Author Topic: "Hot Potato" pilot (Read 5400 times)

Adam Nedeff · « **on:** May 11, 2009, 03:46:18 PM »

A few days ago, somebody left a comment on one of my YouTube videos, a Bill Cullen obituary file that the Magnificent Mr. Ottinger gave me years back. One of the clips in the file is the opening from the "Hot Potato" pilot. Anyway, his comment said he didn't think it was from a pilot because "I was on the pilot, it was hosted by Jack Barry." I replied and explained that game shows in the 70s and 80s usually shot multiple pilots, and asked him to share whatever he could remember. Today, I got this e-mail:

Hi Adam:

My name is Vince Marzo. I just recently retired after a 33-year career with the Los Angeles City Fire Department. I was working at LAFD HQ as a Public Information Officer when I got a call from Jack Barry Productions looking for four firefighters to film a game show pilot. I rounded up three other Fire Inspectors - John Garcia, John Mitchell, Kendall McCarthy and myself. The pilot was filmed at CBS Television City, Los Angeles. Jack Barry was the host. It was Firemen versus Stewardesses (Flight Attendants). I believe this went down in the summer of 1983. I recall Jack Barry passed away not long after the pilot was filmed. Hot Potato was in a very "raw" stage when we filmed the pilot. We were all given rather handsome checks that we had to turn down, since all four of us filmed the pilot while on duty. I live in south Glendale, CA, one hill over from Forest Lawn Cemetery. On Christmas Day, 2007, my wife and I were visiting Forest lawn and I accidently found Jack Barry's grave. I was a big fan of Mr. Barry, as I had grown up watching his children's program, Winky Dink and You.

gsgalaxy82 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2009, 08:34:04 PM »

Two hypothesis here:
1) Jack hosted the pilot just as a "stand in" before they could sign a host.
2) Was Jack ready to leave TJW (and give it to Jim Peck)...to host Hot Potato?

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #2 on:** May 11, 2009, 09:14:31 PM »

In the TV Guide cover story on game show hosts from Jan of 84, Bill relates a scenario that intimates that a newcomer was being sought for shows that he had eventually hosted, but as it got closer to air without a fresh face found, the network said "Let's go with Bill Cullen." TV Guide concluded that that is almost exactly how Bill was selected to host "Hot Potato."

Jack Barry probably could have hosted it concurrently with TJW if he needed to. Whether NBC would have gone with that, who knows?

gsgalaxy82 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2009, 09:27:09 PM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'215448\' date=\'May 11 2009, 08:14 PM\']In the TV Guide cover story on game show hosts from Jan of 84, Bill relates a scenario that intimates that a newcomer was being sought for shows that he had eventually hosted, but as it got closer to air without a fresh face found, the network said "Let's go with Bill Cullen." TV Guide concluded that that is almost exactly how Bill was selected to host "Hot Potato."[/quote]
Ya know, come to think of it, I remember reading in a book, I think it was the "TV Game Show Contestant Book" or something like that. And the author relates a story about how he did a runthrough of Hot Potato, and the guy hosting was a "soap star." He said months later when the show made it to air, the soap star was gone, replaced with....Bill Cullen.

dazztardly · « **Reply #4 on:** May 12, 2009, 12:48:11 AM »

Did Vince mention anything about having a tape of this said pilot? Would be a helluva gem to view on youtube if that's the case.

Craig Karlberg · « **Reply #5 on:** May 12, 2009, 03:51:50 AM »

It would be interesting to see this pilot. That way, there would be comparisons drwan between that & the series.

I still don't see how Berry would actually be hosting a pilot while he was still doing TJW at the time unless those 2 were taping the same day. So, gsgalaxy82's first hypothesis is the one I'm leaning towards for now.

Steve Gavazzi · « **Reply #6 on:** May 12, 2009, 08:37:04 AM »

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'215472\' date=\'May 12 2009, 03:51 AM\']I still don't see how Berry would actually be hosting a pilot while he was still doing TJW at the time unless those 2 were taping the same day. So, gsgalaxy82's first hypothesis is the one I'm leaning towards for now.[/quote]
He didn't exactly have to be in two places at once, y'know.

(...actually, you probably don't.)

BrandonFG · « **Reply #7 on:** May 12, 2009, 08:43:31 AM »

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'215472\' date=\'May 12 2009, 03:51 AM\']I still don't see how Berry would actually be hosting a pilot while he was still doing TJW at the time unless those 2 were taping the same day. So, gsgalaxy82's first hypothesis is the one I'm leaning towards for now.[/quote]
One was syndicated, the other network. Hosts did double duty all the time in the 70s and 80s.

chris319 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 12, 2009, 04:42:13 PM »

Jack Barry owned the show together with his partner Dan Enright. At the time of the pilot an emcee hadn't been cast, so why wouldn't Mr. Barry step in as emcee?

As for being in two places at the same time, I'll let you sort that out.

/Mark Goodson once emceed a run-thru of To Tell the Truth. He co-owned the show with his partner, Bill Todman.

PYLdude · « **Reply #9 on:** May 12, 2009, 05:39:33 PM »

[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'215478\' date=\'May 12 2009, 07:43 AM\'][quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'215472\' date=\'May 12 2009, 03:51 AM\']I still don't see how Berry would actually be hosting a pilot while he was still doing TJW at the time unless those 2 were taping the same day. So, gsgalaxy82's first hypothesis is the one I'm leaning towards for now.[/quote]
One was syndicated, the other network. Hosts did double duty all the time in the 70s and 80s.
[/quote]

I originally was gonna respond to this by saying that, as a practice, hadn't this been phased out by the time Hot Potato premiered. But then I realized that you had Jim Perry, Bob Eubanks, Alex Trebek, Bert Convy, and others doing it...

gsgalaxy82 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 12, 2009, 06:38:08 PM »

Actually though, if the pilot was taped at CBS, it possibly could've originally been syndicated. Which wouldn't surprise me, since if I'm not mistaken, wasn't HP the only network game for B-E during the late '70s early '80s?

jimlangefan · « **Reply #11 on:** May 12, 2009, 08:01:40 PM »

No, remember Tic Tac Dough was on CBS in the summer of 1978. Hot Potato was the last network game show B&E ever did.

joker316 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 13, 2009, 09:24:49 PM »

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' post=\'215472\' date=\'May 12 2009, 03:51 AM\']I still don't see how Berry would actually be hosting a pilot while he was still doing TJW at the time unless those 2 were taping the same day. So, gsgalaxy82's first hypothesis is the one I'm leaning towards for now.[/quote]
How far apart was the pilot for We've Got Your Number from the run of TJW in '75. Did Barry do it as a possible replacement for TJW or was it done later?

BrandonFG · « **Reply #13 on:** May 13, 2009, 09:40:12 PM »

[quote name=\'joker316\' post=\'215679\' date=\'May 13 2009, 09:24 PM\']How far apart was the pilot for We've Got Your Number from the run of TJW in '75. Did Barry do it as a possible replacement for TJW or was it done later?[/quote]
I believe We've Got Your Number taped in May or so of 1975...so probably after TJW wrapped up its run.

ETA: May 13, 1975

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #14 on:** May 17, 2009, 12:05:44 PM »

Quote

I believe We've Got Your Number taped in May or so of 1975...so probably after TJW wrapped up its run.

ETA: May 13, 1975

I always wondered how far in advance shows were given cancellation notices. I figured that when they stopped doing their on-air plugs for tickets, or to be a contestant, they'd received it by then. Although the last episode of CBS Joker's Wild is in the trade curcuit, it doesn't have a slate (at least my copy doesn't) so we don't know when it was taped. Back then most shows seemed to tape one-to-three weeks in advance, so I'm guessing it was likely taped after the We've Got Your Number pilot, but they probably knew about the cancellation by then.

I guess another question could be how far in advance was We've Got Your Number thrown together?