The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: gamed121683 on September 13, 2025, 06:04:28 AM
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Of course we focus on the minutiae of game shows quite a bit here, but for this pair of questions maybe we can go beyond the buzzers, so to speak.
1. Was there ever a game show host that you felt was an inspiration? Not necessarily by sparking a love for the genre or motivated you to go into TV or broadcasting, but in other aspects of life (Ex. Social skills or how they carried themselves) and why?
2. I wonder if any of you had a game show related crush growing up. (Should I prepare for a bunch of Vanna stories?)
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Philbin, and whichever Lingo assistant had the accent (Stacey?).
EDIT: Yeah, it was Stacey.
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1. For me, it was definitely Barker, but more because of how he hosted TorC than TPIR. Although I was barely 8 years old by the time he stopped hosting TorC, I really picked up on how he drew out the best aspects of the contestants without belaboring the procession. Eventually that style transferred over to TPIR. And of course he was a stickler on doing everything live-to-tape. In my current business development occupation, I often engage my prospects in small talk, but, because of influences such as Bob, I feel that I know when to shift the conversation to indicate the real purpose of my call.
2. Dian on TPIR at first but eventually Holly. ;D
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Based on the subject, I thought this was going to be about Erik Estrada hitting Bill Maher on Pictionary.
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One thing I noticed as a young kid in the '70s is how genuinely nice Bill Cullen was. He seemed to be at ease talking to the contestants, getting laughs out of them and making them feel welcome. I know there are other hosts that were also very good at this, but because Bill hosted so many shows I noticed this more with him than anyone else.
As for crushes, there were quite a few contestants that were very attractive!
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1 - Bill Cullen would be my obvious choice, but when I started performing, and eventually hosting my own local PBS quiz, a huge influence on me was Jim Perry.
2 - Heather Cunningham from The Big Showdown.
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One thing I noticed as a young kid in the '70s is how genuinely nice Bill Cullen was. He seemed to be at ease talking to the contestants, getting laughs out of them and making them feel welcome. I know there are other hosts that were also very good at this, but because Bill hosted so many shows I noticed this more with him than anyone else.
I couldn't have said it better. As for crushes, I grew up watching Barker's Beauties. I thought Janice was the elegant one, Dian the sexy one and Holly the lovable klutz.
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1. Alex Trebek (and during the Millionaire craze, Regis Philbin).
2. Does being a celebrity guest on game shows such as six weeks of Match Game 90 and four weeks of To Tell the Truth 90 count? If so, then Khrystyne Haje (before you ask, "Who?" she's the 1986-91 Head of the Class co-star who I call my "retro crush," okay?).
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As for crushes, I grew up watching Barker's Beauties. I thought Janice was the elegant one, Dian the sexy one and Holly the lovable klutz.
The female guest celebs I always looked forward to seeing on game shows were Adrienne Barbeau, Elaine Joyce and Valerie Bertinelli.
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Not me necessarily, but I do recall reading that when Mila Kunis immigrated to the US as a child, she learned to speak English by watching TPiR because Bob Barker spoke very clearly and deliberately, making him easy to understand.
As someone on the autism spectrum, I still sometimes struggle with speaking too quietly and fumbling over my words. I often go back and watch not just Barker, but the other old-school MCs who had extremely good diction and projection to help myself communicate better.
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When I started performing, and eventually hosting my own local PBS quiz, a huge influence on me was Jim Perry.
Good anticipation.
Was there ever a game show host that you felt was an inspiration?
Matt:Jim Perry::Chad:Marc Summers. Double Dare as a whole has had a huge influence on me, but Marc's combination of playfulness and professionalism in his hosting is something that has an impression on me any time I have a microphone in my hand.
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1. Cullen, without a doubt, and not least because he was from Pittsburgh (where I grew up).
2. Carol Merrill, then Holly. Clearly, I'm a girl-next-door kinda guy.
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1. Dunno if I’d call it an inspiration but I think I’ve mentioned here some of my dry humor might’ve come from Pat Sajak, although I think I get that more from sitcom characters like early-Brian Griffin or Chandler Bing. I’m racking my brain to think of someone who might’ve inspired my bar trivia hosting style…maybe Trebek with a hint of Bill Rafferty or Geoff Edwards? Friendly but slightly sarcastic.
2. Vanna was definitely one of my earliest crushes. My cousin and I would play fight over who got to kiss the TV screen anytime they showed her on Wheel. As I got older, Kathleen Bradley and Claudia Jordan became the new crushes. I’d stopped kissing the TV at this point tho.
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1. Jim Perry, without a doubt. Quick on his feet, could be serious and build tension, could be funny without dwelling or upstaging, and had confidence. He's absolutely my model for how I teach and present.
2. I really had to think about this, but I'd say the first one I had an actual crush on was Shandi from Lingo. As an adult and looking back, either Jan Speck or Holly Hallstrom. :)
Anthony
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1. Cullen, of course, but as time went on, you could see the strengths of other hosts. At first, I wasn't that much of a fan of Gene Rayburn. After talking with a good friend and later reading Adam's book, I got to appreciate how his style made weak formats tolerable.
2. Debbie Bartlett. Of course, by the time Every Second Counts arrived, it was futile to have a crush with the wife looking over my shoulder...
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First query: Hands down, Elaine (Gambit) Stewart. I've said many times over, she had the biggest influence on me as a 10-year-old.
Second query: While the Winkster was my biggest GS crush, I must admit my first one was Jim Lange.
Cordially,
Tammy
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Eubanks and Rafferty. Both had a hosting style that was easily relatable, and they genuinely rooted for contestants. I love Bob's bravado when he walks out during the opening on Card Sharks, intros himself and then brings out Lacey and Suzanna using language that showed they're all friends. Bill, with his New York accent, "come on over and win five thousand bucks" on Blockbusters was great. Both of them are people that made contestants feel at ease even in high tense moments where a lot of money was at stake. They have a "We're gonna do this together"-style hosting. Their pace while speaking is also important. They were deliberate and did not rush through rules or speak too fast, and came across as a human being you might just bump into somewhere in life and strike up a conversation.
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Eubanks and Rafferty. Both had a hosting style that was easily relatable, and they genuinely rooted for contestants. I love Bob's bravado when he walks out during the opening on Card Sharks, intros himself and then brings out Lacey and Suzanna using language that showed they're all friends. Bill, with his New York accent, "come on over and win five thousand bucks" on Blockbusters was great. Both of them are people that made contestants feel at ease even in high tense moments where a lot of money was at stake. They have a "We're gonna do this together"-style hosting. Their pace while speaking is also important. They were deliberate and did not rush through rules or speak too fast, and came across as a human being you might just bump into somewhere in life and strike up a conversation.
While I will go to my reward saying Bob was miscast on Card Sharks, there's no misunderstanding that he wanted everyone to do well. I don't know if I would call his style bravado but bringing his personality from Newlywed Game over and it worked well enough to get three years out of the format.
That said I adored how Bill was so different in terms of presentation and temperament. There was nobody like him.
Over the last couple of years I have gotten to work with Reach for the Top reading packets for online tournaments featuring middle schoolers. Several times I have exhorted the youngsters to "give me volume! I want to hear those right answers!" or coaching up to not stress over misses--there's never a penalty for a wrong answer other than the other team getting to try. Getting to tell Matt O seriously and sincerely that I nicked some of his phrasing but all of his friendliness and love for seeing young people shine, and he loved that quiz bowl was being passed on to another generation.