GSN's Top Ten Game Show Hosts

[ironman00710]

Just finished watching this on GSN and here are the results from 10 to 1 (with their highlighed game shows):

10. Bob Eubanks (Newlywed Game)

9. Pat Sajak (Wheel of Fortune)

8. Chuck Woolery (Love Connection, Lingo)

7. Bill Cullen (MANY game shows)

6. Regis Philbin (Millionaire)

5. Richard Dawson (Family Feud)

4. Monty Hall (Let's Make a Deal)

3. Alex Trebek (Jeopardy)

2. Gene Rayburn (Match Game)

.
.
.
.

And the #1 Game Show Host of all time...

.
.
.
.
1. Bob Barker! (Price is Right)

Other awards included:
Most Versatile Host: Wink Martindale (Tic-Tac-Dough)

Greatest Comedian-Turned-Game-Show Host: Howie Mandel (DoND)

Best Female Host: Meredith Vieira (Millionaire)

Zanniest Host: Chuch Barris (Gong Show)

Favorite Reality Game Show Host: Jeff Probst

First Couple of Game Shows: Allen Ludden & Betty White (for their many appearances on game shows)

IMO this was a pretty good show to watch.  They had interviews with a lot of people including Rich Fields, Bob Eubanks, Monty Hall, and others.  An encore presentation will be on at 11 PM / 10 PM central tonight on GSN.

[FieldsFan336]

It was a great special.  When Rich commented on Bob's retirement, I couldn't help but do a 2-shot...it was so funny!

[Madonna]

I am pleased that Bob was given his rightful spot at #1. However, I'm not fooling myself.. I do think that if Bob had not announced his retirement, GSN would've given it to Gene Rayburn or someone else who hosts a show that GSN has the rights to air.

(This is, after all, the network that had the gall to put both Press Your Luck AND Whammy! on their 50 greatest game shows list, and put Lingo at #16!)

That being said, I had some real issues with the rest of their list...

Wink Martindale: Wink can't even crack the top 10?! You're telling me Wink wasn't as good as Pat Sajak (sorry, I am not a Sajak fan), Bob Eubanks and Chuck Woolery?! C'mon...

The minute I caught that, I was already disenchanted with the list.

Allen Ludden: I know it was cute to leave him off the list so you can give us the whole "First Couple" angle, but leaving Ludden out of the top 10 was a disgrace. He may have been a "one-trick pony" (then again, like Sajak isn't!?) in that he pretty much will go down as "Mr. Password", but the job he did on the Password franchise more than earned him a top 10 spot (and maybe even TOP FIVE).

TV Guide even put Ludden ahead of Bob on their greatest hosts list. That should say something, GSN!

Jeff Probst: Game shows and reality shows do not mix. He and this category merely wasted time.

Bill Cullen: He should've been at least in the top five, if not top three. Uncle Bill is definitely one of the greatest hosts in game show history and had no business being behind Regis, Richard (more on him shortly) or even Alex Trebek. Cullen was a true legend with a very long career, and a true class act. I was less than pleased to see him so far down.

Regis Philbin: I like Regis. I don't like GSN and their Millionaire Kool-Aid drinking.

GSN creates a "Hall Of Fame", and gives Millionaire the first induction - ahead of Match Game, TPIR, the Password franchise and other far-more deserve classics?

I can't justify Regis going into the top ten. Hosting one show for four years doesn't earn it - not when he winds up going ahead of the likes of Bill Cullen, or helping to keep Wink and Allen out of the top ten altogether.

GSN, we're happy you have the rights to Millionaire. Don't be biased like ESPN about it, though (ie. putting so-called legend Michael jordon #1, when his clothing/shoe company is a heavy advertiser on your network, and when he's not even the greatest basketball player ever.)

Richard Dawson: I love Richard. I love Family Feud. I can make a reasonable argument for putting him in the top ten (especially if we were to, say, drop Regis and Sajak and get Wink and Allen in there).

But top five was a little high.

Richard was charming, and funny on FF, but that should not put him ahead of some true legends.

A bit more GSN bias, I'm afraid...

Alex Trebek: Top ten? Definitely. Top five? Might be pushing it a bit..

Gene Rayburn: As much as I love Gene, Bill Cullen certainly should've been ahead of him... Third or fourth, perhaps..

[COINBOYNYC]

Madonna wrote:
Jeff Probst: Game shows and reality shows do not mix. He and this category merely wasted time.

I think they put him in there because of his stint as host of V.H. 1's "Rock and Roll Jeopardy"...  

[PriceFanArmadillo]

Madonna wrote:
(ie. putting so-called legend Michael jordon #1, when his clothing/shoe company is a heavy advertiser on your network, and when he's not even the greatest basketball player ever.)

Blasphemy!  Everyone knows he's the best there ever was and the best there ever will be!  What's next...you're gonna tell me Walter Payton wasn't the best running back of all time?  

*tears welling up*



(Besides...it's J-O-R-D-A-N.  )

[Alfonzo]

Oh, Allen Ludden was more than a one-trick pony. In the 1960s he MODERATED (not hosted) GE College Bowl. In fact, when he became the host of Password many people thought the job was beneath the very scholarly Ludden.

[supersaver87]

Well, Regis did more than one show! GSN was also remembering his superb hosting on that mid-1970's masterpiece, The Neighbors.  

[FieldsFan336]

Gary Dunaier wrote:

Madonna wrote:
Jeff Probst: Game shows and reality shows do not mix. He and this category merely wasted time.

I think they put him in there because of his stint as host of V.H. 1's "Rock and Roll Jeopardy"...  

That is true, I think they still show it weekends in reruns here on MuchMoreMusic (Canada's answer to VH-1)

[GoldenBulldog]

To me, the era of great game shows died when Regis Philbin started hosting Millionaire.

[Madonna]

Gary Dunaier wrote:

Madonna wrote:
Jeff Probst: Game shows and reality shows do not mix. He and this category merely wasted time.

I think they put him in there because of his stint as host of V.H. 1's "Rock and Roll Jeopardy"...  

I like R&R Jeopardy!.. That, however, does not outweigh the negatives of Jeff's involvement with garbage like Survivor, nor justifies any mention of him during this program.

PriceFanArmadillo wrote:

Madonna wrote:
(ie. putting so-called legend Michael jordon #1, when his clothing/shoe company is a heavy advertiser on your network, and when he's not even the greatest basketball player ever.)

Blasphemy!  Everyone knows he's the best there ever was and the best there ever will be!  What's next...you're gonna tell me Walter Payton wasn't the best running back of all time?  

*tears welling up*



(Besides...it's J-O-R-D-A-N.  )

I'll pledge allegience to low heels and Britney Spears before I put anyone ahead of Wilt Chamberlain.

Wilt was the man. The only player I've ever felt comes remotely close is Garnett.

jordon? Not even the best GUARD I've seen in my life...

I'll give you Sweetness, though. I'd take him ahead of Sanders, Brown and Smith.

Alfonzo wrote:
Oh, Allen Ludden was more than a one-trick pony. In the 1960s he MODERATED (not hosted) GE College Bowl. In fact, when he became the host of Password many people thought the job was beneath the very scholarly Ludden.

I do not see Allen Ludden as a "one-trick pony", hence why I put it in quotes in my original post. I was taking a stab at some people who have referred to him as one. I've encountered more than a few who feel he isn't an all-time great because the bulk of his career was Password, where people like Wink, Bill and others have done several game shows.

The only reason I brought it up was on the slight chance that Ludden was being penalized for mostly doing Password. Sajak is indeed a one-trick pony (no quotes this time), and he on Wheel is nowhere near being as great as Ludden had been on the various incarnations of Password he hosted.

Or, to put it another way: Allen Ludden got screwed.

supersaver87 wrote:
Well, Regis did more than one show! GSN was also remembering his superb hosting on that mid-1970's masterpiece, The Neighbors.  

The WHAT?!

I suppose GSN was also giving him bonus points for "Pennies From Heaven"?

[PriceFanArmadillo]

Madonna wrote:

PriceFanArmadillo wrote:

Madonna wrote:
(ie. putting so-called legend Michael jordon #1, when his clothing/shoe company is a heavy advertiser on your network, and when he's not even the greatest basketball player ever.)

Blasphemy!  Everyone knows he's the best there ever was and the best there ever will be!  What's next...you're gonna tell me Walter Payton wasn't the best running back of all time?  

*tears welling up*



(Besides...it's J-O-R-D-A-N.  )

I'll pledge allegience to low heels and Britney Spears before I put anyone ahead of Wilt Chamberlain.

Wilt was the man. The only player I've ever felt comes remotely close is Garnett.

jordon? Not even the best GUARD I've seen in my life...

I'll give you Sweetness, though. I'd take him ahead of Sanders, Brown and Smith.

And I'd pledge allegiance to Tar Heels before putting anyone ahead of MJ.  (Quite ironic considering that MJ went to school there...but I forgive him.)

(Man, seeing MJ in his powder blue at the Illinois/NC title game was weird.  The 12,000 people watching the game on the jumbotron in Assembly Hall didn't know whether to cheer (like they'd been doing whenever an Illini came on screen) or boo (as was called for for anyone related to UNC).  Very strange moment.  I mean, how do you boo an Illinois legend and the greatest basketball player of all-time?  )

[lucyrickyalex]

Winner Take All, The Price is Right, Name That Tune, I've Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth, Eye Guess, Pass the Buck, Three on a Match, Winning Streak, Password Plus, The $25,000 Pyramid, Blockbusters, Chain Reaction, Child's Play, Hot Potato and The Joker's Wild.

After all that, they place Bill Cullen #7?!?!?

(I'm pretty sure that list above is incomplete)

[PatrickRox80]

This wasn't as completely biased as the Top 50 Game Shows, but still it was pretty good. Gene Rayburn and Richard Dawson were a little high, IMO. However, I did like the "other" awards they included.

[shellgame69]

What about Dick Clark for his Pyramid Fame? Or Marc Summers of Double Dare? That's just not right leaving them out of the list.

[Madonna]

PriceFanArmadillo wrote:
And I'd pledge allegiance to Tar Heels before putting anyone ahead of MJ.  (Quite ironic considering that MJ went to school there...but I forgive him.)

(Man, seeing MJ in his powder blue at the Illinois/NC title game was weird.  The 12,000 people watching the game on the jumbotron in Assembly Hall didn't know whether to cheer (like they'd been doing whenever an Illini came on screen) or boo (as was called for for anyone related to UNC).  Very strange moment.  I mean, how do you boo an Illinois legend and the greatest basketball player of all-time?  )

Wilt went to Kansas, not UNC.

Plus, his initials should be WC, not Mj.

I've never booed Wilt. Booing jordon, though? One of my favorite hobbies...

shellgame69 wrote:
What about Dick Clark for his Pyramid Fame? Or Marc Summers of Double Dare? That's just not right leaving them out of the list.

Dick Clark should've gotten some serious consideration, at the very least...

How about Jim Lange as well?

Or Tom Kennedy?

I'll pass on Marc Summers, though.. I like him.. But I don't think he's done enough to be near that list...