The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: SamJ93 on October 09, 2004, 08:57:06 AM

Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: SamJ93 on October 09, 2004, 08:57:06 AM: Well, might as well milk this topic for all it's worth and ask...what would you say are the easiest and hardest game shows to be the announcer for?

My easiest would probably be any show where the only real prize is cash--J!, FF, Perry-era CS. Read the opening intro, sit back and watch/eat lunch/read a magazine/whatever for 30 minutes, read the fee plugs at the end, and paycheck.

Hardest would have to be either TPiR or LMaD.

--Sam
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: JasonA1 on October 09, 2004, 10:22:53 AM: I'm sure there are more like it, but when "Password" reverted back to contestants post All-Stars on ABC, John Harlan only read a pair of plugs at the end of the program. The intro was spoken by Allen Ludden.

-Jason
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: Jimmy Owen on October 09, 2004, 11:45:09 AM: Of course, on the old skool shows, the announcer did audience warm-ups, but as I recall, all Bob Clayton had to do on "Blankety Blanks" is say "It's the Blankety Blanks, starring Bill Cullen." There were no fee plugs.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: FeudDude on October 09, 2004, 11:54:52 AM: Hardest: TPIR - lots of copy, requires enthusiasm but not when it's uncalled for, interaction with Bob and the contestants, and of course the warmup. In the past, it also involved some acting in the Showcase skits - we can only hope that they'll let Rich try his hand at that.

Easiest: Current-day Family Feud. All Burton does is say the intro and sometimes a ticket plug. He doesn't even do warmup, from what I've read.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: aaron sica on October 09, 2004, 12:17:17 PM: "Match Game" is pretty easy as well. Intro, ticket plug, fee plugs, and exit - that's about it.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: Winkfan on October 09, 2004, 03:51:33 PM: Quote from: aaron sica on October 09, 2004, 12:17:17 PM
"Match Game" is pretty easy as well. Intro, ticket plug, fee plugs, and exit - that's about it.

ALMOST any celebrity game show would be easiest to announce. The one exception I could think of would have to be Hollywood Squares, because either Kenny or Shadoe would also have to describe the 'secret square' prizes.

I also think Johnny Jacobs' announcing duties for Chuck Barris were a 'piece of cake' for him; except for the $1.98 Beauty Show, where Johnny would often give tidbits about the ladies during the 'swimsuit' competition.

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Della Reese of the Big Board!'
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: ChuckNet on October 09, 2004, 11:32:35 PM: Rod Charlevoix had it pretty easy on The New Chain Reaction during Blake Emmons' brief reign...all he had to do was say "The game is...TNCR...and here's our host, BE!", and that's it.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: mystery7 on October 10, 2004, 01:28:13 AM: But when Geoff Edwards took over Chain Reaction, Rod was on camera for The Home Game. Not really harder, but more involved.

Jay Stewart on LMAD didn't have it easy with all that running up and down the aisles and the quick wardrobe changes for the Zonk skits. I got a glimpse of how Jay operated on the Behind The Scenes special a friend dubbed for me. It'd make an aspring announcer think real hard about his career choice!
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: tvrandywest on October 10, 2004, 01:49:23 AM: Quote
Jay Stewart on LMAD didn't have it easy with all that running up and down the aisles and the quick wardrobe changes for the Zonk skits. I got a glimpse of how Jay operated on the Behind The Scenes special a friend dubbed for me. It'd make an aspring announcer think real hard about his career choice!

Amen to that. That was an awesome documentary. Must see for anyone who wants to get a sense of the backstage reality of game shows.

I'm embarrassed to report that one former game show host who later in his career had been reduced (in his mind) to announcer was watching Sunday football games with an earpiece from his portable television in one ear and the game show's director in the other ear. He actually seemed bothered to have his viewing interrupted for the few seconds of copy he read. Shameful, imho.

Randy
tvrandywest
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: Chief-O on October 10, 2004, 09:36:10 AM: "Card Sharks", even in the Eubanks days, seemed simple. Open show. Describe car. Close show. That's all.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: Ian Wallis on October 10, 2004, 02:10:26 PM: One of the easiest would be the late '70s "Newlywed Game". Just read the couples names on the intro, introduce Bob, desribe the winning prize and close with "this has been a Chuck Barris production". The mid-show fee plugs were all post-produced.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: uncamark on October 11, 2004, 06:23:38 PM: Of course, in most cases the announcers are/were watching the show and cueing the audience to applaud or respond all through the show, unless the announcer's on tape or isolated away from the audience or someone else does the warmup and does all of the audience cueing.

Which makes Rod Charlebois' job the easiest--he didn't have to cue an audience at all!
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: BrandonFG on October 11, 2004, 06:28:28 PM: [quote name=\'FeudDude\' date=\'Oct 9 2004, 10:54 AM\']Easiest: Current-day Family Feud. All Burton does is say the intro and sometimes a ticket plug. He doesn't even do warmup, from what I've read.
[snapback]60188[/snapback]
[/quote]

And if I'm not mistaken, the contestant plug is probably something that was recorded a while ago, and just inserted in post-prod., no?
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: cyhh2002 on June 22, 2007, 05:35:22 PM: [quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'60190\' date=\'Oct 9 2004, 08:17 AM\']
"Match Game" is pretty easy as well. Intro, ticket plug, fee plugs, and exit - that's about it.
[/quote]

Actually, announcing on the Match Game was easy, except during the ticket plug where Johnny Olson would occasionally chuckle while looking at those funny faces.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: MTCesquire on June 22, 2007, 06:50:15 PM: First thing I thought of when reading the topic was "$25/100K Pyramid". Announcer of the week intros the show, the celebs, and Dick, and the fee plugs (and Mystery 7 prize if won) at the end. I guess we can pretty much say any show that only required the intro and the outro without any "work" in between would be the easiest jobs to announce.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: The Ol' Guy on June 23, 2007, 10:19:35 PM: I'd appreciate the help on a couple of shows that stick in my mind from way back - IIRC, Arte Johnson opened Knockout with a "hello", a short, flip comment to the audience and viewers, then proceeded to start the game. No announcer open -
Then with Missing Links, the three celebs introduced themselves over the opening theme (perhaps the host as well), and the announcer's one line was "and the name of the game is Missing Links", or something to that effect. I seem to remember the host introducing and welcoming each contestant, and not hearing any announcer until a couple of credits at the end.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: davemackey on June 23, 2007, 10:32:52 PM: [quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' post=\'155913\' date=\'Jun 23 2007, 10:19 PM\']
Then with Missing Links, the three celebs introduced themselves over the opening theme (perhaps the host as well), and the announcer's one line was "and the name of the game is Missing Links", or something to that effect. I seem to remember the host introducing and welcoming each contestant, and not hearing any announcer until a couple of credits at the end.
[/quote]
Actually, that was the way that "You Don't Say" opened for its original NBC run as well. We didn't actually hear from Jay Stewart or John Harlan until they started whispering the names or there was a Bonus Board home viewer submission to start the show.

Since this has actually become an open topic again (and please, new folks, be careful about bumping up very old stuff), the hardest announce job had to have been the original "Wheel of Fortune" with shopping rounds. Charlie O'Donnell or Jack Clark had to have all the prizes for each shopping round laid out in front of them and they pulled the index cards of the prize copy they needed to read as the contestants were doing their shopping. Plus, they had to do them all in ascending dollar amount order. Very tough, but both of them managed to pull it off. (It must have been a bear for the director and camera crew too.)
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: SRIV94 on June 23, 2007, 10:54:59 PM: [quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' post=\'155913\' date=\'Jun 23 2007, 09:19 PM\']
I'd appreciate the help on a couple of shows that stick in my mind from way back - IIRC, Arte Johnson opened Knockout with a "hello", a short, flip comment to the audience and viewers, then proceeded to start the game. No announcer open -
[/quote]
Arte did start KNOCKOUT that way, but threw it to whoever was announcing (Jay Stewart and John Harlan were among those who handled those chores, IIRC) to intro the contestants and reintroduce Arte. As to whether Johnson interviewed the contestants briefly before launching into the game, I don't recall.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: Casey Buck on June 24, 2007, 12:05:18 AM: What about the Big Sweep play-by-play from Supermarket Sweep? Granted, it was done in post-production with help from the staff's writers, but it was still a 2-4 minute marathon voiceover (depending on how much sweep time was earned).

Of course, Randy and Johnny just made it look easy. ;)
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: Robert Hutchinson on June 24, 2007, 03:12:26 AM: [quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'155915\' date=\'Jun 23 2007, 10:32 PM\']Since this has actually become an open topic again (and please, new folks, be careful about bumping up very old stuff), the hardest announce job had to have been the original "Wheel of Fortune" with shopping rounds.[/quote]
In addition to what you mentioned, you could always tell that there was pressure whenever the contestant bought about a dozen prizes. Read this quickly, because it's eating up show time and boring the viewers--but stay completely "up" the whole way through, too.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: narzo on June 24, 2007, 05:42:47 AM: [quote name=\'cyhh2002\' post=\'155850\' date=\'Jun 22 2007, 03:35 PM\']
[quote name=\'aaron sica\' post=\'60190\' date=\'Oct 9 2004, 08:17 AM\']
"Match Game" is pretty easy as well. Intro, ticket plug, fee plugs, and exit - that's about it.
[/quote]

Actually, announcing on the Match Game was easy, except during the ticket plug where Johnny Olson would occasionally chuckle while looking at those funny faces.
[/quote]

Congrats on bringing back a two and a half year old discussion.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: catkins522 on June 24, 2007, 08:37:27 AM: [quote name=\'FeudDude\' post=\'60188\' date=\'Oct 9 2004, 11:54 AM\']
Easiest: Current-day Family Feud. All Burton does is say the intro and sometimes a ticket plug. He doesn't even do warmup, from what I've read.
[/quote]

I'm wondering if he stills sings during breaks. He sings wonderfully on Sunday at church.

Charles
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: Jimmy Owen on June 24, 2007, 10:00:55 AM: One difficult show to do was Monty's BTC, if only for the ending when Jack Narz had to say "Stay tuned for Celebrity Pew next over most of these CBS stations!"
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: Kevin Prather on June 24, 2007, 02:23:05 PM: [quote name=\'narzo\' post=\'155923\' date=\'Jun 24 2007, 02:42 AM\']
Congrats on bringing back a two and a half year old discussion.
[/quote]
Hey, this is the right way to do it. Better to add to a thread that already exists than to start a new one, right?
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: clemon79 on June 24, 2007, 02:59:33 PM: [quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'155938\' date=\'Jun 24 2007, 11:23 AM\']
[quote name=\'narzo\' post=\'155923\' date=\'Jun 24 2007, 02:42 AM\']
Congrats on bringing back a two and a half year old discussion.
[/quote]
Hey, this is the right way to do it. Better to add to a thread that already exists than to start a new one, right?
[/quote]
Well said.

That also said, for him to claim that announcing on MG was easy, based on absolutely no personal experience. was um, well, wow.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: chris319 on June 24, 2007, 07:01:56 PM: Announcing MG easy? Johnny O. used to run around the stage doing a Kabuki-like pantomime, reacting to the questions and any funny answers that might come up. On CS, Gene Wood ran up and down the aisles giving the audience applause cues. He once counted the actual number of applause cues he had to give during a single show.

I suppose the easiest game shows to announce are ones where the announcer is pre-recorded and doesn't even have to show up at the studio to do warm-up.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: cmjb13 on June 24, 2007, 07:50:18 PM: [quote name=\'catkins522\' post=\'155926\' date=\'Jun 24 2007, 08:37 AM\']
[quote name=\'FeudDude\' post=\'60188\' date=\'Oct 9 2004, 11:54 AM\']
Easiest: Current-day Family Feud. All Burton does is say the intro and sometimes a ticket plug. He doesn't even do warmup, from what I've read.
[/quote]

I'm wondering if he stills sings during breaks. He sings wonderfully on Sunday at church.

Charles
[/quote]
He still sings during breaks. I know the warmup was quite interesting.

He runs through several instances where the audience has to repeat answers on the board. For example, if the last unrevealed answers was cars/trucks. He would tell people to say cars, then pause, say trucks, then applause. And when I was there last year, he scolded someone who was sitting to the right of the display board who just sat there instead of participating in the warmup.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: Don Howard on June 25, 2007, 08:28:52 AM: [quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'155915\' date=\'Jun 23 2007, 10:32 PM\']
Charlie O'Donnell or Jack Clark had to have all the prizes for each shopping round laid out in front of them and they pulled the index cards of the prize copy they needed to read as the contestants were doing their shopping. Plus, they had to do them all in ascending dollar amount order.[/quote]
I could only imagine what may have been going through their minds if someone solved, for example, a puzzle for $4000 and there was a fantazmo prize available for just under $4K. Would the V.O. fellow possibly have that card already pulled only to see the player go on a mondo shopping trip of eight or ten items and be thinking, "You %&#@! What the *&%$@ are you doing?"
My thinking, though, would be, "Righteous! More air time for me".
While watching at home, in the Alan Thicke music era, if I liked the prize description music, a minute or so of the descriptions didn't bother me. But when those Griffin themes took over, Yuck! Boring! Don't care!
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: tpirfan28 on June 25, 2007, 01:08:28 PM: From Brad Francini's WoF timeline...

Quote
Perhaps the most unpleasant moment for Pat during his first show was the second shopping round, in which a contestant with $3,000 opted to not pick the expensive hot tub in the showcase and instead purchased the other 14 prizes in the showcase, which led to a 2 1/2 minute marathon voice over for announcer Jack Clark.
That had to be nothing short of amazing. And for Mr. Howard...it was all over some Thicke cues.
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: clemon79 on June 25, 2007, 02:18:27 PM: [quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'155992\' date=\'Jun 25 2007, 10:08 AM\']
...it was all over some Thicke cues.
[/quote]
They'd have to be to run two and a half minutes, wouldn't they?

/all week, veal
Title: Easiest/hardest announcing jobs
Post by: uncamark on June 25, 2007, 05:19:30 PM: During his 80s stint on "Deal," Dick Carson did an article for a trade in which he said that doing the prize presentations after the shopping was the main challenge for him as a director--his goal was always to get the cameras and the limbo items together in the right order the first time so he wouldn't have to do pickups later. He didn't say what his success rate was. He also didn't say how frequent it was that the visuals were perfect, but the audio was blown by Jack Clark bobbling copy.

I'd love to find the article--I don't remember which publication it was in.