see them paying him anywhere near what they were paying Meridith.

[colonial]

Connecticut is one of many states trying to lure TV shows and films from NYC/LA with tax breaks and the like.  A few years back, NBC Universal moved several of its syndie shows to Connecticut (daytime DOND, Povich, Springer, Wilkos). 

Cedric was brought to WWTBAM to give an aging show a boost.  Steve Harvey helped bring FF to new heights, so why not hire a similar performer to do the same with WWTBAM?  Unfortunately, these are a two very different series, and Cedric never seemed a proper fit.  Ratings have been flat compared to the last Vieira season, and the show is getting less than half the overall ratings that FF, WOF and J! get.

Cedric got canned, plain and simple, and both he and the show put a "positive spin" on the development by describing the split as amicable.

JD

[BillCullen1]

Cedric got canned, plain and simple, and both he and the show put a "positive spin" on the development by describing the split as amicable.

JD   

Do you know this for sure? Regardless of whether Cedric quit or was canned, if I were the producer, I'd be calling Al Roker and Tom Bergeron, who both live on the East Coast, and try to lure one of them for the job.

[PYLdude]

I love how the conspiracy theories are starting already.

If he was canned, don't you think they would've made that decision earlier, not right up against the start of audition season? And I have an extremely hard time believing a pay cut was the reason.

The whole idea that it shouldn't matter the location is particularly misleading too. Not very many planes serve Connecticut from California, so that is problem one. Second, I don't know how much of this day Cedric was a part of, but a Millionaire production day can last up to eleven hours, if not more, and starts early. Throw in commuting time to and from the studio, and you can certainly see why this might not be the most optimal arrangement. Because he basically has to use the NYC airports for more frequent service and would have to go to and from there to CT either way.