Was G/T a great place to work?

[cmjb13]

I always wondered about this.

Seems on the surface that it was a great place to work. Employees got treated well and lots of work.

Was it really like that, or was there bickering and backstabbing (like most companies today)

[Pyramid80]

I met a lady a few months ago who worked for Goodson/Todman.  She worked with them  from the mid 80's until the early 90's.  She said that she absolutely loved it and enjoyed working for GT.  She got to work on TPIR, TTTT, Classic Concentration.  She still communicates with former employees and in fact house sits for the widow of the set designer for most G/T shows.

[zachhoran]

Can you say what the name of the woman is? Also, is the set designer in question the late, great Ted Cooper?

I met Laura Schwab online two years ago. She wrote questions for PYL for the last year of its run(while in college at age 20), and her mom Fran worked on several shows including Lange NTT, PYL, and Perry CS.

[tvrandywest]

It all depends on who you ask!

Some people have the fondest memories of the work environment, the unprecedented job security, and the sense of \"family\" that developed over the years that brought them some of the best friends of their lives. Who wouldn't smile looking back on the big annual Christmas parties attended by many of the hosts - fun conversation, good food, Paul Alter playing piano, etc...

And then there are those who curse as they tell how they were screwed in one way or another. You can see their faces turn red as they rant about the outrageous situation they were in, under an SOB of a boss, unappreciated, and caught up in incredible politics.

Choose the stories you like and believe what you want. After all, television is all an illusion  ;-)


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[Robair]

I'm not sure if this can be chronicled as an accurate portrayal, but after seeing Phil Gurin on the set of \"Lingo\" screaming at PAs and swearing like a stevedore, could be the most nerve-wracking thing in Hollywood is to tape a game show. And as Randy alluded to, you might get a different opinion if you were to ask Allan Sherman and Allen Ludden the same thing (not that you could, but if you could). But G-T paid for an awful lot of nice homes and fancy jewelry...but money isn't everything. Medical problems are.

[chris319]

One's G-T employment experience had a lot to do with whom one worked with/for. If you worked for Ira Skutch, Bobby Sherman, Paul Alter, Mimi O'Brien or Ted Cooper, you were working for bright, talented, level-headed professionals who were secure in their abilities. Others at G-T, emcees and contestant coordinators included, were not as pleasant to work with.

The theme that resonated throughout the company was that the quality of our shows was of paramount importance, down to the last detail. Preparation and quality control were given high priority. Everyone was expected to know their role and to get it right the first time. This accounts for why our tapings went so smoothly compared to the chaos Robair described on the set of Lingo. People at the networks didn't seem to like us very well, perhaps because we were so demanding, though we gave a lot of them a lot of work.

Thanks to the bright, talented people working there, innovation was in abundant supply, whether it be for a new show, a pricing game for TPIR, or some technological gimmick Ted Cooper wanted to work into a set. Unfortunately nepotism was in almost equally abundant supply.

Chris, why all the curiosity and questions about G-T lately?

[cmjb13]

Chris, why all the curiosity and questions about G-T lately?

I try to ask questions I haven't seen asked before or I don't know the answers to.

Often, they just pop in my head and I ask them.

Nothing more than that.

[melman1]

chris319, you mention Ira Skutch.  I've been watching the MG repeats recently (yes, I know they've been on forever) and they never fail to make me smile.

Everything about that show - the regular panelists, the semi-regular panelists, the pacing of the game, the music, Johnny Olson, and of course Rayburn himself - always seemed to \"click\", finding that perfect balance of being silly without getting out of hand.  The panelists and Gene always seemed genuinely happy for the contestants.

The 70's weren't our greatest decade, but audiences were polite (no screaming or hooting) back then, and the show was always in good taste - coming right up to the line but never crossing it.  Contestants always looked a little bit embarrassed when the obvious \"blank\" was something like \"tinkle\".

Anyway, since I have never seen any tell-all stories about MG, I assume the working environment there was completely professional.  And other than Dawson's departure, nothing of note ever really happened?

I am a relative newbie to these boards so if this has been asked and answered a zillion times before, please be kind.

[chris319]

Ira Skutch is the best, most astute producer I've ever worked with in a lot of years in television. He and Bobby knew exactly what kind of material worked best for Match Game. Other than certain panelists enjoying a delightful beverage during the lunch break, the environment on MG was thoroughly professional. And as you observed, audiences didn't whoop like a flock of drunken hoot owls.

To fully appreciate the importance of having the right producer for Match Game, try watching a few episodes of MG 98. That said, this should not become a thread about what was wrong with MG 98.

[cmjb13]

Speaking of Ira Skutch, Steve Beverly will be posting an interview with him in conjunction with the MG Marathon.

[tvrandywest]

I remember seeing Ira as far back as Ed McMahon's \"Snap Judgement\". Besides the unanimous agreement that he was a great producer, in his final years Gene Rayburn spoke well of Ira.

Beyond their working relationship, Gene and Ira renewed their friendship when Gene moved to LA in the late 1990s. Gene pulled no punches in talking about people with whom he did not share a pleasant relationship. It gives even more credibility to Gene's praise of Ira as both a broadcaster and a friend.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[cmjb13]

I remember seeing Ira as far back as Ed McMahon's \"Snap Judgement\"

According to imdb.com, this was from the late 60's.

Geez, Randy how old are you?

And for those searching for Randy's work on imdb.com, be careful to search for Randy West (II).

Otherwise, you'll get work from, ahem, the other Randy West.

[tvrandywest]

When she was pregnant with me, mom sat atop a monitor in 8G. That's how I remember the show  ;-p

I never mentioned this 'cause I never thought anyone would care. My Dad had an interesting job for the City of New York that required him to visit all the theatrical venues in midtown. Although like all of our parents he tried to discourage my early interest in the industry, he would take me along on some of the NBC and Ed Sullivan Theatre visits. Unbeknownst to him, I would use his good name with studio employees to return on other occasions and sit in audiences (roam the vacant studios, attend Tonight Show rehearsals, etc.) despite being well underage. As the only kid in the audience I was often singled out by the announcers who did warm-up, which only encouraged me to return. That was how I first met Johnny O who was an important part of my life for many subsequent years.

Still awake?

As the San Fernando Valley is the porn capital of the universe, the other Randy West is a neighbor of mine; I get great service calling for cabs and pizza. One local bank teller called her supervisor thinking I was trying to cash his checks!

I don't know how IMDB gets updated, but when I was last sent a link it was terribly sketchy. I would appreciate somebody copying my website resume and sending it. You can add some VO work for Jimmy Kimmel last week. In exchange, I'll call your name to \"come on down\" in studio 33. No, not during the show!   ;-)


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Jul 20 2003, 02:04 PM\']Ira Skutch is the best, most astute producer I've ever worked with in a lot of years in television. He and Bobby knew exactly what kind of material worked best for Match Game. Other than certain panelists enjoying a delightful beverage during the lunch break, the environment on MG was thoroughly professional. And as you observed, audiences didn't whoop like a flock of drunken hoot owls.

To fully appreciate the importance of having the right producer for Match Game, try watching a few episodes of MG 98. That said, this should not become a thread about what was wrong with MG 98.[/quote]
And I won't turn this thread into one.  But it should also be noted that Ira was also a pretty good director, having directed BLOCKBUSTERS among other shows.  So not only did he have a good mind for gameplay, he had a good visual sense of how a show should look on screen.  If I'm not mistaken, did he not have to have three cameras on at once during \"Gold Run\" (one for the clock [which was not Chyroned], one for the contestant and one for the game board)?

That's why I marvel at the work that directors do.  Making sure the home viewer sees the proper thing at the proper time while adding a little bit of stylization can sometimes be underappreciated.  Count me among those who appreciate their work.

Doug

[joshg]

Ira Skutch is the best, most astute producer I've ever worked with in a lot of years in television.

If you can find a copy, I highly recommend Ira's book that he wrote in the late 80's. Great first accounts of the early GT stuff (plus a 'Match Game' mention here and there...)

JOSH

P.S. Makes a great birthday gift!