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The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Winkfan on January 04, 2009, 07:21:05 PM

Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Winkfan on January 04, 2009, 07:21:05 PM
You know, as much as I adore the man, I fear that 2008-09 may be the FINAL season for Johnny Gilbert to be announcing Jeopardy! I actually thought last season was the final one for him. Let's face it, even a man of his stature may be forced to call it a career sometime.

Do you agree with this? And if it DOES happen, who should replace him? The smart money would be on Randy West or John Cramer (Burton might be busy next season if Family Feud does get renewed). Paul Boland seems like a good choice as well.

Cordially,
Tammy

P.S. Actually, nothing about this IS official, it's just a hunch that I have.....
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: TLEberle on January 04, 2009, 07:22:48 PM
[quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'205466\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 04:21 PM\']Do you agree with this? [/quote]Nope.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Dbacksfan12 on January 04, 2009, 07:35:07 PM
[quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'205466\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 07:21 PM\']
You know, as much as I adore the man, I fear that 2008-09 may be the FINAL season for Johnny Gilbert to be announcing Jeopardy! [/quote]What makes you think this?
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Don Howard on January 04, 2009, 08:39:25 PM
Don Pardo. Wait. He's older. And SNL's about to can his ass anyway. Or was that 1981?
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: PYLdude on January 04, 2009, 09:01:26 PM
[quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'205466\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 07:21 PM\']
Paul Boland seems like a good choice as well.
[/quote]

Why?
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Don Howard on January 04, 2009, 09:02:03 PM
[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'205476\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 09:01 PM\']
[quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'205466\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 07:21 PM\']
Paul Boland seems like a good choice as well.
[/quote]
Why?
[/quote]
He'll work cheap.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: PYLdude on January 04, 2009, 09:08:35 PM
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' post=\'205477\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 09:02 PM\']
[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'205476\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 09:01 PM\']
[quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'205466\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 07:21 PM\']
Paul Boland seems like a good choice as well.
[/quote]
Why?
[/quote]
He'll work cheap.
[/quote]

True. All you gotta do is pay him in Red Bull.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: gsgalaxy82 on January 04, 2009, 10:11:57 PM
Though I don't think this is Johnny's final season, I've always said that the guy who should replace him is Randy West. Yeah, I might be a bit biased, haha, but I figure, he replaced him on Supermarket Sweep, why not Jeopardy?
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: inturnaround on January 04, 2009, 10:13:52 PM
[quote name=\'Winkfan\' post=\'205466\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 07:21 PM\']
You know, as much as I adore the man, I fear that 2008-09 may be the FINAL season for Johnny Gilbert to be announcing Jeopardy! I actually thought last season was the final one for him. Let's face it, even a man of his stature may be forced to call it a career sometime.
[/quote]

Yes, sure...but talking about it beforehand is pretty creepy. I know people were given to it during the last decade or two of Barker TPiR, but I don't see the point of essentially retiring a man before he decides he's ready.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Jimmy Owen on January 04, 2009, 10:28:43 PM
He's still sounding good at 84, what's the hurry?
That being said, I'd choose Randy West if Johnny ever decides to hang up his cans.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Fedya on January 04, 2009, 10:44:55 PM
{tongue implanted firmly in cheek}

The folks at Jeopardy! don't need to replace Johnny Gilbert with anybody else.  They've got enough tapes of him that they can simply recycle recordings of the "This... Is... Jeopardy!" introduction, and splice together the names of the contestants from the various vowel and consonant sounds he's made over the past 25 years.  ;-)
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: chad1m on January 04, 2009, 11:34:19 PM
Hey, it worked for Chef. Why not Johnny?
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: chris319 on January 05, 2009, 12:27:33 AM
Johnny Gilbert will turn 100 on July 13, 2024 (if he lives that long).
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Don Howard on January 05, 2009, 06:49:51 AM
[quote name=\'chris319\' post=\'205495\' date=\'Jan 5 2009, 12:27 AM\']
Johnny Gilbert will turn 100 on July 13, 2024 (if he lives that long).
[/quote]
He will NOT! look it.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: TheLastResort on January 05, 2009, 08:35:02 AM
[quote name=\'Fedya\' post=\'205485\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 10:44 PM\'] They've got enough tapes of him that they can simply recycle recordings of the "This... Is... Jeopardy!" introduction, and splice together the names of the contestants from the various vowel and consonant sounds he's made over the past 25 years.  ;-) [/quote]

I thought they had been doing that for the last 10 years - ??
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: dale_grass on January 05, 2009, 12:57:57 PM
[quote name=\'TheLastResort\' post=\'205514\' date=\'Jan 5 2009, 09:35 AM\']
[quote name=\'Fedya\' post=\'205485\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 10:44 PM\'] They've got enough tapes of him that they can simply recycle recordings of the "This... Is... Jeopardy!" introduction, and splice together the names of the contestants from the various vowel and consonant sounds he's made over the past 25 years.  ;-) [/quote]

I thought they had been doing that for the last 10 years - ??
[/quote]
You're thinking of Don Pardo.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: BillCullen1 on January 05, 2009, 03:53:02 PM
If Don Pardo can work at age 90, Johnny Gilbert can work at age 84 and beyond. Having seen him at a Jeopardy taping in 2006 at Radio City in NYC, I can testify that he doesn't look or act his age - far from it, in fact. I hope I can be half that active if I make it to 84.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: davemackey on January 05, 2009, 04:24:22 PM
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' post=\'205474\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 08:39 PM\']
Don Pardo. Wait. He's older. And SNL's about to can his ass anyway. Or was that 1981?
[/quote]
Yes it was. Then Dick Ebersol realized his mistake and hired him back the next season.

Why fire Johnny Gilbert? He's still doing what he needs to do and he's what, now, 83 or so? Johnny is one of the legends of broadcasting. Can't kick him out!
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: SRIV94 on January 05, 2009, 04:27:15 PM
[quote name=\'BillCullen1\' post=\'205543\' date=\'Jan 5 2009, 02:53 PM\']
Having seen him at a Jeopardy taping in 2006 at Radio City in NYC, I can testify that he doesn't look or act his age - far from it, in fact. I hope I can be half that active if I make it to 84.
[/quote]
Having seen him one year later in North Hollywood and a couple of days after that in Culver City, QFT.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: uncamark on January 05, 2009, 05:02:21 PM
[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'205545\' date=\'Jan 5 2009, 03:24 PM\']
[quote name=\'Don Howard\' post=\'205474\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 08:39 PM\']
Don Pardo. Wait. He's older. And SNL's about to can his ass anyway. Or was that 1981?
[/quote]
Yes it was. Then Dick Ebersol realized his mistake and hired him back the next season.[/quote]

I thought that it wasn't Ebersol--it was Michael O'Donaghue, letting out "SNL" writers' supposed frustrations with Pardo flubbing lines.  (O'Donaghue and Bob Tischler were the line producers--O'Donaghue was responsible for the whole "most dangerous city in the world" titles replacing the Edie Baskin pastel photos, fought Ebersol's dictum that the musical guests had to be "arena rock bands" and left after two incidents:  The fiasco involving the punk band Fear--"John Belushi's favorite band"--where supposedly audience members were trashing the studio during their performance and NBC Program Practices rejecting a sketch called "Silverman in the Bunker," which portrayed Fred Silverman as Adolf Hitler.)  After O'Donaghue left, then Ebersol brought Pardo back.

And as for piecing tape together, somebody does that with Ernie Anderson's voice so that he can still be an image voice for radio stations, even though he's been in the grave for over a decade.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: bellbm on January 05, 2009, 11:11:45 PM
In addition, Jeopardy probably tapes 46 days out of the year.  Not a bad gig.  And after having met Johnny at the GSC in 2007, I would have never guessed he was in his 80s.
Go Johnny go!
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: davemackey on January 05, 2009, 11:18:38 PM
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'205551\' date=\'Jan 5 2009, 05:02 PM\']
And as for piecing tape together, somebody does that with Ernie Anderson's voice so that he can still be an image voice for radio stations, even though he's been in the grave for over a decade.
[/quote]
They also do that with Mel Blanc's voice. I think his son Noel runs that operation.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Don Howard on January 06, 2009, 07:15:54 AM
[quote name=\'uncamark\' post=\'205551\' date=\'Jan 5 2009, 05:02 PM\']
I thought that it wasn't Ebersol--it was Michael O'Donaghue
[/quote]
Indeed it was. Nothing against Mel Brandt (who is excellent) but Don Pardo IS the voice of Saturday Night Live. That O'Donaghue pig-bitch originally intended to have Don do the open for the first show of the 1981-82 season and partway through fire him right there on the air. Thankfully, he got talked out of that.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: rwalker on January 17, 2009, 01:09:31 PM
Here's a link to Johnny's early days before he hit the big time

http://www.johnnygilbert.tv/jgshow.html (http://\"http://www.johnnygilbert.tv/jgshow.html\")
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: JasonA1 on January 17, 2009, 02:55:04 PM
Definitely, uh...unique most of the guests held their own microphone. Neat pictures though.

-Jason
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: uncamark on January 19, 2009, 05:49:51 PM
[quote name=\'JasonA1\' post=\'206511\' date=\'Jan 17 2009, 01:55 PM\']
Definitely, uh...unique most of the guests held their own microphone. Neat pictures though.[/quote]

Seems to be endemic to Avco station daytime variety shows, since the one time I saw "The Bob Braun Show," everyone on the show was holding their own hand mike.

When Johnny lost his show in Dayton, his replacement was some guy named Phil Donahue.  First Donahue show was with an audience already booked for Johnny's show.  The guest was atheist Madelyn Murray O'Hair.  Needless to say, this was not what the Ohio Women's Club ladies were expecting.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Gameshowcrackers on April 16, 2009, 12:47:01 PM
Johnny Gilbert is the best game show announcer that is, was or ever will be. He should continue doing Jeopardy for as long as he is able to because, quite simply, there will never be another Johnny Gilbert!

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' post=\'205484\' date=\'Jan 4 2009, 10:28 PM\']
He's still sounding good at 84, what's the hurry?
That being said, I'd choose Randy West if Johnny ever decides to hang up his cans.
[/quote]

If Johnny does decide to hang up his microphone for good, my vote goes to Charlie O'Donnell as his replacement who's already on the Sony payroll and is IMO the only other truly legendary announcer from the last golden era of game shows still actively working in the industry!

[quote name=\'bellbm\' post=\'205593\' date=\'Jan 5 2009, 11:11 PM\']
In addition, Jeopardy probably tapes 46 days out of the year.  Not a bad gig.  And after having met Johnny at the GSC in 2007, I would have never guessed he was in his 80s.
Go Johnny go!
[/quote]

I have to say that I find it hard to believe that Johnny is actually 84 years old. If it's true, he looks incredible on it.

But then again, prior to their deaths, IMDB.com said Gene Wood was born in 1934 (9 years younger than his true age) and that Art James' year of birth was 1922 - 7 years older than he was, so who knows?.

Of course, Gilbert did emcee Music Bingo in 1958, so he would have to be a reasonable age. I reckon he was probably born around the early 1930s which would mean that he is now in his mid seventies - unless, of course, anyone on here is able to provide any definitive evidence to the contrary which proves that he is indeed a sprightly octogenarian.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: clemon79 on April 16, 2009, 02:47:48 PM
[quote name=\'Gameshowcrackers\' post=\'213258\' date=\'Apr 16 2009, 09:47 AM\']
Johnny Gilbert is the best game show announcer that is, was or ever will be.[/quote]
This is the kind of statement that ALWAYS provokes respectful, intelligent debate.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: Dbacksfan12 on April 16, 2009, 02:49:33 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'213262\' date=\'Apr 16 2009, 01:47 PM\']
[quote name=\'Gameshowcrackers\' post=\'213258\' date=\'Apr 16 2009, 09:47 AM\']
Johnny Gilbert is the best game show announcer that is, was or ever will be.[/quote]
This is the kind of statement that ALWAYS provokes respectful, intelligent debate.[/quote]Well, according to his signature, he is speaking for all of us:
Quote
This is Gameshowcrackers speaking for The Game Show Forum, a Mark Goodson Television Production
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: clemon79 on April 16, 2009, 03:12:10 PM
[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'213263\' date=\'Apr 16 2009, 11:49 AM\']
Well, according to his signature, he is speaking for all of us:
Quote
This is Gameshowcrackers speaking for The Game Show Forum, a Mark Goodson Television Production
[/quote]
Yeah, I don't think he understands the secondary meaning behind that line, he's just trying to do a cute announcer sign-off. I figure, baby steps.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: PYLdude on April 16, 2009, 04:00:52 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'213264\' date=\'Apr 16 2009, 02:12 PM\']
[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'213263\' date=\'Apr 16 2009, 11:49 AM\']
Well, according to his signature, he is speaking for all of us:
Quote
This is Gameshowcrackers speaking for The Game Show Forum, a Mark Goodson Television Production
[/quote]
Yeah, I don't think he understands the secondary meaning behind that line, he's just trying to do a cute announcer sign-off.
[/quote]

Maybe he doesn't but I don't understand how anyone can even take that for any more than a joke.

Seriously...I found it funny.
Title: Is this Johnny Gilbert's final season?
Post by: clemon79 on April 16, 2009, 04:02:05 PM
[quote name=\'PYLdude\' post=\'213271\' date=\'Apr 16 2009, 01:00 PM\']
Maybe he doesn't but I don't understand how anyone can even take that for any more than a joke.[/quote]
Like I said, baby steps. Chill.