The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Bob Zager on August 20, 2007, 11:35:54 AM
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While in a local Borders bookstore, I used their kiosk machine to pre-order Stan Blits book. I then did a search of "game shows," and found a listing for this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Television-Game-Show...3790&sr=1-1 (http://\"http://www.amazon.com/Television-Game-Show-Hosts-Biographies/dp/0786429267/ref=sr_1_1/102-7514058-6506514?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187623790&sr=1-1\")
The description I'd read at Borders mentioned that it includes Peter Marshall, Bill Cullen, Bob Barker, and Regis Philbin among those profiled.
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[quote name=\'Bob Zager\' post=\'161360\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 10:35 AM\']
While in a local Borders bookstore, I used their kiosk machine to pre-order Stan Blits book. I then did a search of "game shows," and found a listing for this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Television-Game-Show...3790&sr=1-1 (http://\"http://www.amazon.com/Television-Game-Show-Hosts-Biographies/dp/0786429267/ref=sr_1_1/102-7514058-6506514?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187623790&sr=1-1\")
The description I'd read at Borders mentioned that it includes Peter Marshall, Bill Cullen, Bob Barker, and Regis Philbin among those profiled.
[/quote]
$55. . . wow. For that money, they should have interviewed J. D. Salinger and Bobby Fischer.
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[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'161362\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 11:40 AM\']
[quote name=\'Bob Zager\' post=\'161360\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 10:35 AM\']
While in a local Borders bookstore, I used their kiosk machine to pre-order Stan Blits book. I then did a search of "game shows," and found a listing for this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Television-Game-Show...3790&sr=1-1 (http://\"http://www.amazon.com/Television-Game-Show-Hosts-Biographies/dp/0786429267/ref=sr_1_1/102-7514058-6506514?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187623790&sr=1-1\")
The description I'd read at Borders mentioned that it includes Peter Marshall, Bill Cullen, Bob Barker, and Regis Philbin among those profiled.
[/quote]
$55. . . wow. For that money, they should have interviewed J. D. Salinger and Bobby Fischer.
[/quote]
What game shows did they host?
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Bobby Fischer appeared on "I've Got a Secret" once.
I know, I know, I'll go...
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[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'161362\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 11:40 AM\']
[quote name=\'Bob Zager\' post=\'161360\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 10:35 AM\']
While in a local Borders bookstore, I used their kiosk machine to pre-order Stan Blits book. I then did a search of "game shows," and found a listing for this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Television-Game-Show...3790&sr=1-1 (http://\"http://www.amazon.com/Television-Game-Show-Hosts-Biographies/dp/0786429267/ref=sr_1_1/102-7514058-6506514?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187623790&sr=1-1\")
The description I'd read at Borders mentioned that it includes Peter Marshall, Bill Cullen, Bob Barker, and Regis Philbin among those profiled.
[/quote]
$55. . . wow. For that money, they should have interviewed J. D. Salinger and Bobby Fischer.
[/quote]
So $55 is a bit steep. Well then, for a shade under $14, you can buy This...In October. (http://\"http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lynde-Halloween-Special/dp/B000TEUSMC/ref=sr_1_1/105-5107477-2833231?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1187638206&sr=8-1\")
/I swear that looks like Regan Burns portraying The Hooded Claw!!
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[quote name=\'Adam Nedeff\' post=\'161375\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 02:15 PM\']
Bobby Fischer appeared on "I've Got a Secret" once.
I know, I know, I'll go...
[/quote]
You know, if "Magnificent Marble Machine" had really taken off, Fischer had an offer to be the black king on Heatter-Quigley's "Las Vegas Checkmates." Leslie Uggams would have been his queen, with David Brenner and Joannie Rivers on the white side.
:-)
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[quote name=\'Don Howard\' post=\'161370\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 01:39 PM\'][quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'161362\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 11:40 AM\']$55. . . wow. For that money, they should have interviewed J. D. Salinger and Bobby Fischer.[/quote]
What game shows did they host?[/quote]
Win, Recluse, or Draw?
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[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'161380\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 02:32 PM\']
For a shade under $14, you can buy This...In October. (http://\"http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lynde-Halloween-Special/dp/B000TEUSMC/ref=sr_1_1/105-5107477-2833231?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1187638206&sr=8-1\")[/quote]
Wow, check out the special features...
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If I gave you these choices:
- Paul Lynde's Halloween Special
- Vincent Price's Thanksgiving Special
and asked you which was real and which was an SNL sketch, how many of you would have guessed right?
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I've had a poor-quality bootleg of the Paul Lynde Halloween Special for a while now. I don't think a crisper picture is going to make it any better, but golly, is it fascinating in its awfulness.
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' post=\'161437\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 08:57 PM\']
I've had a poor-quality bootleg of the Paul Lynde Halloween Special for a while now. I don't think a crisper picture is going to make it any better, but golly, is it fascinating in its awfulness.
[/quote]
Is this the show where Paul Lynde sings a few lines from Johnnie Taylor's then #1 hit, "Disco Lady"?
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[quote name=\'TimK2003\' post=\'161380\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 02:32 PM\']
I swear that looks like Regan Burns portraying The Hooded Claw!!
[/quote]
Not Claw, Craw! (Sorry.)
Here's the web page (http://\"http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-2926-4\") for the book from the publisher, who I've never heard of (and that's saying something). Here's another one (http://\"http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-1198-6\") that might be of some interest here.
$55 means the print run is probably extremely limited. I don't even know if there are color photos in the book (you'd think there would be, for that price). 7" x 10" is the worst trim size relative to cost in existence -- for many printers, they incur the same expenses as 8-1/2" x 11", and just cut off the excess.
Proceed with caution, I say.
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You think $55's steep? Do an Amazon search for Rules of the Game: Quiz Shows and American Culture...and a used copy's not much cheaper!
Chuck Donegan (The Too-Poor-To-Afford-It "Chuckie Baby")
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[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' post=\'161468\' date=\'Aug 20 2007, 11:26 PM\']
You think $55's steep? Do an Amazon search for Rules of the Game: Quiz Shows and American Culture...and a used copy's not much cheaper!
Chuck Donegan (The Too-Poor-To-Afford-It "Chuckie Baby")
[/quote]
You're looking only at the hardcover (which, granted, doesn't make the price any less obscene); note that the paperback version of Rules of the Game is priced much more reasonably.
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I have a couple of books by McFarland and they are reference books for the most part. For example one of the books I have is a checklist of movie theaters in Detroit, the names and addresses from the silent days to date of publication. Another is a history of PRC/Eagle-Lion/Screen Guild and Lippert Pictures with titles in chronological order. I guess you could say those books would have limited appeal, but they were published.
The quality of the book depends on the author, though. One book they put out about network daytime schedules was filled with errors (They had Yahtzee listed as a CBS show, among other things.)
The Hal Erickson book Curt linked to is a good reference book if you want to find out which syndicator distributed what show, but an infuriating read if you are a game show fan. Erickson doesn't have a kind word about game shows (though McFarland uses a picture of one on the cover). For example, he refers to the second host of BTB86 as "the gloriously named Joe Farago," inferring that the show was a farrago.
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The Hal Erickson book Curt linked to is a good reference book if you want to find out which syndicator distributed what show, but an infuriating read if you are a game show fan. Erickson doesn't have a kind word about game shows (though McFarland uses a picture of one on the cover). For example, he refers to the second host of BTB86 as "the gloriously named Joe Farago," inferring that the show was a farrago
Yeah, Erickson's anti-GS bias becomes quite apparent after reading his comments:
- Bemoaning the alleged lack of creativity in the 70s trend of launching nighttime syndie versions of popular daytime games
- Warning readers to skip the 80s GS section if they think the Prime Time Acces Rule brought about diversity, claiming it would "only depress you"
- Claiming the most exciting thing to happen during Bullseye's run was an ep where the wheels spun out of control
I'd say his dislike of the genre's more apparent than Fred Silverman's.
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
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Click the following link, and you'll see the book's Table of Contents, listing the "32 stars" profiled:
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/contents-2.php...8-0-7864-2926-4 (http://\"http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/contents-2.php?id=978-0-7864-2926-4\")
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[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' post=\'161486\' date=\'Aug 21 2007, 06:24 AM\']
- Claiming the most exciting thing to happen during Bullseye's run was an ep where the wheels spun out of control
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Well, he's pretty close to the mark on that one. The show dragged on and on (and then some) by going to $2,000. As much as I dislike TJW, at least they made that game quicker by only playing to $500.
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[quote name=\'Bob Zager\' post=\'164574\' date=\'Sep 22 2007, 04:36 PM\']
Click the following link, and you'll see the book's Table of Contents, listing the "32 stars" profiled:
http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/contents-2.php...8-0-7864-2926-4 (http://\"http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/contents-2.php?id=978-0-7864-2926-4\")
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Man, I don't think anybody ought to have a problem with his choices. Lining them up against our own top-50 list creates almost an exact fit. An astounding 29 of his 32 names are among our top 32 choices of all-time greats, and Dennis James ranked 33rd on our list. The only ones we ranked higher were relatively modern choices Marc Summers (23) and Tom Bergeron (25), as well as the one, the only Groucho (30). I would imagine leaving Groucho off was a deliberate choice since he doesn't really "fit the mold".
The only three names in his book that didn't make our top-32 were the aforementioned Dennis James (33), Hal March (41) and Bert Parks (45). If you're old-school and really want to make a fuss about it, you could probably make a case for Jan Murray, and to a lesser extent Art Linkletter. (To me, Hugh Downs is an anomaly the way Groucho is, someone whose fame really doesn't stem from his game shows.)
In a way, that's impressive. But in another way, it just goes to show how few guys there are who could do that sort of thing well.
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[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'164575\' date=\'Sep 22 2007, 04:42 PM\']
[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' post=\'161486\' date=\'Aug 21 2007, 06:24 AM\']
- Claiming the most exciting thing to happen during Bullseye's run was an ep where the wheels spun out of control
[/quote]
Well, he's pretty close to the mark on that one. The show dragged on and on (and then some) by going to $2,000. As much as I dislike TJW, at least they made that game quicker by only playing to $500.
[/quote]
Well, there was no difference going from $1000 to 2000, since the values doubled also. They were $50-$200 before going to $100-400 during the charity week rules, which became permanent.
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Although I haven't seen a copy in my local bookstores, the book IS available now, and can be ordered!