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Hollywood Squares review in EW

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Matt Ottinger:
In the current issue of Entertainment Weekly (the one with the stunningly beautiful Kate Bosworth on the cover) there's a lengthy review of Hollywood Squares in the TV section, covering both the current show and the classic reruns on GSN.

It's a wildly mixed review.  On the one hand, it makes fun of the kitsch and the \"fake\" stars, and appears to take pity on Tom Bergeron for the sad path his career has taken.  On the other hand, it recognizes the humor and the \"outrageously surreal magic\" that both versions can provide, and recommends them as an alternative to the summer's reality glut.

Ultimately, both versions get good grades from the reviewer:  B+ for the classic shows and a too-cute \"B squared\" for the new version.  The reviewer specifically singled out Martin Mull as the show's best source of laughs and also had nice things to say about Ellen DeGeneres and Brad Garrett.

Don Howard:
I've been a Tom Bergeron fan ever since his days with Laurie Hibberd
on Breakfast Time before fX turned into the NYPD Blue/M*A*S*H
channel. I was thrilled he got that H2 gig and he's done stellar work.
Absolutely not a sad path for him. Of course, that's my unobjective
die hard game show fan opinion.
If, as is seemingly hauntingly likely, H2 goes bye-bye after the upcoming
season, wouldn't it be a hoot seeing him as host of an updated and
infinitely improved Match Game? I say infinitely improved because
how could it be worse than the 1998 model?
I hear you at home. \"see Sharks, Card\"
I'd like to think the company's learned its lesson from those disasters.
Too bad he didn't get Gumbel's job at CBS.

Brandon Brooks:
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jul 27 2003, 08:13 PM\'] I've been a Tom Bergeron fan ever since his days with Laurie Hibberd
on Breakfast Time before fX turned into the NYPD Blue/M*A*S*H
channel. I was thrilled he got that H2 gig and he's done stellar work.
Absolutely not a sad path for him. Of course, that's my unobjective
die hard game show fan opinion.
If, as is seemingly hauntingly likely, H2 goes bye-bye after the upcoming
season, wouldn't it be a hoot seeing him as host of an updated and
infinitely improved Match Game? I say infinitely improved because
how could it be worse than the 1998 model?
I hear you at home. \"see Sharks, Card\"
I'd like to think the company's learned its lesson from those disasters.
Too bad he didn't get Gumbel's job at CBS. [/quote]
Exactly what career did he really have before Hollywood Squares?  Hell, he got offered a nice gig after having really nothing.  I can understand wanting to move to greater things, especially if he knows that he doesn't want to be a game show host for the rest of his life.  He's a talented guy and can do so many things, but I know Tom realizes that this show is/was a great launching pad for him.  For the EW critic to insist that his career has taken a sad turn is foolhardy.

I do have to make one prediction though; I betcha Tom never thought it would last this long.

Brandon Brooks

GS Warehouse:
[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Jul 27 2003, 08:35 PM\'] Exactly what career did he really have before Hollywood Squares? ... [/quote]
 He took the same route Anderson Cooper and Meredith Vieira--and going way back to the old days, John Charles Daly--did: the news route.  Bergeron hosted a morning show in Boston and frequently subbed for Charlie Gibson on GMA before fX came calling.

Brandon Brooks:
[quote name=\'GS Warehouse\' date=\'Jul 27 2003, 09:30 PM\'] He took the same route Anderson Cooper and Meredith Vieira--and going way back to the old days, John Charles Daly--did: the news route.  Bergeron hosted a morning show in Boston and frequently subbed for Charlie Gibson on GMA before fX came calling. [/quote]
 I knew that.... that was a rhetorical question.

Brandon Brooks

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