Lynn Swann wasn't that bad...

[DrBear]

So I'm sitting there with the wife, watching TTTT90 on GSN, and she turns to me and says she likes the host, Lynn Swann.
Oh? say I.
Yes, she says. He gets along well with the panel and does a good job.
Oh? say I again, not mentioning that Lynn didn't last that long on the show, although I do mention that he got moved over when Gordon Elliott had to leave.

Which led me to watch Swann a bit more. He's no Garry Moore, but he's a lot better than, say, Wally Bruner. I couldn't see him on a show that requires more host action, but I'm not sure he didn't get a bad rap on TTTT. Maybe the ratings weren't up there, but they weren't up there for a lot of reasons (time slot, unknown panelists, so on).

So why the firing of Swann? Have I missed something?

[Tim L]

I dont think Swann was fired as much as Alex Trebek becoming available..Therefore going with the bigger game show host name.  In watching many of the Swann episodes I agree he was'nt so bad..He mostly moved the game along..In all fairness TTTT was a relatively easy show to host.  Swann did an acceptable job under the circumstances..On another related note, I've gotten to enjoy Ron Masak as a panelist..I've seen him on Murder She Wrote.  I like the fact he seems like a "regular guy"..rather than an actor, some of which can be full of themselves.

Tim Lones

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Tim L\' date=\'Jun 15 2005, 12:02 PM\']On another related note, I've gotten to enjoy Ron Masak as a panelist..I've seen him on Murder She Wrote.  I like the fact he seems like a "regular guy"..rather than an actor, some of which can be full of themselves.
[/quote]
Off-topic, but there's a great episode of "Cheap Seats" on ESPN Classic where they eviscerate the a celebrity fishing event (read: excuse to write off a trip to hawaii) hosted by Steve Garvey. Ron Masak is in it.

It's worth seeing.

[Jimmy Owen]

I was happy to see Lynn get the chance.  I kept waiting for him to return to the panel after Alex come on board, but it never happened.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Tim L\' date=\'Jun 15 2005, 02:02 PM\']In watching many of the Swann episodes I agree he was'nt so bad..He mostly moved the game along..In all fairness TTTT was a relatively easy show to host.  Swann did an acceptable job under the circumstances..
Tim Lones

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Yes, Tim, I agree that he did an acceptable job. Perhaps if the show had debuted with him as the host, I might have upgraded him from acceptable to OK or even good. It's just that we went from Gordon to Lynn in one go so there was considerable come-down (for me) when that abrupt switch was made. Lynn didn't even appear on the panel after Alex took over, did he?

[Neumms]

Swann was no Jim Lange, that's for sure.

[The Pyramids]

Who you think did a better job of the two replacement hosts of that year, Swan or Ross Shaffer? I say Ross rose to the occasion more on what was a more diffacult hosting job.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'PaulD\' date=\'Jun 16 2005, 07:40 AM\']Who you think did a better job of the two replacement hosts of that year, Swan or Ross Shaffer? I say Ross rose to the occasion more on what was a more diffacult hosting job.

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You left out Bob Hilton, Pat Finn and Patrick Wayne. And of those three I preferred Pat Finn. He was a victim of format. A "definitive" victim.

[MikeK]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jun 16 2005, 09:47 AM\']You left out Bob Hilton, Pat Finn and Patrick Wayne. And of those three I preferred Pat Finn.[/quote]
That's like asking if you'd prefer being shot by a firing squad, lethally injected, or given the electric chair.

Given Don's additional candidates, I'd agree with Mr. Finn.  At least Finn got another game show gig after '91.  Nobody will ever confuse Finn with Barker or Trebek, but he was significantly better on STYD than on TJW.

[xibit777]

Finn does a nice job of hosting the California Lottery's game show "The Big Spin".  Granted, the host doesn't have to do much on that show, he looks and acts professional and doesn't bring the show down.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'xibit777\' date=\'Jun 16 2005, 01:50 PM\']Finn does a nice job of hosting the California Lottery's game show "The Big Spin".  Granted, the host doesn't have to do much on that show, he looks and acts professional and doesn't bring the show down.

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I hear that the announcer's pretty good too (of course, that's all second-hand knowledge since I don't live in California).  

Doug

[xibit777]

Of course!  hehe   Too bad we don't get to hear much of the announcer when watching the show.

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'xibit777\' date=\'Jun 16 2005, 01:50 PM\']Finn does a nice job of hosting the California Lottery's game show "The Big Spin".  Granted, the host doesn't have to do much on that show, he looks and acts professional and doesn't bring the show down.

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I'll tell Patt how he was paid the ultimate compliment - that he makes it look easy. Making conversation and helping the home audience "get to know" people who would never make it past the guard gate at a contestant audition is the toughest task for a host. Some of the players on BIG SPIN can't put together a simple sentence and just stare at the host when asked "What will you do with the money"? And those are the ones who speak English!

The ability to draw out some personality, likeability and humor from someone not pre-rehearsed with their pre-interview gold nuggets printed on a 3 by 5 card is part of what makes Barker one of the best hosts ever.

I hear that the announcer's pretty good too (of course, that's all second-hand knowledge since I don't live in California). 
Doug

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Doug, you show amazing knowledge into all things broadcasting by having such on-target insight into programming you haven't even seen. Print this post and present it for a free drink or three in Atlantic City this summer  ;-)


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[xibit777]

I've never really thought about it that way.  But you're right, many of the contestants that make it on the show don't look like game show fans.  They're just normal people who played a few (or a ton) of lottery tickets and won their way to make some money without ever being on TV (and just happened to win their way to TV by accident)

I guess it would be hard to make those people look good on TV, but Pat does a really nice job.   What I meant by how it looked like he didn't have to do much is because there are only 2 or 3 games and minus the contestants, they do the exact same thing every show.   Usually play a run of Aces High, do a couple of Fantasy 5 Dream Machines, maybe 1 automatic spin the wheel person.  Then that's it.  

Pat's co-host is very good as well.  I think they make a nice combo.  She's got a great personality and always appears happy and glad to be there.

(by the way, sometimes I send in Fantasy 5 coupons so maybe if I'm reallllllly lucky I will get to meet you one day.  haha)   Doesn't seem that far fetched with the amount of repeat players they have on the Fantasy 5 part of the show.  I'm hoping that because there are so many repeat players, maybe the odds aren't impossible to get on.   Or it could be that these people win all this money the first time, then end up spending all they won to buy more tickets and get on the show again.  lol!!

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'hmtriplecrown\' date=\'Jun 16 2005, 09:16 AM\'][quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jun 16 2005, 09:47 AM\']You left out Bob Hilton, Pat Finn and Patrick Wayne. And of those three I preferred Pat Finn.[/quote]
That's like asking if you'd prefer being shot by a firing squad, lethally injected, or given the electric chair.
[/quote]
How about the ol' noose?

Pat Finn did respectably, in most aspects, except the final reveal of the price. "That Wallace Silversmith's Chafing Dish is......SEVEN NINETY TWO YOU WIN THE TRIP"