A representative from Time Magazine told us that Time.com has listed their top 15 game show hosts of all time and it’s very interesting. Check the site out here for the full list. Just expect some old standards like Bob Barker plus some unexpected ones. Any comments on it?
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High Rollers a “forgettable” game? And I thought Jack Barry’s role in the rigging of 21 was never as clear cut as he makes it? Where’s Peter Marshall? Millionaire “dumbing down” quiz shows?
It’s flawed, as most of these lists usually are. It’s still amusing to watch them try though.
Time got most of the major players in there but there were a few shockers. First of all I never thought Groucho would even make the list but I’m glad he did. He was a brilliant performer and emcee but I don’t think I would have put him at number 2, but I’m glad Time recognized Groucho as a real game show host. The next big shocker was Anne Robinson. Don’t ask me why but it just shocks me. The biggest shocker is Mr. Password, Allen Ludden being kept out. When GSN did their top 10 hosts, they left him out too. This is a shame. Ludden was one of the few emcee’s in the business to have absolute class as well as being intelligent and genuine. Let’s face if their was no Allen Ludden, there would have been no password, there would be no pyramid or any other celebrity-contestant game shows. If I had my choice I would replace Groucho with Ludden at no. 2,;Allen in my book, you deserve it. Thank you.
By the way anonymous you’re right. High Rollers is NO forgettable game!
I actually enjoyed the list. The unexpected hosts were decent choices (i.e. Regis), but I probably wouldn’t have included Anne Robinson. But all in all, it wasn’t a bad list, would like to see them round out to 20.
I don’t think TIME.com was ranking the game show hosts. They were just compiling fifteen of the best hosts. Jack Barry was a shocker, although it was a good shocker, as he created two of my favorite shows: The Joker’s Wild and Tic Tac Dough.
Bob Barker (#1): I don’t think he should be number 1 but I was expecting it.
Groucho Marx (#2): Overrated a smidge. He was great though don’t get me wrong.
Garry Moore (#3): Long overdue. 3 may be a little high though.
Gene Rayburn (#4): No issues
Bill Cullen (#5): Underrated a smidge there’s a reason he was hired 30+ times.
Pat Sajak (#6) Overrated. His hosting of wheel is very smooth but what else has he done?
Dick Clark (#7) No issues. maybe a smidge higher on the list.
Monty hall (#8) Underrated slightly.
Bob Eubanks (#9) No real issues But I didn’t like his style. I wouldn’t have him on the top 15 list Top 25 yes.
Alex Trebek (#10) WAYYYYYYYYY Underrated.
Johnny Carson (#11): Shouldn’t be there becuase his main claim to fame is not as a game show host. although he host Do You Trust your wife/who do you trust well.
Jack Barry (#12): I’m a huge Jack Barry fan so I dissapointed he’s so low.
Anne Robinson (#13): NO WAY! shouldn’t be there.
Richard Dawson (#14): He loses points for his ego trips. and inspiring the term “Dawsonitis” which is when a host’s ego begins to reflect in his hosting. Known sufferers: John Davidson, Pat Sajak, Bob Barker and Alex Trebek suffers a mild case.
Regis Philbin (#15): He mastered an art of letting the contestant be the star. However, his recent performance on “America’s Got Talented” knocks him down a bit. don’t get be wrong I am a huge fan of his talk show.
Conspicuous by their absense: ALLEN LUDDEN, CHUCK WOOLERY, PETER MARSHALL, Peter Tomarken, TOM KENNEDY, WINK MARTINDALE, BUD COLLYER, BERT CONVY, Marc Summers,
Carson, Robinson, and Philbin wouldve been replaced by Tom Kennedy, Chuck Woolery, and Allen Ludden on my list, and somehow, I would’ve found a way to squeeze Ray Combs in there.
The list I don’t think was a ranking either. Anybody who feels Groucho is the 2nd greatest host of all time overrates him just a tad bit…
As for the Dawson ego trip Marc mentioned, make note 3 of the hosts mentioned were “Sajak, Barker, and Trebek…”
INow I really don’t think any of their egos are really horrible (especially Sajak, wtf?), but of 3 game show hosts to have an ego, wouldn’t yah think (with Cullen as an only other exception) that they probably have the most reason to??…
Having been a former Wheel winner (1/27 and 1/30/1998 shows), I’ve met Pat Sajak. From my accounts, he was (and still is) a very friendly, cordial, and funny host. I guess some people compare deadpan humor with egotism…
For God’s sake Mr. Zooglin, We all know that Millionaire has not “dumbed down” quiz shows, that’s a load of absolute crap! If anything, Millionaire has forever set a new standard of making quiz shows smarter and better!
He is very misinformed about that, as well that High Rollers remark. I do agree with much of the list, but in typical media fashion, this list is subjective and has certain comments that continues to show that many in the media don’t really “get it” when it comes to the game show genre.
Oh well, that’s their problem I guess. It was an entertaining list though. And Yes…….BOB BARKER is #1 in my book. Cullen would be #2!
Tom Kennedy.
I always thought time was reputable, but where in the heck were Patrick Wayne, Jon Bauman, and Ron Maestri?
Unbelieveable.
Go National Bingo Night!
ALL RIGHT……………..
Who the (bleep) let the “rappin dragon” in here?! I thought the Dragon Slayer beheaded him a long ago, just so he couldn’t rap anymore! (shudder)
Oh wait………HE WAS A RAPPER, TOO! (double shudder)
My sword is at the ready in case he starts up again…
Go forth, brave knight, and slay the dragon!
This part of the blog is really lackin’!
Getting back to the topic…
Johnny Carson shouldn’t've been there, considering he’s much more famous for hosting “The Tonight Show”. I really didn’t care for Bob Eubanks’s style; don’t get me wrong, he seems like a nice guy, but I would’ve rather seen Tomarken or Combs in that position instead.
And I agree with Zach; Ludden definitely should’ve made the list, considering his show established the foundation for many bonus rounds to come. Tom Kennedy and Wink Martindale should’ve made it too…I’m actually surprised that Wink didn’t make the list, since even casual fans probably have either heard of him or seen him (to a greater extent than Kennedy, anyway).
Pat should’ve been a little lower; if he doesn’t fit the description of “one-hit wonder”, I don’t know who will. I think either Marshall or Bud Collyer belonged there.
i’m not touching the dragon argument with a ten-foot pole. :D
my immediate reaction was similar to the above… how did so many people get left out of this list? i was wondering where ludden and tomarken went off to, as well as a bunch of others… marc summed up most of my choices above.
i must give mention to the page on dick clark… i liked how the author put the winners’ circle round (only referred to as the “final round”) as “the most electric 60 seconds in all of TV gamedom.” very good imagery in that sentence right there. i probably wouldn’t agree with that statement to save my life, but it was very eloquently phrased. (pyramid had its moments, say, billy crystal, but there had to have been more stunning minutes out there.)
frankly, i’d hate to say it, but i think that this article was written solely because of bob barker’s retirement. it seems like everyone’s jumping on the barker bandwagon because it’s the popular story now-a-days. i have to give credit to an old tv guide magazine (jan 27, 2001… not that i saved it or anything) that listed the 50 greatest gameshows and 10 greatest hosts (price is right #1, but bob barker at #2, after ludden!). sadly, like the above article, this too somehow absolutely neglected press your luck and peter tomarken (the letters did roll in and the editor apologized the next week for “somehow neglecting” PYL). is there something about press your luck that drives tv critics up a wall? for being the host of such a long-running classic (in new episodes and in perpetual reruns since then), it’s amazing that it’s been “somehow neglected” so many times.
oh, and by the way… guy smiley made #9 on the tv guide list. go figure!
Well, Bob is a legend. We cannot forget that. We must never forget that.
If “AFV” counts as a great game show, then let’s count Bob Saget! Not only does he play a friendly, “Monk”-like family man, he’s also a great game show host.
I think if he found a really hit game show, Geoff Edwards would’ve been in there or Honorably mentioned. He was hilarious and really interacted with contestants. All he needed was a vehicle.
Did anybody think of Wink Martindale? I have a wild card that hardly gets any credit….Ben Stein. Here is a game show host who doubled as a contestant. I do not think we’ll ever see that again. He also admitted that he didn’t always know that the answers, not like that show in which the host though he knew all the answers. (btw, I am not knocking J! Alex Trebek is a great host and a heck of a great texas hold ‘em player. Watch the episode of Celebrity Poker Showdown and see what I mean).
Anne Robinson was imo an awful choice. What was so great about her? All her shtick consisted of was insulting contestants, something George Gray beat her at anyway. I do agree there is a need for competant female hosts (hasn’t been a good one since good old Betty on Just Men) but if Anne is on there, why is Brooke Burns not? Both of them just read cue cards for most of their hours….
But yanno, this list got us talking, so I guess it succeeds in that respect. btw, if I made a similar list of my top 15, it would be this:
1. Bob Barker (goes without saying)
2. Gene Rayburn (the way he hosted MG was simply brilliant; I’d rank him at 1 if it wasn’t for Bob)
3. Peter Marshall (15 years holding court with nine pretty decent stars five days a week is an accomplishment to be noted, and to be honest, he salvaged Yahtzee too)
4. Bill Cullen (I really want to rank him higher but Bob, Gene and Peter make me unable to)
5. Alex Trebek (despite being a relatively more recent addition, he’s still among the great quizmasters of all time)
6. Ben Stein (anyone who can make the “win my money” shtick work deserves a nod)
7. Geoff Edwards (SORELY underrated. It is sad his only decent run was on Treasure Hunt outside of cable. Truly a funny guy and enjoyable host)
8. Betty White (Best female host ever imo. An Emmy for a thirteen week flop speaks volumes)
9. Allen Ludden (great on Password, but I had to knock him down a few levels because I hear he got Dawsonitis toward the end of his life, during Password Plus)
10. Ray Combs (A tragic figure, but in happier times was so much fun to watch on Feud)
11. Bud Collyer (While I never really was excited about him, the fact he was able to adapt to the polar opposites of TTTT and BtC earns him the spot)
12. Tom Kennedy (made “I can name that tune in X notes” a national catchphrase)
13. Jack Clark (ANOTHER sorely underrated host. He’s aquired a bad rep for all the busted pilots he did, but his work on Cross-Wits is excellent if you ever get the chance to see it)
14. Wink Martindale (Another Collyer-esque adaptable host who could do many different games)
15. Jim Lange (see above. Was able to handle the goofy Dating Game and much more serious Bullseye with the same professional style)
I know I left some ones out. Pat Sajak I never particularly cared for, his brand of humor just doesn’t excite me.
It pains me to leave out Chuck Woolery considering how much I loved Scrabble. I just can’t find a place to fit him into the 15.
Ditto for Peter Tomarken. LOVED him, and we lost him far too soon. He’d likely be 16 if I went farther.
Dick Clark was a pro on Pyramid, but the lack of another big credit cost him points (along with my personal dislike of how he sometimes rubbed in that “perfect clue” after a pyramid loss in the $100,000 years)
I don’t think anyone can assemble a truly perfect list of the best game show hosts, but it’s worth trying if for no other reason than to get people talking, as I mentioned above.
Me again. Seriously this time, I do agree that Allen Ludden, Tom Kennedy and Chuck Woolery should have been listed. Geoff Edwards is also a great one who wasn’t on the list. Now, I know I will receive flak for this, but one of my favorite hosts of all time who wasn’t on the list is Pat Finn. Unfortunately, he gets a lot of bad press because of Joker’s Wild ‘90 (which I was a fan of), but look what he did with Shop ‘Til You Drop and The Big Spin. I think Pat is very underrated. One name I’m surprised hasn’t been mentioned yet (i think) is Jack Narz. Jack was the “new guy” on some classics like Concentration, yet he made them his own. Also the shows of which he was the original host are some of the most unforgettable, Now You See It comes directly to mind.
An interesting question has popped into my mind while writing this. Past or present, what well known person who was never a game show host, do you think would have made a great one? Not counting America’s Funniest People as a game show, I would have to say Dave Coulier. another possibility is Robin Williams, and someone who I would love to see behind the emcee podium Jerry “The King” Lawler. I just think his humor and energy would work in that atmosphere. Sorry about veering off the topic, but I couldn’t shake this idea.
Bingo!
Well, I’m glad we could settle our differences. However, you’re still a dragon and I’m the king!
Go forth, brave knights! I shall accompany you right now!
The major problem with a list like this is that game show hosts really fall into two generations: pre- and post-1970. Before 1970, shows had a much slower pace, games were not as complex, and hosts had much more time to schmooze with contestants and panelists. Thus, the best hosts were the ones who were good, affable conversationalists with a lot of camera presence. I balked at the Groucho Marx entry, until I realized that many shows in that era had a similar modus operandi.
During the ’70s, though, games developed much more pizazz, and hosts were expected to do more things with less time (especially nowadays, with so much more time devoted to advertisements - both in commercial breaks and fee plugs). Not to say that they didn’t need to be friendly and confident in front of the camera, but now they had to spend more energy running the game and keeping things going.
To that end, I can only think of five names that were successful in both eras: Bob Barker, Bill Cullen, Allen Ludden, Tom Kennedy, and Gene Rayburn. Beyond that, I’d probably be biased in favor of the more contemporary hosts, seeing as I’m far more familiar with their work - not to mention used to the pace they worked at - to be fair to the hosts who were around during TV’s adolescence.
As for the question of who would do the best as a rookie host, I remember someone once suggesting Rich Eisen, formerly of ESPN and now with the NFL Network, and I wholeheartedly agree with that idea. He had some game show-centric lines during his SportsCenter days, so I get the feeling he’d be at home with a good game.
Wow.. I just saw that Charles Nelson Reilly passed away! How sad.
as far as Anne Robison as best 15 I think that Meredith Viera is a lot better and even Brooke Burns is better. I will give one good thing about Anne though she played the mean part on the weakest link very well but I dont’ agree with the list. I would have put Howie Mandel on that list granted he’s only hosted Deal Or No Deal but he does a great job of hosting it which is why he would be in my top 15 as gameshow host. I would also put Peter Tomarken, Chuck Woolery, Wink Martindale, Jim Perry, Bob Eubanks, Ray Combs, Bob Barker, Alex Trebek, Bert Convy, Tom Kennedy, Howie Mandel, Mark L. Walberg, Bob Saget (awesome on 1 vs 100) Pat Sajak, Meredith Viera as my votes and not in any order either
How did Charles die?
Steve,
The exciting part about Pyramid’s Winner’s Circle round wasn’t quick wins like Billy Crystal’s but the buzzer shots where someone would win on the last second. Those were exhilarating! I would often shout out clues to the TV when a player just wasn’t getting..well, a CLUE! Check out the $10K-$20K shows. They would come back from commercial to do the Winner’s Circle without the flashing lights and loud music…just a silent studio. Dick Clark would set the scene with the appropriate level of suspense, often giving the player a shoulder rub to relax them. Then he’d quietly start the round with “For $20,000…(Then he raised his voice for the most exciting six words in game showdom.) Here is your first subject. GO!” Best. Bonus Round. Ever! Clark played it like the pro he is.
Charles died from pneumonia.
As for my Top 15 Game Show Hosts, where’s the love for Jim Perry? The dude could make paint drying exciting with his flair for the dramatic. I also think $ale of the Century was a great fit for him to host. I wouldn’t put him in the Top 10 but he certainly is better than Regis.
Regis is on the list pretty much because he’s associated with the biggest show to come out in the last 10 years. Lord knows it wasn’t his work on The Neighbors that got him on the list.
Anne Robinson? If any woman was worthy of being a great game show host is Betty White just for her contributions to game shows alone. And I dont see how Regis can be rated over veterans like Marshall, and Kennedy? I just dont see it.
I agree that any “Top #” list is going to be for the most part, subjective, possibly on the basis’s of the that particular host’s popularity, and the depth and breadth of his work. I’ve podered what it might’ve been like if Groucho Marx hosted “Family Feud,” for example. I’d be willing to bet the ranch if it hadn’t been for “The Tonight Show,” Carson could’ve very likely been Mark Goodson’s next choice to host one of his future game shows, as he was a frequent panelist on “To Tell the Truth” in those days. Having said that, they should’ve been much ranked lower on that list. In addition to Allen Ludden, Bud Collyer, Peter Marshall, Wink Martindale, Jack Narz and Tom Kennedy being omitted from that list, has everyone forgotten Jim Lange? Or Dennis James (not to mention Art James)? Bert Parks made his name in game shows long before he hosted the Miss America pageant. And with all due respect to the memory of Bert Convy, who was an actor-turned-game-show-host, there was one other actor-turned-game-show-host who bested him…the late Larry Blyden. And, while he didn’t host a game show, per se, Art Linkletter unquestionably deserved consideration. Jim Perry, the late Art Fleming Jim Peck, the late Peter Tomarken, and even Merv Griffin and Johnny Gilbert(yes, like Jack Clark, he worked in FRONT of the camera as well) are entitled to some sort “honorable mention” at the very least. And “WWTBAM” did “dumb down” game shows - I mean, there was no real challenge (you had multiple choice answers to some legitimately tough questions, and even then the contestant could get additional outside help) and virtually no risk, if after a contestant heard a question that they found too challenging, they could simply “chicken out” and walk away. In my book, that’s BULL****, man!! If you want to go on, then you understand that there’s a risk involved, and you commit yourself to that risk once you hear the next question, If you fail to answer..that’s tough, pally. You lose! As for Rege, the guy’s so full of himself, so self-ingratiating…talk about ego!!!
Another person left out was Jan Murray for hosting the original Treasure Hunt. He was basically a stand up comedian, but if you could put Johnny Carson in there, you could have mentioned Jan. Also, for a person who never became a game show host, how about Ruta Lee? She was on many game shows as a celebrity guest, and was intelligent and lively with a good sense of humor. She would have been a good female representative besides Anne Robinson.