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The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: SamJ93 on March 19, 2023, 12:33:59 PM

Title: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: SamJ93 on March 19, 2023, 12:33:59 PM
I thought about this while randomly looking for info on what happened to Moira Quirk, the referee/scorekeeper on Nickelodeon GUTS. She went on to be a fairly prolific voice actress and award-winning audiobook narrator.

That's still showbiz-related, though, so not really too big of a switch. But are there other examples like, say, Geoff Edwards (who became a prolific travel writer/blogger after game shows dried up) of personalities who went into something nearly completely unrelated?
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: Mr. Matté on March 19, 2023, 01:03:41 PM
Dylan Lane after his first stint on GSN Chain Reaction went on to become a wind turbine engineer, before going back into the same show many years later.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: johnnya2k3 on March 19, 2023, 01:42:29 PM
After many years of hosting the California Lottery’s Big Spin, Maiquel Alejo moved lock, stock, and barrel to Miami where she’s now a luxury realtor:
https://youtu.be/Wj-X5GKd1VE
https://www.onesothebysrealty.com/agents/87292-maiquel-alejo
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: SuperMatch93 on March 19, 2023, 01:43:18 PM
Peter Tomarken went into realty as well after his game show career ended.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: MikeK on March 19, 2023, 02:02:27 PM
How about this for a diverse life?  David Sparks started as a professor, then went to TV, and is now the President of his own health institute, all per LinkedIn.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: Casey on March 19, 2023, 02:24:51 PM
I think Blake Pickett is a photographer now, but I'd suggest her career after Fandango and Top Card has been....  interesting.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: BrandonFG on March 19, 2023, 02:28:57 PM
Dunno if this counts because it was still technically game show-related, but Art James did corporate conferences later in life.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: RMF on March 19, 2023, 04:32:52 PM
Not sure it's most unusual per se, but that of Jeff MacGregor into journalism seems to be most thorough, to the point where I believe that the attached video is the most easily-accessible evidence that it is the same man:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VT-FchqfOk
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: colonial on March 19, 2023, 05:17:53 PM
Ty Treadway (Merv Griffin's Crosswords) is also a real estate agent -- owns an agency with his wife in Dallas ...

http://www.treadwayrealty.com/?aios_agent=ty-treadway


Skip Lackey (second host of Nick Arcade) is now a life coach, personal growth coach ... i.e. makes money telling people in conference rooms how to do better.

https://skiplackey.com/about-skip/
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: Chief-O on March 19, 2023, 06:21:05 PM
Skip Lackey (second host of Nick Arcade) is now a life coach, personal growth coach ... i.e. makes money telling people in conference rooms how to do better.

I believe Ross Shafer has also done life coaching in later years as well.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: MikeK on March 19, 2023, 06:21:30 PM
Not sure it's most unusual per se, but that of Jeff MacGregor into journalism seems to be most thorough, to the point where I believe that the attached video is the most easily-accessible evidence that it is the same man:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VT-FchqfOk
It has been mentioned in the print version and/or the online version of Smithsonian Magazine.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: golden-road on March 19, 2023, 10:14:20 PM
I think Blake Pickett is a photographer now, but I'd suggest her career after Fandango and Top Card has been....  interesting.

(Googles Blake Pickett)... welp, talk about your Fandango. 😳
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: BrandonFG on March 19, 2023, 10:49:15 PM
Skip Lackey (second host of Nick Arcade) is now a life coach, personal growth coach ... i.e. makes money telling people in conference rooms how to do better.

I believe Ross Shafer has also done life coaching in later years as well.
Add Pat Finn to the list. He owns a corporate consulting/coaching firm.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: gamed121683 on March 19, 2023, 11:12:29 PM
I believe Bob Eubanks also went the motivational speaker route, did he not?

Also, remember David Sidoni from Wheel 2000? Well, he's moved on to the world of real estate and even has his own podcast about it now called "How To Buy A Home".
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: Stackertosh on March 20, 2023, 02:33:57 AM
I don't know if this counts Todd Newton brief hosting on HSN in 2006.

Susan Stafford leaving wheel and B.A. in Nutrition and an M.A. in Clinical Psychology.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: tvwxman on March 20, 2023, 07:34:16 AM
Jim Peck, Marquette University anyone?

And Todd Newton went into real estate as well, in addition to part owning a (wait for it) tattoo parlor.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: Chief-O on March 20, 2023, 10:00:41 AM
Jim Peck, Marquette University anyone?

I did hear about him having an office job with MU. He did, however, stay in broadcasting: He hosted "I Remember" for Milwaukee PBS for many years, and also worked as a news anchor for WTMJ Radio.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: aaron sica on March 20, 2023, 10:30:07 AM
After many years of hosting the California Lottery’s Big Spin (with Geoff Edwards, Larry Anderson, and Pat Finn), Maiquel Alejo moved lock, stock, and barrel to Miami where she’s now a luxury realtor:
https://youtu.be/Wj-X5GKd1VE

Can you EVER reply without flexing? At this point, no one's impressed.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: PYLdude on March 20, 2023, 11:38:32 AM


Can you EVER reply without flexing? At this point, no one's impressed.


Especially when he edited his post to add it. It wasn’t in the original post.

And the post about the dude from Family Feud who killed someone was particularly gear grinding. Did I have to read three sentences’ worth of irrelevant info just to get to the link to the story?
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: BrandonFG on March 20, 2023, 01:04:53 PM
Especially when he edited his post to add it. It wasn’t in the original post.

And the post about the dude from Family Feud who killed someone was particularly gear grinding. Did I have to read three sentences’ worth of irrelevant info just to get to the link to the story?
That’s what he does unfortunately. Tries to connect two different things to force a correlation where it’s a coincidence at most.

Back to the thread, Jim Perry became an author, I believe on marriage or self-help.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: SuperMatch93 on March 20, 2023, 01:06:52 PM
Back to the thread, Jim Perry became an author, I believe on marriage or self-help.

He wrote two books on self-help, one of which didn't get released for several years after due to some issues with the publisher. I believe his wife opened a pottery business in North Carolina, where they eventually retired.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: PYLdude on March 20, 2023, 01:29:21 PM
Back to the thread, Jim Perry became an author, I believe on marriage or self-help.

He wrote two books on self-help, one of which didn't get released for several years after due to some issues with the publisher. I believe his wife opened a pottery business in North Carolina, where they eventually retired.

You’re correct. Although they eventually moved out to Oregon before Jim passed away.

June used to keep a blog, which she updated regularly until about 2017. Interesting read it was.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: PYLdude on March 20, 2023, 01:32:34 PM
Speaking of Sale (and sorry for double posting), this is sort of staying with showbiz, but after Jay Stewart left announcing he became a talent agent for a very brief period.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: TimK2003 on March 20, 2023, 02:54:03 PM
Didn't someone find out that Jim Perry and his wife owned  some sort of florist/nursery in the Carolinas shortly before he passed?
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: Adam Nedeff on March 20, 2023, 03:03:55 PM
Bill Rafferty was a Fox News correspondent for a hot second.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh5tq2Dwpu8

Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: DoItRockapella on March 20, 2023, 05:57:09 PM
Scott Rogowsky (of HQ Trivia fame) now owns a vintage clothing shop in Santa Monica.

https://www.lamag.com/lalifeandstyle/the-guy-who-hosted-hq-trivia-is-now-selling-shirts-in-santa-monica/


Skip Lackey (second host of Nick Arcade) is now a life coach, personal growth coach ... i.e. makes money telling people in conference rooms how to do better.

https://skiplackey.com/about-skip/

I think you have your Nickelodeon game shows mixed up here - Skip Lackey was the second host of Think Fast, not Nick Arcade.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: TimK2003 on March 20, 2023, 06:05:04 PM
And Jim MacKrell is currently a novelist, IIRC he writes stories based on the old west.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: calliaume on March 20, 2023, 09:18:29 PM
Jim Peck, Marquette University anyone?

I did hear about him having an office job with MU. He did, however, stay in broadcasting: He hosted "I Remember" for Milwaukee PBS for many years, and also worked as a news anchor for WTMJ Radio.
According to his Wikipedia bio, Jim's first job after graduating from Marquette was as an admissions counselor; he may have been there for six years before his broadcast career began. And he worked in PR and fundraising upon his return there, which probably took advantage of his skills in working with the public. (Marquette was one of my son's top choices for colleges--he got in and really liked the school, but got a better financial offer from DePaul, which he happily accepted. I was hoping against hope we'd run into him on the campus tour, but no such luck.)

The number of on-camera people switching to real estate doesn't surprise me; I have a college friend who anchored in local markets for close to 35 years and then made the same switch. Being a good speaker and presenter, as well as a face people trust, must help.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: Neumms on March 22, 2023, 05:48:25 PM
Jim Peck, Marquette University anyone?
I did hear about him having an office job with MU. He did, however, stay in broadcasting: He hosted "I Remember" for Milwaukee PBS for many years, and also worked as a news anchor for WTMJ Radio.
According to his Wikipedia bio, Jim's first job after graduating from Marquette was as an admissions counselor; he may have been there for six years before his broadcast career began. And he worked in PR and fundraising upon his return there, which probably took advantage of his skills in working with the public.

Jim Peck also hosted the local daytime chat show Twin Cities Today--precursor to Good Company, don't you know--for a short time between his ABC games and Divorce Court. I always thought, "wow, Channel 5 must be a big deal!"
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: chris319 on March 23, 2023, 04:40:42 PM
Veering away from on-camera talent:

Jay Wolpert arguably had more success as a screenwriter than as a game-show packager.

Paul Alter submitted a movie treatment to Disney which wound up in a lawsuit. His songwriting career never took off, though.

Ira Skutch had several books published.
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: steveleb on March 25, 2023, 09:31:58 PM
Pat Finn’s coaching work is with a group once known as Landmark Forum, quite popular with actors and actresses struggling in LA.  He credits it with allowing him the bandwidth to visualize his eventual success as a host.  I’ve attended these seminars, usually lower priced lures to get people to commit to more than intensive and expensive training.  There’s enormous pressure put on attendees to sign up for the later work and less competent people than Pat often use shaming to make people feel awful in the pious hope they’ll pony up.  I personally know several people who wound up jobless and homeless.  I’m not insinuating it’s a cult or that Pat himself is guilty, and plenty of people besides Pat swore by it,  Katherine Helmond from Soap and her husband were big shots in it and while they were coercive they were fair, but very intensely devoted to the organization.  To each their own, but I kinda wonder how they can justify their actions in some cases where vulnerable people are preyed upon for profit
Title: Re: Most unusual post-GS career switch
Post by: bulldog_06 on April 30, 2023, 10:09:04 PM
Veering away from on-camera talent:

Jay Wolpert arguably had more success as a screenwriter than as a game-show packager.

Paul Alter submitted a movie treatment to Disney which wound up in a lawsuit. His songwriting career never took off, though.

Ira Skutch had several books published.

That movie treatment happened to similar to "Honey I Blew Up The Kid."