Pat Sajak Retiring from Wheel of Fortune

[TinoStar11]

Vanna just tweeted about Pat’s retirement

[ooboh]

I really am pulling for Mark L. Walberg to be the next host. The problem is that he’s 60 and I can easily see Sony looking for someone younger.

[b_masters8]

Just the same as when Bob Barker announced his retirement, in that TPiR should end (and perhaps one last big show with the ultimate prizes offered, etc.), or after Alex Trebek's passing that Jeopardy! should have ended. A common reason is that no one else could ever host their favorite show and that (fill in the blank) will fail miserably or become a completely different show (and not in a good way) after the legend's departure/last show. One poster even implied Richard Dawson's last ABC/(original version) syndicated show should have been the last we ever saw of first-run "Family Feud" (although I think he was thinking more of Steve Harvey being the host rather than his immediate 1999 version predecessors).

Or perhaps even that when Wink Martindale left Tic Tac Dough for other things that such should have been it for that X and O trivia game, and that neither Jim Caldwell nor Patrick Wayne should have even been spoken of-- would that be true as well?

[Briguy]

Or perhaps even that when Wink Martindale left Tic Tac Dough for other things that such should have been it for that X and O trivia game, and that neither Jim Caldwell nor Patrick Wayne should have even been spoken of-- would that be true as well?

I suppose on that note, the same might be said about:

* Peter Marshall and "Hollywood Squares," in regards to revivals by Jon Bauman (as part of the Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour), John Davidson and Tom Bergeron. (Although I've generally seen good written about Tom Bergeron; they're tepid for Davidson and "meh" to negative for "Bowzer.")

* John Daly for "What's My Line?" Even though generally good reviews have come for Wally Bruner and Larry Blyden, some only consider the vintage CBS network run the true, authentic WML, never to be replicated.

* Bud Collier and/or Garry Moore for "To Tell the Truth," even though Joe Garagiola did remarkably well in 1977-1978. I suppose it's because things seemed more conservative – maybe the correct word is "formal" and "respectful" – for the 1960s run, and/or because Garry Moore was simply a great host.

* The 1990s revivals of "Match Game." I know it's a case of less said the better for the 1998 version (although Michael Berger himself wasn't bad, IMO), but more specifically the 1990-1991 ABC version with Ross Shaffer. Some viewers I'm sure felt lost without Gene Rayburn, still in good health and spirits in the early 1990s despite being past 70 at this point. I'm guessing that finding a different host for the planned 1985 revival (once the cat got out of the bag about Rayburn's age and that he might no longer be desirable to the hoped-for younger audience) might have either been too much of a challenge or someone thought that anyone other than Gene Rayburn might not make for a good show, and so ... .

And the list probably goes on.

I'm just still peeved at this one social media post that suggested that "Wheel Of Fortune" should be retired upon Pat Sajak's final show. Really. As though no one else could host or should even be given a try, that younger audiences aren't going to like it and older viewers would tune out en masse, etc.

And the comment about "Family Feud" really is a headscratcher, as the show seamlessly went from Richard Dawson to – after a three-year break – Ray Combs, and everything I've read indicates he was as perfect for the job as Richard was.

It just takes some doing and searching and trying to find the right person for the job.

As for the "Tic Tac Dough" example, I think that Jim Caldwell was getting more comfortable with the job and better at it later in what turned out to be his lone season, and I think viewers might have become more willing to accept him had the show been renewed for the 1986-1987 season. (Then again, I wonder how much burnout there was for the genre itself at the time, which also may have contributed.) Patrick Wayne probably would have needed coaching; I personally don't think he was that bad, and I think it was just other things about the show – the look, gameplay, etc. – that doomed the 1990 revival, but sometimes if you get the wrong person for a game show hosting job, it can kill a franchise and quickly.

Just my two cents worth.

Brian

[C8]

Briguy,

Have you not seen some of the shows with later hosts (since you mention seeing what's been written about)?

I think generally replacement hosts get a bad rap and hindsight is 20/20. Oh for anyone who was around here when Barker retired there was such venom and vitriol, some of it deeply personal, targeted at Drew for his hosting. And yet here we are 16 years later with threads praising him and kids coming of age who weren't even born while Barker was hosting the show. And with S38 now on Pluto, I've found myself very surprised and pleased at how much I've been enjoying those episodes.

Tom Bergeron was outstanding on H2 and absolutely lived up to Marshall's skill (heck I even think the reports of Bauman being awful on MGHS were overblown). Combs, IMO, was better than Dawson. Schafer was good on MG90.

All the proof that WoF will continue on as long as the game is good and everyone is having fun (a lesson Drew taught me, ironically, since that's the embodiment of his hosting style). Sometimes its a rough road to a new status quo, but we get there. It was inconcievable to think of Jeopardy without Trebek, but here we are, and I think Jennings and Bialik have done absolutely fine jobs stepping into those shoes. And Pat has likely announced his retirement now so a host search can begin in earnest now and the transition can be made easier and more expectedly than some of the more recent host transitions (i.e. Trebek dying before a host search started).

[b_masters8]

And Pat has likely announced his retirement now so a host search can begin in earnest now and the transition can be made easier and more expectedly than some of the more recent host transitions (i.e. Trebek dying before a host search started).

I think that's what made the J! search more difficult-- its linchpin Trebek succumbing to cancer before a new host could be found.

[GRWHAMMY the 2nd]

Briguy,

Tom Bergeron was outstanding on H2 and absolutely lived up to Marshall's skill (heck I even think the reports of Bauman being awful on MGHS were overblown). Combs, IMO, was better than Dawson. Schafer was good on MG90.

and Tom also was adept at the AFV hosting position after the two seasons between Saget and Bergeron almost causing a season 11 not to happen

[SeaBreeze341]

I think I might have another poll question that could be worth it.  Or just simply another topic since it isn't easy to best put it together.  IOW, the question I'd ask isn't that easy to figure out (outside of a simple "Who's the best replacement host" or "what was the best GS revival").

Tom was pretty good at everything he's done.  Made things his own without making it about him.  While him, Jon, and John weren't Peter, they all were pretty good in the H2 role.

As for Pat's WOF replacement, I may be solo, but I would actually be okay with Ryan Seacrest as the successor.  Way too early to think there's anything to it or that it's more probable than not, but I can't picture him struggling in any way on WOF

[gamesurf]

Wheel will be just fine. It's not like Price or LMAD or Feud. The people who are tuning in aren't tuning in to see the host. As long as the new host brings the "familiar comfort food" vibe, it'll keep on trucking like it always has.

While I'm sure Sony is going to pursue "names", anybody who's comfortable on TV and can say "The category is Phrase", and can keep a nice consistent patter going could do just as good of a job.

What I'm saying is, there's an obvious candidate who was born to be Rolf 2.0...

[imhomerjay]

Wheel will be just fine. It's not like Price or LMAD or Feud. The people who are tuning in aren't tuning in to see the host. As long as the new host brings the "familiar comfort food" vibe, it'll keep on trucking like it always has.

But Pat is that comfort food, at the least a huge part of it. It’s really not somehow an outlier from those other shows.

[Briguy]

Briguy,

Have you not seen some of the shows with later hosts (since you mention seeing what's been written about)?

I think generally replacement hosts get a bad rap and hindsight is 20/20. Oh for anyone who was around here when Barker retired there was such venom and vitriol, some of it deeply personal, targeted at Drew for his hosting. And yet here we are 16 years later with threads praising him and kids coming of age who weren't even born while Barker was hosting the show. And with S38 now on Pluto, I've found myself very surprised and pleased at how much I've been enjoying those episodes.

Tom Bergeron was outstanding on H2 and absolutely lived up to Marshall's skill (heck I even think the reports of Bauman being awful on MGHS were overblown). Combs, IMO, was better than Dawson. Schafer was good on MG90.

All the proof that WoF will continue on as long as the game is good and everyone is having fun (a lesson Drew taught me, ironically, since that's the embodiment of his hosting style). Sometimes its a rough road to a new status quo, but we get there. It was inconcievable to think of Jeopardy without Trebek, but here we are, and I think Jennings and Bialik have done absolutely fine jobs stepping into those shoes. And Pat has likely announced his retirement now so a host search can begin in earnest now and the transition can be made easier and more expectedly than some of the more recent host transitions (i.e. Trebek dying before a host search started).

I think I should make clear that in no way am I dissing any of the new hosts of classic shows. In many cases, the new hosts step up and do a good job on their own, and the show remains enjoyable.

I was speaking more of how there's this segment of game show fandom that believe that only the original host, or the one who had the most success with it, has any business hosting that show – Bob Barker and Alex Trebek being the most famous examples of their respective shows – and how silly it looks in retrospect now that time has passed and we've gotten used to the new hosts.

In other words, your point, which I also tried to make.

There will always be that segment of fandom for any genre and any show. Of game shows, that's why I brought up ancient classics like "What's My Line?" On YouTube, where one user has almost the entire original CBS series uploaded (that is, the existing episodes, either by public domain or reairings on GSN/Buzzer), there are occasional comments completely panning the syndicated version, only John Daly could bring dignity and formality and respect to the format, etc.

For the most part, when a new host takes over, as long as he does a reasonably good job and fans accept him/her, then all's well. That's the other point I hope others take from my posts on this topic. And I will concur with others on here: whomever is chosen to take over for Pat Sajak, no matter who it is, I think that person will do well.

Brian

[Ccook]

Dateline: Christmas Eve 1968. After ten years, Hugh Downs turns the reins for Concentration to announcer Bob Clayton. That ensuing March, NBC replaced Clayton with Ed McMahon (who had just wrapped Snap Judgment). Six months later, Clayton was reinstated when Concentration's ratings took a dive. It was said that McMahon was not a good fit for the show and he looked it. So maybe a key to a good replacement is finding a comfort zone. Clayton, having been with the show since 1961, surely hit the ground running while McMahon was treading water.

As for a Wheel replacement, I was going to say Bob Goen (1989-91 daytime host), but he's pushing 69.

[mrbrown2195]

Maybe Pat can now pursue his career in late night television.

[BillyGr]

Maybe Pat can now pursue his career in late night television.

Hee Hee

[thepriceis_J]

But Pat is that comfort food, at the least a huge part of it. It’s really not somehow an outlier from those other shows.

Eh. I think it's the team of Pat and Vanna that's more the comfort as a whole and even then, I'd consider Vanna to have the higher profile in likability, something Pat would admit and has joked about in the past.

I don't know. Filling Pat's role just doesn't feel as important as filling Bob's role on Price or Alex's role on Jeopardy! There was *a lot* of importance around the search to fill those roles that I don't think will surround this one. And it's odd. Wheel has traditionally been the more watched of the WOF/J! trio and Pat has record for longest run as a game show, but he just doesn't feel as attached to the show's legacy to me. I don't know why.