Alternate realities when it comes to game shows

[Steve_Bier]

Another thought exercise:

Pick a better emcee for Mindreaders than Dick Martin. Though the format was fundamentally flawed, Dick didn't help. He was better in office run-thrus but once he got into the studio he was never smooth at it. He was always a bit awkward.

I'm not sure exactly when Brockman departed NBC, but even though he was a client of the company there were those in the office who didn't hold him in particularly high regard. In watching his interview, the games he plays with his fingers remind me of the Simpsons' Mr. Burns character.

By the time we brought up Mindreaders in 1979, ISTR we were dealing with Noreen Conlin.

Who wasn't busy? Dan Rowan? Lloyd Thaxton?

Not sure about Dan Rowan (or his hosting abilities)...but Lloyd Thaxton was producing "Consumer Buyline" for NBC, which a year later became "Fight Back! With David Horowitz".

[Winkfan]

If Goodson had The Better Sex ready to go in the spring instead of letting it bake for a few more months, Second Chance never sees the light of day on TV. Interesting indeed.

And then Jim Peck would have to wait three years for his next game show gig. The 1978 You Don't Say was hosted by Mr. Peck, as some of us recall.

Cordially,
Tammy

[BillCullen1]

Not sure about Dan Rowan (or his hosting abilities)...

Dan would have hosted Hollywood Squares if Peter Marshall had turned it down. That's what the producers told him and why Peter took the job. He wasn't a fan of Dan.

[whewfan]

So if Dan hosted HS, then Laugh-In would've had different hosts, because there wouldn't have been Rowan and Martin. I believe once Laugh-In was cancelled, it was also the end of Rowan and Martin. Dick would make a number of game show appearances and Dan basically faded away. Based on the pilot, HQ certainly had the star power, so the writing would've been good, but who knows if Rowan would've had the same appeal as host over Peter Marshall.

[tpirfan28]

Mine has always been who wound have taken over Price is Right if Bob retired after 25 or 30 years.  Maybe Bob Goen in 1997?  Todd Newton in 2003?

In this alternate universe I see it getting a short-lived reboot in the mid-90s, then another one in the late-90s/early-2000s that runs to this day. Since evening Wheel doesn't give Feud a run for the money, Dawson goes a couple more years on syndicated Feud and passes off the torch to Ray Combs in '88. The ABC version still goes off the air in '85. Oh, and since Wheel went off the air around '87 Pat Sajak gets a CBS gig, but in 1993. Letterman replaces Carson in '92 and Jay Leno gets something in syndication.

I would argue in this scenario Pat get CBS Feud instead of Ray Combs, then potentially the Late Show in 93 when the market implodes.
(and maybe Pyramid lives longer than 1988...)

[Jamey Greek]

Mine has always been who wound have taken over Price is Right if Bob retired after 25 or 30 years.  Maybe Bob Goen in 1997?  Todd Newton in 2003?

Either Bob Goen or if he did not get fired from Feud and the whole unraveling how about Ray Combs?

[Scrabbleship]

Who wasn't busy? Dan Rowan? Lloyd Thaxton?

I'm going to go to game show hades for this take, but wouldn't Bill Cullen and Jack Narz have been available? Bill was between Love Experts and Chain Reaction and while Jack was done hosting he wasn't yet announcer for Beat the Clock. As much as this creates a "great host, awful show" situation both would've been an improvement over Dick Martin.

Going outside the list of known Goodson-Todman names, I'd toss Geoff Edwards in there as well. Goodson did want him for Family Feud and he wasn't doing anything TV wise at that point and had one foot out the door radio wise. That might have complicated things with Play the Percentages given the disdain Goodson had for Dan Enright.

[TheInquisitiveOne]

A very recent one keeps entering my mind.

I was always of the thought that they rushed into the 2020 Jeopardy GOAT special so they could get that in while Alex Trebek was in good enough health to do it. Little did they know they got that in just in time for a completely different reason.

I always wondered - taking what happened a few weeks after the tournament out of the equation - what would have happened if Alex was in good health. I think that this tournament would’ve had some more buzz and would’ve been scheduled as either part of the first-run summer syndicated block or (more likely) part of ABC’s Summer Fun & Games block.

I think it would’ve unfolded in the exact same manner that it did and would’ve had the same strong viewership as what they actually got. Then Alex could get ready for the next season. If only…

The Inquisitive One

[Stackertosh]

Mine has always been who wound have taken over Price is Right if Bob retired after 25 or 30 years.  Maybe Bob Goen in 1997?  Todd Newton in 2003?

If Bob Retired in 1997 Doug Davidson could replace him since he hosted 1994 version and it would probably be an easier transition. Todd Newton in 2003 with Randy West as announcer.


I wonder if LMAD would've been a thing in 2009.