The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: gamed121683 on March 25, 2016, 05:54:06 PM
-
Here's a fun question about the patron saint of our forum that should stir up some healthy conversation. This might be a "Which of your kids do you love more?" style of query, but I'll still ask it. Here goes:
In your opinion, what was the best game show ever hosted by Bill Cullen & why? which game show did Bill Cullen do his best work?
-
In your opinion, what was the best game show ever hosted by Bill Cullen & why?
At risk of stirring the pot, I'll offer that this is a different question than "On which game show did Bill Cullen do his best work?" I would even argue that this is a different answer as well.
-
At risk of stirring the pot, I'll offer that this is a different question than "On which game show did Bill Cullen do his best work?" I would even argue that this is a different answer as well.
I like this. I think his best show was Blockbusters, but I would suggest his best work probably came from Eye Guess or The Price Is Right.
-
In your opinion, what was the best game show ever hosted by Bill Cullen & why?
At risk of stirring the pot, I'll offer that this is a different question than "On which game show did Bill Cullen do his best work?" I would even argue that this is a different answer as well.
You know, not only did you stir the pot...you made the pot taste better! I'll change my original post accordingly.
-
Given that Bob Stewart gave Bill just about free reign to host how he saw fit I would say that any of Eye Guess, TPIR or Three on a Match would be fine answers for me. Watching him host $25,000 Pyramid is an interesting exercise but he's so hamstrung by the format that he doesn't get to host to his full potential where a lighter game that is more driven by the host would allow. (And really, Blockbusters also walks that fine line of move the game along but have fun as well expertly.)
And yes, I realize that I named a bunch of game shows in a post that asks "pick one. Bill's just that darn good.
-
Kinds tough call, as there were a handful of really weak games where Bill adjusted his hosting style to fit. Bill was very polished and relaxed with great games like Blockbusters, TPIR and Chain Reaction. Since Eye Guess had lots of laugh potential, he was more of a pixie (after all, who else would adjust their eyeglasses on a board game cover shot?). Games like Winning Streak, Pass The Buck and Blankety Blanks has Bill pulling the wagons to try and get them up and over the hill. If nothing else, it shows that Bill was probably the most flexible and intuitive game show host ever. He knew when the games would work and when they needed lots of help. And he was happier on the better ones, professional on all of them.
-
A tough question indeed. After thinking about it, I would say Uncle Bill's best work as a host was on his signature show TPIR. Three on a Match and Child's Play are close behind. These shows allowed Bill to have fun and be entertaining while moving the game along at a good pace. I've only seen a couple of clips of Eye Guess. Blankety Blanks and Pass The Buck didn't last that long and Winning Streak changed its rules every week.
As a panelist, hands down Bill was great on IGAS. The free wheeling format of that show was not as restricting as TTTT, though Bill did a good job on both. On the last show of IGAS when the panel said their goodbyes, Bill said "I feel like I'm stealing the money." That's when you know you have the perfect job.
-
I find myself in the Blockbusters camp when it comes to the question "what's his best work". But that unfortunately is based on a lack of familiarity with his other work, at least to the point where one could say that he took careful consideration and had plenty of jobs to choose from.
Not to say that I haven't enjoyed seeing snything Bill did, because certainly I have.
-
One could argue that Hot Potato was another "pulling the wagon" show, especially when they switched to celebs. The format itself was simple enough, if not derivative of Family Feud. The bonus game, however, had some originality. I think I had mentioned on a fairly recent post that when I played this game at a GSC years ago, I noticed how bland of a game it was without a "Bill Cullen" hosting.
You can tell Bill isn't really having as much fun with the celebs, in fact when he announces they are switching to celebs, you can almost see the look on his face thinking "okay, we'll see what we can do to make that work." The "three of a kind" setup worked fine, especially with the threesomes dressed to look like the occupation they did.
The show didn't need celebrities, and some looked like they'd rather not be there. When Arte Johnson was on, if there was a question he liked, he'd be enthusiastic and funny, however, if there was a question he didn't like, he would just give a nonsense answer and retreat to the bench in the back, like he didn't care. For example, there was a question about Dennis the Menace, which he clearly knew nothing about, so instead of passing the hot potato and hoping the opponents know less than him (which would've been a much better strategy), he gives a nonsensical answer, thus making his team one less person. Jan Murray did this too, he'd play more for laughs, but at least he looked like he kinda wanted to be there. (In fact I would've passed it to Jan, who would be more likely to give a funny answer instead of one that fit the question) The final episode also had the worst editing for the end. At the end, the celebs gathered together on one side of the stage, leaving one contestant standing alone, but yet they inserted shots of the contestant and celebs all standing where they should be, which looked very awkward. The final show also had more frantic pacing because they knew it would be the last show for the season, and they wanted to fit in at least 2 full games.
-
An interesting note about Hot Potato - Jack Barry was going to host it, till NBC told him "We'll put in on if you get Bill Cullen to host." This was in Adam Nedeff's book.
-
As long as this has been bumped, I should say that I've recently gotten my hands on something that, once you see it, you might very well consider Bill's worst.
Not a game show. Details to follow.
-
Not an unseen episode of The Love Experts, I hope.
-
An interesting note about Hot Potato - Jack Barry was going to host it, till NBC told him "We'll put in on if you get Bill Cullen to host." This was in Adam Nedeff's book.
Would've been a whole different show if Barry hosted... if Jack Barry did end up hosting Hot Potato, do you think he would've left TJW to Jim Peck? (which he intended on doing anyway) One thing for sure, Jack wouidn't be able to handle the show with celebs... I thought his hosting Break the Bank was passable, it's not all that horrible IMO, but of course Tom Kennedy was far better.
-
An interesting note about Hot Potato - Jack Barry was going to host it, till NBC told him "We'll put in on if you get Bill Cullen to host." This was in Adam Nedeff's book.
Would've been a whole different show if Barry hosted... if Jack Barry did end up hosting Hot Potato, do you think he would've left TJW to Jim Peck? (which he intended on doing anyway) One thing for sure, Jack wouidn't be able to handle the show with celebs... I thought his hosting Break the Bank was passable, it's not all that horrible IMO, but of course Tom Kennedy was far better.
Jack would have died mid-run and the "Diff'rent Strokes" reruns would have come on a few weeks early.
-
Because I have more memories of Eye Guess than there are available shows today, and because my memories of his old Price have all but faded completely, I have to go with Eye Guess. There was real comedy in that show and Bill was a funny host. It deserves a revival but who'd make the best host?
-
It deserves a revival
It really doesn't.
-
It deserves a revival
It really doesn't.
Why doesn't it?
-
I love it personally, but it's a very slight and repetitive game. I loved it as the end game on Get the Picture, and I think you could do something with it as an end game to Concentration. I just don't think rounds of that straight through can carry a show. Additionally I don't think there's a host that would be able to play up the humor angle without hitting us over the head with it.
As long as Sunday Funday isn't including Go I think Eye Guess should ride the pine.
-
I love it personally, but it's a very slight and repetitive game. I loved it as the end game on Get the Picture, and I think you could do something with it as an end game to Concentration. I just don't think rounds of that straight through can carry a show. Additionally I don't think there's a host that would be able to play up the humor angle without hitting us over the head with it.
As long as Sunday Funday isn't including Go I think Eye Guess should ride the pine.
Fair points.
I would be more afraid of the show turning out like the attempted Concentration clone that Stewart mounted with Henry Polic II.
I think it could be doable but so much has to be right about it that I would wonder if the effort would be worth it.
-
Honestly, I think Eye Guess would be a wonderful game for Jimmy Fallon to take on. Lots of laughs to be had there.
-
Because it would last one segment and not an entire show.
-
Nickelodeon's Think Fast also had a game quite similar to Eye Guess. Also, there was Art James' Matches and Mates, which was basically the same game with more answers, only you weren't shown where the answers were in advance, and there was a Hangman element too where you had to solve a word. I would tend to agree with Travis only because Bill Cullen made the game fun to watch, but there was some humor in picking the wrong answers even without Bill having to make a comment to make it even funnier. I would give the game a chance with the right host.
-
I think the show could work on GSN, but it would need more than just the "memorize eight words, then recall their positions".
That could be one round, then have a round where the contestants watch a music video or TV/movie clip. After the clip, the host asks a few questions about little things in the clip; not dialogue, but stuff like "What color was the detective's hat?" Same could be done with showing a picture for a few seconds.
-
After the clip, the host asks a few questions about little things in the clip; not dialogue, but stuff like "What color was the detective's hat?"
And then they could play the Triple Crown for TEN-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CASH!!!111!!ELEVEN
-
I think the show could work on GSN, but it would need more than just the "memorize eight words, then recall their positions".
That could be one round, then have a round where the contestants watch a music video or TV/movie clip. After the clip, the host asks a few questions about little things in the clip; not dialogue, but stuff like "What color was the detective's hat?" Same could be done with showing a picture for a few seconds.
There were a couple of Canadian shows that had that kind of format - I Saw That, which was syndicated from 1973-75 (taped at Hamilton's CHCH), and Eye Bet in 1972-73, seen on CTV and hosted by Jim Perry. Unfortunately not much seems to exist of either show, although I know of someone who has an episode of the former.
-
So now we're back to Hit Man.
Seriously, I've long thought something with the Hit Man conceit of having to answer questions about a video presentation you've just seen (minus the video game stuff) would have been just as good for the E/I requirement as any of the crap that actually does get it.
-
I'm going against the curve and opining that Bill at his worst was Hot Potato and The Joker's Wild. Cullen appeared lost and out of his element in both shows.
-
He was also oldest and at his least healthy.
-
Oh, if only this still existed - https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=993701467334069&id=189359747768249&substory_index=0.
-
Oh, if only this still existed - https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=993701467334069&id=189359747768249&substory_index=0.
This remains one of my Holy Grails. I have descriptions for even more shows than that on my website, which I will be relocating shortly.
-
I'm going against the curve and opining that Bill at his worst was Hot Potato and The Joker's Wild. Cullen appeared lost and out of his element in both shows.
I thought he handled Hot Potato very well, even with the upstaging celebrities. The Joker's Wild, on the other hand, was definitely mishandled. Bill was already "past retirement" with Hot Potato... even someone associated with the show said that it didn't make sense to replace Jack Barry with someone whose health wasn't all that great. However, the powers that be didn't think Jim Peck was well known enough and wanted a very established name to host. Bill was fine on TJW, it's just that his slower pacing and lack of opportunities to joke around made the game overall seem slow. They got Jim to fill in for Bill at least once, and I'll bet they would've had Jim complete the run if Bill wasn't well enough to return.
-
I think the show could work on GSN, but it would need more than just the "memorize eight words, then recall their positions".
That could be one round, then have a round where the contestants watch a music video or TV/movie clip. After the clip, the host asks a few questions about little things in the clip; not dialogue, but stuff like "What color was the detective's hat?" Same could be done with showing a picture for a few seconds.
Sure enough, I think Bill once did a primetime game show with movie clips on NBC in mid-1954, entitled Bank on the Stars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tyCy7X7Dnw