Bill Cullen had a 30-year career as a game show host. He was the go-to guy whenever a show was created and the producers weren't sure who'd be right to host. People knew that Cullen would show up and do the job. And he did. Did I mention that Cullen was stricken with polio at *18 months* and, although not paralyzed, had trouble walking his whole life? And that show sets were designed such that he didn't have to move much? And that despite not being able to serve in combat due to that, he trained pilots during WW2?
@@gameshows5973 He died in 1990. But I could’ve seen it like this: “So welcome to the hot seat. I guess you know why they call it the hot seat now. If you’re all ready to go and you’re to go, I’m ready to go. Here’s the first question coming. It’s valued at 100 bucks.”
I realize that at about 7:55, you mentioned "If [you] were to do a top 5 of shows that deserved a longer run in the states". Besides Wipeout, would you include The Weakest Link, and Why?
I'd give an honorable mention to Gene Rayburn for Break The Bank. He wasn't himself on the show and was part of the reason the bonus round was such a mess. The front game wasn't bad, and he wasn't horrible on there, but watching some of the Rayburn episodes on TH-cam, I found myself saying "C'mon already!" to the drag down pace he brought to the bonus game. Granted the stunts were, in some cases, too complex for a fast pace that the bonus game needed. It seemed that Gene just didn't fit in with this show. I don't even think age was a factor yet since this would debut in 1985, about a year after Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour was cancelled. It was just a wrong fit for the Match Game legend.
Good choice for #5.....Bill Cullen was a terrific and legendary host, but TJW was not a good fit. I could see someone like Jim Perry hosting, he's more adapted to fast paced shows......
+ahoneanatwo Or speaking of people named "Jim", Jim Peck. Whom Barry had wanted to be his successor when he planned to retire in 1984 before his untimely death...
+Andrew Schroy The story in the Bill Cullen biography "Quizmaster is that the production company people remaining after Jack Barry died wanted Jim Peck,. Indeed, Jack Barry had planned to retire anyway and he also wanted Peck to replace him. The first week back would feature Jack officially saying goodbye and turning the show over to Peck. But Barry died before the season began taping. CBS refused to buy the show for its owned & operated stations unless a "bigger name" was used. CBS and Dan Enright (Barry's partner) decided on Bill Cullen. CBS and Enright got their way, and the other Barry & Enright staffers left to form Klein & Friends, which later produced Break The Bank with Gene Rayburn and Strike It Rich with Joe Garagiola. Cullen's tenure lasted two years before a lack of station renewals for the 86-87 season forced Enright to stop production of the show.
Was Press Your Luck still going when they chose Cullen? Perhaps Peter Tomarken might have been a terrific fit. And was this the last show Cullen hosted before his death, or was it Hot Potato? Can't remember which one of those came first. If Potato, might explain why Enright wanted Cullen (Hot Potato was also Barry Enright).
Hot Potato was first, in 1983or 1984. The Joker's Wild featured Bill for the two syndicated season 1984 through 1986. Along with CBS's demand for a "big name" there was a general belief that you don't replace a host who dies with a younger person. So, Bill was on the short list. They liked his work on Hot Potato, so that helped him.
Yes. PYL ran until 1986. This was in 84. And Hot Potato was first, running on NBC from Jan-June 1984. Super Password essentially replaced it that September.
Pat Bullard on the 2001 Card Sharks... YIKES! Nightmare host!!! Clip chips? Give me a break! Jim Perry must've been thinking OH NO! He's ruining my show!!
I love learning about something tangentially related to something I know about. I'm all about 80's/early 90's tv, but I'm learning so much from you! please keep these coming. I'm officially hooked. also, I love that top. I do makeup and hair. message me if you ever wanna chat or want some suggestions. 💋💋
Just to point something out--Adriana Xenides actually left "Wheel" temporarily in November 1996 (some time before Barber's sacking), but returned about six months into Rob Elliott's run. She remained with the show until mid-1999, when she left for good.
+Tubewings I think the 2nd last barber show was when she left (could be wrong), cause I've seen Rob Elliot's first show and Carrie Friend said something about "I've only been here once before". Adriana sadly suffered from depression and anorexia for many years (why she left the show temporarily) and unfortunately she passed away a few years ago.
RE: Wipeout, be glad you never saw the board pre 2001 that was a very difficult to read yellow, and to be fair, by the end of the daytime run Bob was struggling with prostate cancer that would see him pass before the end of 2003.
As a HUGE fan of the late, great Bob Monkhouse normally I would be the first to complain about any criticism of the man himself, but you are right about his time on Wipeout. Most of that though was out of his control. When the BBC decided to revamp Wipeout from a primetime show to a daytime show it naturally meant a lower budget and it would also mean that Paul Daniels leaving the show as he didn't want to be doing his "thing" in a daytime slot - the same went for Bruce Forsyth in the late 90s when they moved The Price Is Right from primetime on Monday evenings to early evening on a Saturday, which led to a huge blow-out between Bruce and ITV Executive David Liddiment. ITV acquiesced which led to Bruce's final series of Play Your Cards Right but the damage was done and Bruce left for the BBC. Anyway, Bob Monkhouse wasn't averse to doing a daytime show, indeed a daytime show without an audience - a hard thing fora top-rate comedian. The speed of the show slowed down so that there were only two grids in the first round. The ascending prize money levels of £10, £20, £30...up to £110 for a correct answer was reduced to a flat £50 per correct answer. Only the winning contestant got to keep any money they'd accrued whereas every contestant kept the money they'd earned in the primetime version. The end game became the same as the US version where previously the contestant had to press squares on a pad which illuminated the main gameboard, and as you rightly pointed out the star prize went from a pre-determined holiday anywhere worldwide to a holiday of the contestant's choice in Europe. What the most annoying thing about Bob's run is that, as you pointed out, he revealed whether the answer was right or wrong before it was revealed on the gameboard - this was probably because Bob was an extremely knowledagble man but it totally took away any tension the game could build up, and if anything made him look a bit too much of a know-it-all. Having said that Bob did five series of Wipeout compared with Paul Daniels' four and would have done a sixth series had he not succumbed to the prostate cancer which, on hindsight, you could see was slowing him down, as he'd still been quite sparky in his first couple of series. Not only that, Wipeout with Bob got the best ratings for any daytime programme by a considerable distance.
On Aussie "Wheel of Fortune", the year after the version with Steve Oemcke was cancelled, they ended up bringing in Larry Emdur as host, who had shortly beforehand lost his job as host of "The Price is Right". Considering the nature of that show, and the amount of time he hosted for, is it any wonder his tenure on WOF was short-lived?
I think Tony Barber originally hosted "Family Feud" down under for a couple of years before getting the job on "Sale of the Century". He actually also hosted "Jeopardy!" for a bit in 1993, but that was too short-lived. Ratings are what did that show in.
+bluebear1985 I forgot to put in family feud which he did in the 1980's he is a gameshow legend in Australia I loved him doing sotc this was his show I loved him running on stage with many of his co hosts which were beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!
TheBundychick82 I like SOTC myself, although I wish it would have lasted longer with Jim Perry as host. Six and a half years is nothing to sneeze at though.
I got put off watching wheel of fortune when Tony Barber hosted I loved him doing sale of the century and the short lived Jeopardy which went for one season I even loved when john burgess hosted wof his chemistry with Adriana worked I started watching it again when rob Elliot took over in 1997 which he did a great job I was surprised that was number one well done to this list Robert thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom was wonderful. He was congenial with contestants and kept the show moving as it should. He didn't have Bob Barker's abilities to draw humor out of people or build suspense, but very few hosts can like Bob or Art Linkletter.
kinda like how Bill Rafferty when he did the 1987 version of Blockbusters on NBC, no wonder why the show was cancelled in 4 months on NBC, but i gave credit of him being very funny, but wished he was a tad stronger with question reading with the Gold Run bonus round
If Wheel UK had problems with host replacement, it's going to be interesting what in the US happens when Pat Sajak retires in a few years (if not sooner)--no idea if Vanna would stay.
I doubt it would be that much of a hassle. Pat's retirement will be met with much fanfare and there will be a smooth transition from host to host, unlike the transition from Nicky to Bradley or from John Leslie to Paul Hendy.
John Davidson completely sucked on the 1991 $100,000 Pyramid.Should've had Dick Clark hosting again, although he was hosting The Challengers.He could have saved his old show.Oh,well!
Jim Peck was screwed over again. They should’ve made him the replacement host for Jack Barry. Bill was a bad fit although he was better at Hot Potato earlier in the year
Hey. I liked Kirk Fogg and Bill Cullen on the Jokers Wild. Now, Robert you are correct about the cheapness of the Joker's Wild, but when gave away those AMC Eagle Wagons, they were at the time, the most luxurious and priciest prizes given away on the show, priced@ $12,500.
A week from Christmas in 1992 was Mark Goodson's death at age 77. Sterling Holloway was 10 years older than Mark Goodson and his death was less than a month from Mark Goodson's. Sterling Holloway was 87 when he passed away.
I honestly didn't think Kirk Fogg was that bad on Legends of the Hidden Temple.
Bill Cullen had a 30-year career as a game show host. He was the go-to guy whenever a show was created and the producers weren't sure who'd be right to host. People knew that Cullen would show up and do the job. And he did.
Did I mention that Cullen was stricken with polio at *18 months* and, although not paralyzed, had trouble walking his whole life? And that show sets were designed such that he didn't have to move much? And that despite not being able to serve in combat due to that, he trained pilots during WW2?
Cullen was the first choice to host Millionaire.
@@gameshows5973 He died in 1990.
But I could’ve seen it like this:
“So welcome to the hot seat. I guess you know why they call it the hot seat now. If you’re all ready to go and you’re to go, I’m ready to go. Here’s the first question coming.
It’s valued at 100 bucks.”
I realize that at about 7:55, you mentioned "If [you] were to do a top 5 of shows that deserved a longer run in the states". Besides Wipeout, would you include The Weakest Link, and Why?
Peanut butter and nitro? Well, you know, dynamite IS made from peanuts, so maybe that's not such a bad combo...
Love Trebek!
“Dumb son of a bitch. You don’t watch this 24 hours a day...”
🤣
R.I.P.
I'd give an honorable mention to Gene Rayburn for Break The Bank. He wasn't himself on the show and was part of the reason the bonus round was such a mess. The front game wasn't bad, and he wasn't horrible on there, but watching some of the Rayburn episodes on TH-cam, I found myself saying "C'mon already!" to the drag down pace he brought to the bonus game. Granted the stunts were, in some cases, too complex for a fast pace that the bonus game needed. It seemed that Gene just didn't fit in with this show. I don't even think age was a factor yet since this would debut in 1985, about a year after Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour was cancelled. It was just a wrong fit for the Match Game legend.
Your grandma called. She's gonna need her shirt and wig back.
Good choice for #5.....Bill Cullen was a terrific and legendary host, but TJW was not a good fit. I could see someone like Jim Perry hosting, he's more adapted to fast paced shows......
+ahoneanatwo Or speaking of people named "Jim", Jim Peck. Whom Barry had wanted to be his successor when he planned to retire in 1984 before his untimely death...
+Andrew Schroy The story in the Bill Cullen biography "Quizmaster is that the production company people remaining after Jack Barry died wanted Jim Peck,. Indeed, Jack Barry had planned to retire anyway and he also wanted Peck to replace him. The first week back would feature Jack officially saying goodbye and turning the show over to Peck. But Barry died before the season began taping. CBS refused to buy the show for its owned & operated stations unless a "bigger name" was used. CBS and Dan Enright (Barry's partner) decided on Bill Cullen. CBS and Enright got their way, and the other Barry & Enright staffers left to form Klein & Friends, which later produced Break The Bank with Gene Rayburn and Strike It Rich with Joe Garagiola. Cullen's tenure lasted two years before a lack of station renewals for the 86-87 season forced Enright to stop production of the show.
Was Press Your Luck still going when they chose Cullen? Perhaps Peter Tomarken might have been a terrific fit.
And was this the last show Cullen hosted before his death, or was it Hot Potato? Can't remember which one of those came first. If Potato, might explain why Enright wanted Cullen (Hot Potato was also Barry Enright).
Hot Potato was first, in 1983or 1984. The Joker's Wild featured Bill for the two syndicated season 1984 through 1986. Along with CBS's demand for a "big name" there was a general belief that you don't replace a host who dies with a younger person. So, Bill was on the short list. They liked his work on Hot Potato, so that helped him.
Yes. PYL ran until 1986. This was in 84. And Hot Potato was first, running on NBC from Jan-June 1984. Super Password essentially replaced it that September.
Pat Bullard on the 2001 Card Sharks... YIKES! Nightmare host!!! Clip chips? Give me a break! Jim Perry must've been thinking OH NO! He's ruining my show!!
16:40 That's actually about a 30° angle. If the wheel had been tilted 90°, it would be standing straight up.
I love learning about something tangentially related to something I know about. I'm all about 80's/early 90's tv, but I'm learning so much from you! please keep these coming. I'm officially hooked.
also, I love that top. I do makeup and hair. message me if you ever wanna chat or want some suggestions. 💋💋
Just to point something out--Adriana Xenides actually left "Wheel" temporarily in November 1996 (some time before Barber's sacking), but returned about six months into Rob Elliott's run. She remained with the show until mid-1999, when she left for good.
+Tubewings I think the 2nd last barber show was when she left (could be wrong), cause I've seen Rob Elliot's first show and Carrie Friend said something about "I've only been here once before". Adriana sadly suffered from depression and anorexia for many years (why she left the show temporarily) and unfortunately she passed away a few years ago.
RE: Wipeout, be glad you never saw the board pre 2001 that was a very difficult to read yellow, and to be fair, by the end of the daytime run Bob was struggling with prostate cancer that would see him pass before the end of 2003.
As a HUGE fan of the late, great Bob Monkhouse normally I would be the first to complain about any criticism of the man himself, but you are right about his time on Wipeout.
Most of that though was out of his control.
When the BBC decided to revamp Wipeout from a primetime show to a daytime show it naturally meant a lower budget and it would also mean that Paul Daniels leaving the show as he didn't want to be doing his "thing" in a daytime slot - the same went for Bruce Forsyth in the late 90s when they moved The Price Is Right from primetime on Monday evenings to early evening on a Saturday, which led to a huge blow-out between Bruce and ITV Executive David Liddiment. ITV acquiesced which led to Bruce's final series of Play Your Cards Right but the damage was done and Bruce left for the BBC. Anyway, Bob Monkhouse wasn't averse to doing a daytime show, indeed a daytime show without an audience - a hard thing fora top-rate comedian. The speed of the show slowed down so that there were only two grids in the first round. The ascending prize money levels of £10, £20, £30...up to £110 for a correct answer was reduced to a flat £50 per correct answer. Only the winning contestant got to keep any money they'd accrued whereas every contestant kept the money they'd earned in the primetime version. The end game became the same as the US version where previously the contestant had to press squares on a pad which illuminated the main gameboard, and as you rightly pointed out the star prize went from a pre-determined holiday anywhere worldwide to a holiday of the contestant's choice in Europe. What the most annoying thing about Bob's run is that, as you pointed out, he revealed whether the answer was right or wrong before it was revealed on the gameboard - this was probably because Bob was an extremely knowledagble man but it totally took away any tension the game could build up, and if anything made him look a bit too much of a know-it-all.
Having said that Bob did five series of Wipeout compared with Paul Daniels' four and would have done a sixth series had he not succumbed to the prostate cancer which, on hindsight, you could see was slowing him down, as he'd still been quite sparky in his first couple of series. Not only that, Wipeout with Bob got the best ratings for any daytime programme by a considerable distance.
For number 4, you should’ve just said “I already wrote an induction on this. You can read it.”
I was thinking about Todd Newton and Whammy!
a better answer would be Todd Newton/Solitary
Perpetually Pissed no because Solitary sucks and Whammy was a revamped version of Press Your Luck
Re: Bob Monkhouse on Wipeout. Apparently his version ran for 5 years so I guess he wasn't that bad, huh?
"This is the end of Game Show Garbage as a whole."
Yeah, okay, Mick Jagger. :P
On Aussie "Wheel of Fortune", the year after the version with Steve Oemcke was cancelled, they ended up bringing in Larry Emdur as host, who had shortly beforehand lost his job as host of "The Price is Right". Considering the nature of that show, and the amount of time he hosted for, is it any wonder his tenure on WOF was short-lived?
I think Tony Barber originally hosted "Family Feud" down under for a couple of years before getting the job on "Sale of the Century". He actually also hosted "Jeopardy!" for a bit in 1993, but that was too short-lived. Ratings are what did that show in.
+bluebear1985 I forgot to put in family feud which he did in the 1980's he is a gameshow legend in Australia I loved him doing sotc this was his show I loved him running on stage with many of his co hosts which were beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!
TheBundychick82 I like SOTC myself, although I wish it would have lasted longer with Jim Perry as host. Six and a half years is nothing to sneeze at though.
I got put off watching wheel of fortune when Tony Barber hosted I loved him doing sale of the century and the short lived Jeopardy which went for one season I even loved when john burgess hosted wof his chemistry with Adriana worked I started watching it again when rob Elliot took over in 1997 which he did a great job I was surprised that was number one well done to this list Robert thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thoughts on Tom Kennedy hosting TPiR?
Doesn't count since Tom only hosted the nighttime version, and he was their only host.
I thought Tom did a really good job!
Tom was wonderful. He was congenial with contestants and kept the show moving as it should. He didn't have Bob Barker's abilities to draw humor out of people or build suspense, but very few hosts can like Bob or Art Linkletter.
@@SaskRider2 I read that Tom said that TPIR was the hardest show to host.He thought that Bob made it look so easy.
I think you're better off going back to wearing that pink striped shirt. Rarity would not approve of that top, darling.
kinda like how Bill Rafferty when he did the 1987 version of Blockbusters on NBC, no wonder why the show was cancelled in 4 months on NBC, but i gave credit of him being very funny, but wished he was a tad stronger with question reading with the Gold Run bonus round
How about Rolf Bernichke
Here's a fun fact: Bradley Walsh would later go on to host The Chase.
If Wheel UK had problems with host replacement, it's going to be interesting what in the US happens when Pat Sajak retires in a few years (if not sooner)--no idea if Vanna would stay.
I doubt it would be that much of a hassle. Pat's retirement will be met with much fanfare and there will be a smooth transition from host to host, unlike the transition from Nicky to Bradley or from John Leslie to Paul Hendy.
GameShowGarbage John Leslie was better host for wheel of fortune
And Walsh now hosting the chase and keep it in the family
Gregory Pearsoll Todd Newton could host Wheel if Pat decides to retire.
Personally I would have had Nick Weir replacing Roy Walker as the host of Catchphrase in the top five, but good list nonetheless.
remember the list was good host/good show. Nick Weir was not a good host. so it didn't qualify.
John Davidson completely sucked on the 1991 $100,000 Pyramid.Should've had Dick Clark hosting again, although he was hosting The Challengers.He could have saved his old show.Oh,well!
Ross Shafer on Match Game...Pa-the-tic!!
Rember you said that Bradly Walsh is a worse wheel of fortune host than a CRIMAL
Jim Peck was screwed over again. They should’ve made him the replacement host for Jack Barry. Bill was a bad fit although he was better at Hot Potato earlier in the year
I consider Alex Trebek the best host of To Tell The Truth, with John O'Hurley a close 2nd. The worse hosts of 5T are Lynn Swann and Anthony Anderson!
16:40 *THIS.*
Come Play Phone Jeopardy!
Wheel of Fortune UK was one of my favourite shows. I loved Jenny Powell and Nick Campbell was a solid host.
Josh leslie and jenny powell
Good point about Bob Monkhouse. A legend should know when to hang it up; I wish Kobe Bryant learned that lesson.
I thought Richard Dawson on the New Family Feud would Definitely be #1
R.I.P Paul Daniels
+Anthony Barratt Looks like all 3 Wipeout hosts are gone, Peter Tomarken, Paul Daniels, and Bob Monkhouse.
Bill Engvall was a bad host for Lingo and Carmen Electra on Singled Out is second worst host.
I agree with the number 1 decision.
Hey. I liked Kirk Fogg and Bill Cullen on the Jokers Wild. Now, Robert you are correct about the cheapness of the Joker's Wild, but when gave away those AMC Eagle Wagons, they were at the time, the most luxurious and priciest prizes given away on the show, priced@ $12,500.
I thought mark Goodson passed in 96
Nope-- you're four years off. :D
A week from Christmas in 1992 was Mark Goodson's death at age 77. Sterling Holloway was 10 years older than Mark Goodson and his death was less than a month from Mark Goodson's. Sterling Holloway was 87 when he passed away.
Yep. I think I remember the episode of TPIR where Bob Barker announced Goodson's passing at the end.
I love Alex Trebek, but he was horrible on Battlestars.
so Bradley Walsh is the UK version of Rolf Berneske then ???...got it. ..
+allan kelly Nah... that honor goes to Paul Hendy. Benirschke didn't try to be as loud and obnoxious as Walsh was.
+Andrew Schroy what about John Lesley he did wheel of fortune UK.
Yes he was arrested bit he was a great host
+Andrew Schroy what about John lelsey, Bradley left the show so he was replaced he was my favourite host of wheel of fortune
+Andrew Schroy what about John lelsey, Bradley left the show so he was replaced he was my favourite host of wheel of fortune
+Anthony Barratt I don't consider John to be a crappy host... or even in general (save for Scavengers).
Love Peter Tomarken, but Wipeout was too cheap and too simpleton for TV.
So, did anyone else notice that the GSG dude is inexplicably wearing a dress? Why?
+Tim Mischka I came out as trans back in August.
Oh, didn't know that- sorry.
GameShowGarbage No such thing.
Doug Davidson..he was TERRIBLE as Price is Right 1994 host.
He was okay. But the rules of the 94 version was bad. Especially when the showcase showdown round was replaced by the one-bid round.