How do you think other hosts would have done?

[wdm1219inpenna]

I got to thinking about the topic of substitute hosts and I called to mind the 4/1/97 episodes of Jeopardy and Wheel where Alex and Pat traded jobs for one day, and it had me wondering how certain hosts would have done hosting other shows.

For example, if we take 1972 CBS, how might Jack Barry have done hosting Price is Right while Bob hosted The Joker's Wild?  According to the Price is Right book I own Bob had wanted the Joker's Wild gig but was convinced he was a much better fit with an audience participation show such as Price...and indeed Bob was a pick from Heaven.  That said, it's fun to think about how Bob might have done hosting Joker, or Gambit, while Wink might have hosted Joker (which he did on a computer or DVD game) or Price...fun to think about those possibilities.

Jim Perry hosting Classic Concentration while Alex hosted $ale...I think Alex would have done great as Sale was a Q & A show, given how he refined his skills on Jeopardy!  The ultimate for NBC Daytime in the 80s would have been to have Pat host Scrabble and have Chuck return to do Wheel!  That would have been quite a gas I think, an idea for sweeps weeks.  Just something silly I was thinking about and I figured I'd put it out in the stratosphere of these boards.

[gamed121683]

In a semi-related, since we're playing "What If?" story, I read somewhere that Classic Concentration was almost hosted by Ray Combs. Is this true? His quick witted style could’ve brought a completely different dynamic to the show compared to Trebek (of course, he's no slouch either).

[TimK2003]

In the "What If?" Column:

Jim Perry could have been a great host for Wheel if Merv would have replaced Chuck Woolery with him. Card Sharks was ending or already ended in '81 when Sajak came onboard Wheel and $ale was yet to happen.

I don't know if Jim would have wanted to be associated with 2 hangman-type games at the same time, though despite only a handful of border viewers in the states knew his association with Definition in Canada.

[SamJ93]

Word is that Geoff Edwards was considered for Feud early on, but either turned it down himself or Richard Dawson exercised a clause in his MG contract that gave him the right to host another show (and if I'm getting the details wrong on any of this, feel free to correct). I don't doubt that he would've done a decent job, but does it still become the network/syndie juggernaut that it did, and would it still have been revived multiple times with different hosts?

[Jamey Greek]

Word is that Geoff Edwards was considered for Feud early on, but either turned it down himself or Richard Dawson exercised a clause in his MG contract that gave him the right to host another show (and if I'm getting the details wrong on any of this, feel free to correct). I don't doubt that he would've done a decent job, but does it still become the network/syndie juggernaut that it did, and would it still have been revived multiple times with different hosts?

Geoff stated on Stu’s Show in 2008 that he turned the show down because of his loyalty to Bob Stewart and he felt like Feud was like The Neighbors.  He also stated on that same episode he tried to audition for Card Sharks but they would not let him because Goodson was upset he turned down Feud.

[Jamey Greek]

David Baber’s Television Game Show Hosts book stated that Bob Eubanks, Pat Finn, John Davidson, and Chuck Henry all auditioned for Wheel when it was getting ready to move to CBS until Bob Goen eventually got the job.  I asked Marc on social media if it was true he auditioned for Wheel and he confirmed that it was.  I think Marc would have been great hosting Wheel.

[BillCullen1]

For example, if we take 1972 CBS, how might Jack Barry have done hosting Price is Right while Bob hosted The Joker's Wild?  According to the Price is Right book I own Bob had wanted the Joker's Wild gig but was convinced he was a much better fit with an audience participation show such as Price...and indeed Bob was a pick from Heaven.  That said, it's fun to think about how Bob might have done hosting Joker, or Gambit, while Wink might have hosted Joker (which he did on a computer or DVD game) or Price...fun to think about those possibilities.

In this scenario, Bob could have easily handled Joker or Gambit. Wink would have aced Joker probably better than Jack and I see him doing Price with little difficulty. Jack could most likely handle Gambit, but I don't see him hosting Price smoothly, not without a lot of cue cards.

Dick Clark auditioned for Gambit. Had he gotten that, someone else would have had to host Pyramid.

[Jamey Greek]

For example, if we take 1972 CBS, how might Jack Barry have done hosting Price is Right while Bob hosted The Joker's Wild?  According to the Price is Right book I own Bob had wanted the Joker's Wild gig but was convinced he was a much better fit with an audience participation show such as Price...and indeed Bob was a pick from Heaven.  That said, it's fun to think about how Bob might have done hosting Joker, or Gambit, while Wink might have hosted Joker (which he did on a computer or DVD game) or Price...fun to think about those possibilities.

In this scenario, Bob could have easily handled Joker or Gambit. Wink would have aced Joker probably better than Jack and I see him doing Price with little difficulty. Jack could most likely handle Gambit, but I don't see him hosting Price smoothly, not without a lot of cue cards.

Dick Clark auditioned for Gambit. Had he gotten that, someone else would have had to host Pyramid.

How about Bill Cullen?

[BillCullen1]

For example, if we take 1972 CBS, how might Jack Barry have done hosting Price is Right while Bob hosted The Joker's Wild?  According to the Price is Right book I own Bob had wanted the Joker's Wild gig but was convinced he was a much better fit with an audience participation show such as Price...and indeed Bob was a pick from Heaven.  That said, it's fun to think about how Bob might have done hosting Joker, or Gambit, while Wink might have hosted Joker (which he did on a computer or DVD game) or Price...fun to think about those possibilities.

In this scenario, Bob could have easily handled Joker or Gambit. Wink would have aced Joker probably better than Jack and I see him doing Price with little difficulty. Jack could most likely handle Gambit, but I don't see him hosting Price smoothly, not without a lot of cue cards.

Dick Clark auditioned for Gambit. Had he gotten that, someone else would have had to host Pyramid.

How about Bill Cullen?

Cullen was hosting Three on a Match when Pyramid premiered, so he wasm't available.

You said you asked Marc about auditioning for Wheel. Marc who? Summers?

[Jamey Greek]

For example, if we take 1972 CBS, how might Jack Barry have done hosting Price is Right while Bob hosted The Joker's Wild?  According to the Price is Right book I own Bob had wanted the Joker's Wild gig but was convinced he was a much better fit with an audience participation show such as Price...and indeed Bob was a pick from Heaven.  That said, it's fun to think about how Bob might have done hosting Joker, or Gambit, while Wink might have hosted Joker (which he did on a computer or DVD game) or Price...fun to think about those possibilities.

In this scenario, Bob could have easily handled Joker or Gambit. Wink would have aced Joker probably better than Jack and I see him doing Price with little difficulty. Jack could most likely handle Gambit, but I don't see him hosting Price smoothly, not without a lot of cue cards.

Dick Clark auditioned for Gambit. Had he gotten that, someone else would have had to host Pyramid.

How about Bill Cullen?

Cullen was hosting Three on a Match when Pyramid premiered, so he wasm't available.

You said you asked Marc about auditioning for Wheel. Marc who? Summers?

Yes Marc Summers

[SuperMatch93]

I feel like Jim Perry would have been a good fit for The Challengers, which would have freed Dick up to host Pyramid that season.

[Ian Wallis]

For example, if we take 1972 CBS, how might Jack Barry have done hosting Price is Right while Bob hosted The Joker's Wild?  According to the Price is Right book I own Bob had wanted the Joker's Wild gig but was convinced he was a much better fit with an audience participation show such as Price...and indeed Bob was a pick from Heaven.  That said, it's fun to think about how Bob might have done hosting Joker, or Gambit, while Wink might have hosted Joker (which he did on a computer or DVD game) or Price...fun to think about those possibilities.

You also have to consider something else when discussing how different hosts might have done with different shows had things worked out differently - what kind of success would each show have had?  If Barker had hosted Joker's Wild, would it still have been cancelled in June 1975?  Would Price is Right have lasted as long as it did with a different host?

I guess the real question is - how much does the right host have to do with the success of a show?  Yes, the game has to be strong and solid, but the wrong host could make it less interesting.

[TLEberle]

That depends. TPIR with Jack would hsve fit what he wanted to do, which is work with people. Bob never really had to ask questions after Family Game, so if he can take direction then Jokers Wild could sustain itself.

As much as I adore Tom Bergeron as a host there is part of my brain that wonders how Marc would have done. I think he’d be equal to it.

[SamPrainito]

Where did Wiiliam Shatner fall in the Feud timeline?  Was he before or after Geoff?

In his TV Academy interview, Dawson said he thought it unfair the gig would go to Shatner, who was married to the daughter of the network president.

If Shatner gets Feud, does the Star Trek movie get made?

Does Dawson stay on Match Game?  Does he break through on a different Goodson vehicle?

[Jeremy Nelson]

Jim Perry hosting Classic Concentration while Alex hosted $ale...I think Alex would have done great as Sale was a Q & A show, given how he refined his skills on Jeopardy!

I think Alex would have been great at Sale, though I would argue that Perry maneuvers through Instant Bargains better than any of his Sale cohorts worldwide. I think Perry gets restless with CC.

The ultimate for NBC Daytime in the 80s would have been to have Pat host Scrabble and have Chuck return to do Wheel!  That would have been quite a gas I think, an idea for sweeps weeks.  Just something silly I was thinking about and I figured I'd put it out in the stratosphere of these boards.

Over Merv's dead body, though it would have been cool to see the GSN host swap on NBC daytime in 1987. I think the only thing we would have found out is that Bill Rafferty was deserving of way more work.