Author Topic: Wheel of Fortune ETHS. Next Sunday at 8. (Read 21899 times)

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #15 on:** January 18, 2005, 09:30:53 AM »

[quote name=\'Tim L\' date=\'Jan 18 2005, 01:14 AM\']A question I have to ask..with all the hosts they could have gotten for WOF in the first revival, why Rolf Benirschke? [/quote]

They were thinking ahead, and realized they needed at least one host that would later be willing to appear on an E! True Hollywood Story.

cmjb13 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 18, 2005, 09:33:48 AM »

I guess they'll mention Bob Goen in passing.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #17 on:** January 18, 2005, 09:49:52 AM »

[quote name=\'Tim L\' date=\'Jan 18 2005, 02:14 AM\']A question I have to ask..with all the hosts they could have gotten for WOF in the first revival, why Rolf Benirschke? This may have been gone over in the ATGS days but I never saw a WOF with him as host.[/quote]
The more-or-less serious answer is that Merv Griffin was fond of hiring unknowns, and he thought he had a knack for it. Truth is, sometimes he got lucky but more often he crapped out.

zachhoran · « **Reply #18 on:** January 18, 2005, 10:16:32 AM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jan 18 2005, 09:49 AM\'][quote name=\'Tim L\' date=\'Jan 18 2005, 02:14 AM\']A question I have to ask..with all the hosts they could have gotten for WOF in the first revival, why Rolf Benirschke? This may have been gone over in the ATGS days but I never saw a WOF with him as host.[/quote]
The more-or-less serious answer is that Merv Griffin was fond of hiring unknowns, and he thought he had a knack for it. Truth is, sometimes he got lucky but more often he crapped out.

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Trebek seems to be the one big exception, and Harry Eisenberg reported in his book Jeff McGregor(I assume the same guy from the 80s Dating Game) was originally under consideration to host the J! revival.

J.R. · « **Reply #19 on:** January 18, 2005, 04:17:07 PM »

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Jan 18 2005, 12:55 AM\'][quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Jan 17 2005, 08:45 PM\']

Quote

Will Joe Raygor be making a cameo along side?

LOL...in all seriousness, I could see Joe offering some commentary on the Rolf era, much like Marc Green did on the TPiR THS. :-)

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

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So could I, Chuck, so could I. He's quite an expert on the "Rolf Years".

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You will all be hearing my attorney very shortly...

-Joe R.

sshuffield70 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 18, 2005, 04:56:31 PM »

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jan 18 2005, 09:49 AM\'][quote name=\'Tim L\' date=\'Jan 18 2005, 02:14 AM\']A question I have to ask..with all the hosts they could have gotten for WOF in the first revival, why Rolf Benirschke? This may have been gone over in the ATGS days but I never saw a WOF with him as host.[/quote]
The more-or-less serious answer is that Merv Griffin was fond of hiring unknowns, and he thought he had a knack for it. Truth is, sometimes he got lucky but more often he crapped out.

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Benirschke.....
Reilly......

Martindale (oh no wait! Good host, bad show........)

tyshaun1 · « **Reply #21 on:** January 18, 2005, 06:16:54 PM »

[quote name=\'sshuffield70\' date=\'Jan 18 2005, 04:56 PM\']Benirschke.....
Reilly......

Martindale (oh no wait! Good host, bad show........)

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Merv had nothing to do with Martindale or Headline Chasers; Wink created that himself, but since Merv and King World had an previous agreement, Merv's company was forced into helping with the production. In fact, according to some previous posts, Merv hated HC, Wink in turn hated Merv, and they fell out.

A similar situation supposedly happened with Monopoly, but that's another story.

The Pyramids · « **Reply #22 on:** January 18, 2005, 06:26:01 PM »

Forgett 'Desperate Housewife's' this week. I am really looking forward to it.

tmq800 · « **Reply #23 on:** January 18, 2005, 07:43:07 PM »

My predictions on what will be covered on Sunday's Wheel THS:

Vanna's miscarriage, and her birth two years later to Nicholas, and three years later to Giovanna.

Vanna having to break the news about her fiancee John's death to his parents.

Vanna and George getting a divorce, after George is forced to sleep in the guestroom (from a National Enquirer headline).

Vanna possibly leaving Wheel when her contract expires in a few years.

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #24 on:** January 18, 2005, 10:52:01 PM »

[quote name=\'tyshaun1\' date=\'Jan 18 2005, 07:16 PM\']Merv had nothing to do with Martindale or Headline Chasers; Wink created that himself, but since Merv and King World had an previous agreement, Merv's company was forced into helping with the production. In fact, according to some previous posts, Merv hated HC, Wink in turn hated Merv, and they fell out.[/quote]
It should surprise precisely no one that the story comes out differently in Wink's autobiography. He tells of having to get Merv's "final say" in order to work with KingWorld, and tells of their first meeting:

"Literally two minutes into the presentation, Merv got up, moved to the arm of my chair and said to me, 'Wink, this isn't just another game show -- this is a very important game show!' "

Wink also credits Merv for changing the name from his original The Front Page. One paragraph later, Wink and his short-attention-span style of writing has moved past HC's cancellation and on to the next show.

JasonA1 · « **Reply #25 on:** January 18, 2005, 11:11:03 PM »

I feel it's worth throwing out since I haven't heard much of the book in these circles: some of Bob Eubanks' book is the same way. I absolutely loved it, from the radio stuff to concert promotion, but it's obvious what Bob wanted to talk about more. Some game shows get little ink surprisingly, but it's probably due to Bob's choice of wanting "good stories" for each show. For some, I guess there weren't too many distinct memories.

-Jason

Matt Ottinger · « **Reply #26 on:** January 19, 2005, 09:50:13 AM »

[quote name=\'JasonA1\' date=\'Jan 19 2005, 12:11 AM\']I feel it's worth throwing out since I haven't heard much of the book in these circles: some of Bob Eubanks' book is the same way. I absolutely loved it, from the radio stuff to concert promotion, but it's obvious what Bob wanted to talk about more. Some game shows get little ink surprisingly, but it's probably due to Bob's choice of wanting "good stories" for each show. For some, I guess there weren't too many distinct memories.[/quote]
We're drifting further and further from the original topic, but since this comment probably doesn't deserve a thread of its own and relates to the recent turn, I'll stick it in here.

I'd heard that Dick Enberg's new autobiography Oh, My! was going to have a chapter devoted to his game show exploits. Not true, sports fans. Like so many others who've had game shows in their past, Dick glosses over his game show resume. He barely even has a page about Sports Challenge, a show he did on and off for a decade and which featured some of the greatest sports legends of all time. Seems like there ought to have been some stories there. And the only specific thing he has to say about any of his traditional games is that he got to keep some of his wardrobe from Baffle.

whewfan · « **Reply #27 on:** January 19, 2005, 10:19:23 AM »

Not many people knew who Chuck Woolery was either when he was hired to do Wheel.

I would dare say that Amazing Jonathan was an obscurity when Merv hired him to host Ruckus. (clears throat)

I'll bet they'll get Chuck to do some commentary on the show, and there's plenty of interview footage. Chuck has never said an ill word about Wheel, at least in public.

Veering a little off topic, would anyone here still like to see Chuck hosting Wheel for one special week, or at least for the April Fools show? I mean, it probably will NEVER happen (then again, who ever thought Peter would host Squares again, even if it was for one show, and who ever thought Monty would still surface on the LMAD revival).

Tim L · « **Reply #28 on:** January 19, 2005, 10:53:47 AM »

[quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'Jan 19 2005, 10:19 AM\']Not many people knew who Chuck Woolery was either when he was hired to do Wheel.

I would dare say that Amazing Jonathan was an obscurity when Merv hired him to host Ruckus. (clears throat)

I'll bet they'll get Chuck to do some commentary on the show, and there's plenty of interview footage. Chuck has never said an ill word about Wheel, at least in public.

Veering a little off topic, would anyone here still like to see Chuck hosting Wheel for one special week, or at least for the April Fools show? I mean, it probably will NEVER happen (then again, who ever thought Peter would host Squares again, even if it was for one show, and who ever thought Monty would still surface on the LMAD revival).

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Not so much a matter of being unknown..Woolery at least had a few TV appearances before WOF..and Trebek was already known as a Game Show Host in Canada brfore Wizard of Odds. but Benirschke was a San Diego Chargers Kicker with NO previous TV experience. According to the ImDB (which at times is known for inaccuracy) The only other time Rolf appears on TV is on ESPN's "SportsCentury"talking about the 1981 Dolphins-Chargers playoff game.

cmjb13 · « **Reply #29 on:** January 19, 2005, 11:11:33 AM »

E!'s description:

http://www.eonline.com/On/Holly/Shows/Whee...tune/index.html