The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: tvrandywest on June 23, 2012, 09:59:40 PM

Title: Todd Newton
Post by: tvrandywest on June 23, 2012, 09:59:40 PM
Best Game Show Host, Todd won for Family Game Night on HUB.

Todd has taken a few hits on this board over the years, but in my not-so-humble opinion, few have deserved this recognition more. In 13 years of working with Todd - thousands of stage performances and TV episodes - he has always stretched to make his work fresh, relateable and fun for the audiences, as well as fun for those working with him.

Barker, Pat, Alex and the other veterans are all masters at their craft, but they are also so well-supported by large staffs who have been doing it for years. Todd has shown poise and polish when the staffs are small, the back-up from cue cards and prompters limited, the audiences unfamiliar with the show, the equipment unpredictable, and every other kind of challenge.

And, oh yes. Todd really is a kind and caring guy. Congrats to a pro!


Randy
tvrandywest.com
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: MikeK on June 23, 2012, 10:11:09 PM
What Randy said.

When I saw Todd host the Hollywood Showdown tryouts in Pittsburgh in 2000, a good friend and I agreed that he was real good at the craft, and that was when he was merely a pup.  (30, give or take a year?)  On top of being a great emcee, Todd has always been approachable and professional every time I have seen him, whether at GSN roadshow events or at Game Show Congresses.  The Emmy really couldn't go to a better guy.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: Vahan_Nisanian on June 23, 2012, 10:11:10 PM
Off-topic, but did the Emmys do an In memoriam feature? And were Dick Clark and Bob Stewart mentioned?
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: tvrandywest on June 23, 2012, 10:19:45 PM
Off-topic, but did the Emmys do an In memoriam feature? And were Dick Clark and Bob Stewart mentioned?
Yes, and both.

Randy
tvrandywest.com
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: vtown7 on June 23, 2012, 10:30:50 PM
Very pleased for Todd!  Couldn't happen to a nicer fellow.

I've got tickets for TPIR Live for next week in Windsor... very excited to see Todd in person!
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: BrandonFG on June 23, 2012, 10:47:30 PM
Thought he was great on Hollywood Showdown (one of the better shows of the last decade-and-a-half IMO), and found him to had improved on Whammy!'s second season. I'm really surprised he hasn't gotten a syndicated show to host yet. He and Mark L. Walberg are two of the more underrated hosts of this generation.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: Winkfan on June 23, 2012, 11:33:38 PM
I just knew Todd would win! I kept saying YABBA DABBA DOO after Todd's name was announced.

Off-topic, but did the Emmys do an In memoriam feature? And were Dick Clark and Bob Stewart mentioned?
Yes, and both.

But they left out Elaine Stewart. <sarcasm meter on>I hope her ghost haunts the whole TV Academy.</sarcasm meter off>

And Todd forgot to mention the Winkster in his speech. Congrats, anyhoo.....

Cordially,
Tammy
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: chris319 on June 24, 2012, 04:49:26 AM
Todd should be doing TPIR on CBS. He is rock-solid when it comes to format. Unfortunately TPTB at the time never gave him a fair shot.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: BillCullen1 on June 24, 2012, 11:22:49 AM
Good for Todd and I'm glad that FGN is coming back for a third season.

In the Memoriam, in addition to Clark and Stewart, they should have also mentioned Richard Dawson.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: The Pyramids on June 24, 2012, 12:44:16 PM
Todd should be doing TPIR on CBS. He is rock-solid when it comes to format. Unfortunately TPTB at the time never gave him a fair shot.


Based on what I've seen he would run rings around Drew Carey.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: Matt Ottinger on June 24, 2012, 01:06:30 PM
Todd has taken a few hits on this board over the years
Hell, Bill Cullen has taken a few hits on this board over the years.  I think it's fair to say that the general opinion of Todd around here is overwhelmingly positive.  He is the modern incarnation of an old-school host who has seen his prospects decline of late through no fault of his own, but instead through the network mindset that shows need to be hosted by known stand-up comics.  That's nonsense, of course, as the overall track record has clearly shown.  I hope this well-deserved and overdue recognition helps nudge him up a few lines on the want lists for future projects.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: Jimmy Owen on June 24, 2012, 01:16:45 PM
I'm glad Todd won and hopefully will get the next network level show that makes it to air.  He deserves a wider audience.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: clemon79 on June 24, 2012, 01:22:14 PM
I hope this well-deserved and overdue recognition helps nudge him up a few lines on the want lists for future projects.
While I agree and generally like Todd (and really, for as much as he has trouble controlling THE VOLUME OF HIS VOICE, Whammy! was a good vehicle for him; his problem was that he didn't dial it down when he needed to), all I'm saying is:

Don't give him The Pyramid. :)
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: tvrandywest on June 24, 2012, 01:31:25 PM
This is the kind of guy Todd is:

"Randy-my brother on stage and off, we are only as good as those we surround ourselves with. I'm blessed to have spent years with you. I've learned so much from our time together. Here's to many more years of friendship and smiling contestants!! I share this win with you."


Randy
tvrandywest.com
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: clemon79 on June 24, 2012, 01:32:44 PM
"Randy-my brother on stage and off, we are only as good as those we surround ourselves with. I'm blessed to have spent years with you. I've learned so much from our time together. Here's to many more years of friendship and smiling contestants!! I share this win with you."
Ah, fark it. Give him The Pyramid. :)
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: JMFabiano on June 24, 2012, 01:46:16 PM
Todd should be doing TPIR on CBS. He is rock-solid when it comes to format. Unfortunately TPTB at the time never gave him a fair shot.


Based on what I've seen he would run rings around Drew Carey.

Yeah, I've enjoyed him the two out of three times I was at TPIR Live (David Ruprecht was there the other time).  And I could have sworn he got the job to groom him eventually for the CBS version.  But I guess they wanted a name, plus someone different from Barker (Todd does borrow a bit from Bob's schtick, like the teasing reveals)
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: clemon79 on June 24, 2012, 01:49:11 PM
But I guess they wanted a name, plus someone different from Barker (Todd does borrow a bit from Bob's schtick, like the teasing reveals)
They wanted a name. They would have otherwise been totally content with a clone of Barker minus the a) late-career senility and b) treatment of his co-workers.

/and by "treatment" I mean "porking"
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: chris319 on June 24, 2012, 02:36:47 PM
But I guess they wanted a name, plus someone different from Barker (Todd does borrow a bit from Bob's schtick, like the teasing reveals)
They wanted a name. They would have otherwise been totally content with a clone of Barker
They wanted Dave Price and they pissed away a lot of money doing "auditions" of him that didn't pan out. They settled for Drew, who didn't have to audition for TPIR but is buddies with Les Moonves and Nina Tassler, and he's taking them to the cleaners IMHO.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: 14gameshows on June 24, 2012, 05:41:08 PM
Amen brother!
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: jjman920 on June 24, 2012, 10:10:03 PM
I didn't think Todd would win, but a very well deserved congratulations to him! I couldn't be more happier for him, because out of all the nominees he seemed to be the modest one. He's had one of those careers where you knew who he was, but he never "exploded" onto the scene, but as others said that was no fault of his own. It is so nice to see him snag one.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: dmota104 on June 25, 2012, 09:26:23 PM
Best Game Show Host, Todd won for Family Game Night on HUB.

Todd has taken a few hits on this board over the years, but in my not-so-humble opinion, few have deserved this recognition more. In 13 years of working with Todd - thousands of stage performances and TV episodes - he has always stretched to make his work fresh, relateable and fun for the audiences, as well as fun for those working with him.

Barker, Pat, Alex and the other veterans are all masters at their craft, but they are also so well-supported by large staffs who have been doing it for years. Todd has shown poise and polish when the staffs are small, the back-up from cue cards and prompters limited, the audiences unfamiliar with the show, the equipment unpredictable, and every other kind of challenge.

And, oh yes. Todd really is a kind and caring guy. Congrats to a pro!

I loved his work -- and yours as well, Randy -- on "Hollywood Showdown".  He did a fantastic job with "Whammy!"  

We were bummed when the odds of a third season of "Family Game Night" didn't look great.  Thankfully, it's since been renewed and Todd has his well-earned Emmy.

Going forward, if we're not talking about a fourth, fifth, etc., season of FGN, something's wrong here.  As I opined before, Team FGN is made up of a group of folks who know how to produce a quality game show.  I don't mind telling you I have the video game ("Family Game Night 4: The Game Show") at home.

By my recollection, no cable game show has last beyond six seasons (WBSM had six seasons on Comedy Central, "Remote Control" had five seasons over three years on MTV plus one seasons in syndication, Canadian-based TNCR had five seasons on USA Network).  If there's a group that can break that record, it's Team FGN.

Congrats, Todd.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: clemon79 on June 25, 2012, 10:14:26 PM
Canadian-based TNCR had five seasons on USA Network).
It only *felt* like ten.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: TLEberle on June 25, 2012, 10:36:07 PM
Canadian-based TNCR had five seasons on USA Network).
It only *felt* like ten.
Interesting, last week I watched an episode of the show back when they had pairs of contestants and a jackpot that kicked off at the dizzying heights of $3,000.

And I liked it. Sure, the set looked like someone horked up pink and blue on plywood that was bought in bulk, and the contestants were likely playing a game in their second language, but it was a good game that moved along and had gobs of play along value. They were certainly closer to the mark than Davies unt Co. ever were.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: clemon79 on June 25, 2012, 10:46:57 PM
They were certainly closer to the mark than Davies unt Co. ever were.
I'm not disagreeing. At least Davies had Instant Reaction, though. Neither one of them hold a candle to Uncle Bill.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: BrandonFG on June 25, 2012, 10:51:26 PM
It's been close to 6 years so my memory may be off. Wasn't the Davies' version's problem the idiotic but attractive contestants? I seem to remember the show itself being okay.

/Theme song was pretty lousy too
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: TLEberle on June 25, 2012, 10:54:09 PM
Wasn't the Davies' version's problem the idiotic but attractive contestants? I seem to remember the show itself being okay.
I'd give half-credit because I also thought the wagering round was ill-fitting, especially given the contestants.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: PYLdude on June 25, 2012, 10:56:44 PM
It's been close to 6 years so my memory may be off. Wasn't the Davies' version's problem the idiotic but attractive contestants? I seem to remember the show itself being okay.

/Theme song was pretty lousy too

The betting round was dumb too, and Dylan Lane didn't set the world on fire.

Not to say GSN had done a solid job choosing hosts during that era anyway- although I gotta figure Roger Lodge might have done better if they gave him this instead of the dud Camouflage turned out to be.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: clemon79 on June 25, 2012, 11:01:12 PM
I seem to remember the show itself being okay.
No, it was pretty much crap top to bottom.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: TLEberle on June 25, 2012, 11:16:39 PM
I'm not disagreeing. At least Davies had Instant Reaction, though. Neither one of them hold a candle to Uncle Bill.
That's not even arguable, really. That's just plain ol' incontrovertible scientific fact.
Title: Todd Newton
Post by: Mrs. GameShow on June 27, 2012, 12:56:13 AM
Steve just posted a post on his Facebook page Congratulating Todd.  

Go check it out.

Remember the easiest way to reach Steve if you haven't "liked" his FB page is to go to his website and click the FB link.

[color="#000080"][size="7"][/size]Steve Ryan Games (http://"www.steveryangames.com")[/color]


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