What Is the Hardest Game Show to Emcee?

[chris319]

What is the hardest game show to emcee?

[Ian Wallis]

Any show in which the host has to do a lot of reading in a short period of time.  "Whew" comes to mind.  Tom Kennedy had to read each blooper quickly and clearly, and make sure the contestant had enough time to answer before the 60 seconds ran out.  That's a lot of pressure - but Tom did it very well.

"The Price is Right" also comes to mind - with over 70 pricing games being rotated, you have to know the rules to all of them and explain them to contestants that (in some cases) may not have even seen the game.

[Don Howard]

Split Second seems like a real toughie to be in command of. Keeping track of who was next to answer, making sure you don't give away the answer if someone is correct as one or two more contestants still have a shot at it. It's no wonder Tom was chosen to host Ian's example of Whew!
And I'll betcha Let's Make A Deal was no cakewalk, either. All those elements and options to the boxes and the curtains and the doors. Cue cards are a no-no because that would give it away to the player on the trading floor.

[Matt Ottinger]

According to legend, didn't Geoff Edwards have to memorize all of the dozens of possibilities in the boxes on The All-New Treasure Hunt?  That strikes me as being a difficult thing to do, and not a skill that you'd normally associate with game show hosts.  (Since our source for it would appear to be Barris himself, I also wonder whether it's entirely true...)

[chris319]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 8 2004, 07:50 AM\']According to legend, didn't Geoff Edwards have to memorize all of the dozens of possibilities in the boxes on The All-New Treasure Hunt?  That strikes me as being a difficult thing to do, and not a skill that you'd normally associate with game show hosts.  (Since our source for it would appear to be Barris himself, I also wonder whether it's entirely true...)

[snapback]60009[/snapback]

[/quote]It's been 20+ years since I last saw All-New Treasure Hunt, but as I recall the guard revealed the location of the $25,000 check at the end of the show and there were like 30 boxes. Perhaps one box contained the check and the other 29 contained the same prize, which would require Geoff to memorize only one routine per act (and the staff to have the same props in each of the 29 boxes). That seems a little more plausible to me than the tale Mr. Barris is telling.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 8 2004, 09:50 AM\']According to legend, didn't Geoff Edwards have to memorize all of the dozens of possibilities in the boxes on The All-New Treasure Hunt? 

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[/quote]
As I understand it, after the box was picked, there was a taping stop-down during which time Geoff was given the skit instructions for the box which was just selected. I don't see him having to memorize 66 teleplays for each show of a five-show taping every taping session...until he's awfully damn brilliant.

[jrjgames]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 8 2004, 09:50 AM\']According to legend, didn't Geoff Edwards have to memorize all of the dozens of possibilities in the boxes on The All-New Treasure Hunt?  That strikes me as being a difficult thing to do, and not a skill that you'd normally associate with game show hosts.  (Since our source for it would appear to be Barris himself, I also wonder whether it's entirely true...)

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[/quote]

Well the ones on TNTH werent all that elaborate...but the way it was explained to me was Geoff was briefed on all the stories, then after the lady picked the box, he would go backstage and theyd say "ok this is the one with the parrot and the pie and the check...etc" just to refresh him.

John

[Neumms]

"The Weakest Link" wouldn't be a cake walk. It requires both the fast, clear reading of Tom Kennedy and the wit that can carry a show, like that of Dawson or Rayburn. While Anne's question reading here could be criticized, on British shows she reads longer questions even faster.

"Twenty-One" seems hard, with how careful one would have to be not to give any verbal or facial hints to how the other contestant did. (As long as it's not being rigged, of course. Then the hard part is disavowing all knowledge of the rigging.)

Hosting "Tic Tac Dough" is apparently pretty rough, judging by some of the performances.

[Winkfan]

According to my on-line interview with Wayne Cox, he stated that Second Honeymoon was a hard hosting gig.

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Della Reese of the Big Board!'

[whewfan]

I can vouch for Whew! being difficult to host, when I did my own version about a year and a half ago.

There were a lot of rules to remember, and while I went thru the reading of the bloopers at a good clip, my biggest fear would be pull cards getting stuck or stumbling too much over the reading of the bloopers. Thankfully nothing like that happened, but there were some necessary edits here and there for other things.

Putting the show together was a lot of work too, renting the room, gathering several people with free schedules, and making sure I had enough bloopers for 2 full games and 2 Gauntlets.

I pretty much decided, in terms of my hosting style, that I wasn't going to try to emulate Tom Kennedy. Sure, I recited some of the rules the same way he did, but other than that I was trying to make Whew! my own show, while maintaining the same "feel" of the original.

[adamjk]

I'd have to say Jeopardy is hard to emcee, because you have to like on Whew read each clue quickly and clearly. Plus sometimes you need to be able to speak another language.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'Winkfan\' date=\'Oct 8 2004, 04:29 PM\']According to my on-line interview with Wayne Cox, he stated that Second Honeymoon was a hard hosting gig.
[/quote]

Maybe it was because he sucked as a host.

Of all the weatherfolk who got a chance to host a game show...he was the worst...

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'tvwxman\' date=\'Oct 8 2004, 08:12 PM\'][quote name=\'Winkfan\' date=\'Oct 8 2004, 04:29 PM\']According to my on-line interview with Wayne Cox, he stated that Second Honeymoon was a hard hosting gig.
[/quote]

Maybe it was because he sucked as a host.

Of all the weatherfolk who got a chance to host a game show...he was the worst...

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[/quote]
So when do we get to see you host Twentythird Honeymoon?

I'd have to say Jeopardy is hard to emcee, because you have to like on Whew read each clue quickly and clearly.

Jeopardy has no where near the time constrant Whew did.

[chris319]

Geoff was briefed on all the stories, then after the lady picked the box, he would go backstage and theyd say "ok this is the one with the parrot and the pie and the check...etc" just to refresh him.

This strikes me as a little odd. 30 boxes, right? That meant that for each taping they had to start with 29 sets of props (excluding the check), 29 sets of prize copy, 29 sets of flips, etc., then after the first game they had to start plugging in replacements for the played boxes. Three games per show times five shows per day times two taping days = 30 replacements, so you didn't walk into the studio without at least 59 "boxes" to give away. I suppose it's possible.

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'Dsmith\' date=\'Oct 9 2004, 01:18 AM\'][quote name=\'tvwxman\' date=\'Oct 8 2004, 08:12 PM\'][quote name=\'Winkfan\' date=\'Oct 8 2004, 04:29 PM\']According to my on-line interview with Wayne Cox, he stated that Second Honeymoon was a hard hosting gig.
[/quote]

Maybe it was because he sucked as a host.

Of all the weatherfolk who got a chance to host a game show...he was the worst...

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[/quote]
So when do we get to see you host Twentythird Honeymoon?

[/quote]

Haha...I should be so lucky!

Funny, my wife will complain from time to time about a "dumb" game show i'm watching...and my response every time is : "Yeah, but will you still think it's dumb when I get to host it in a few years? "

That silences her every time....