Online Pick of the Week (6/26) - Richard Dawson Proposal

Well, I'm in a hurry, I'll be gone this week, so don't expect any new posts. But I will do the Online Pick. This one is a clip from Family Feud from 1978 (the uploader says 1980, but it's really 1978). Richard met a pretty young girl, Norma Whipp. He proposes. She says no, because she's already taken. He gets some Rice out of it.

Family Feud Dawson Proposes, My Online Pick of the Week

And.......You're Almost Out

GSN finally realizes that Improv-A-Ganza and Love Disast.... I mean Love Triangle are screwing up Primetime. Things change June 27

The new winner Bill Engvall and Lingo gets a full hour at 8:00pm, taking it to a rediciolus 6-a-day. Carrie Ann Inaba's 1 vs. 100 gets 9:00pm replacing Wendy. Improv gets 12:00am, giving it a double-run. I Love the show, but the ratings are awful, so I don't see this lasting long. Gee I wish Pyramid was back in latenight

Skilled AND Experienced

I'm bored, so I'll turn to the blog.

Today I pay tribute to one of the greatests in my opinion. Bill Cullen.

Bill was born in 1920. He started doing game shows in the 1950's. One of his first hosting jobs was Winner Take All. He was also a panelist on the then-popular Black & White game show I've Got A Secret. He was a panelist there until 1967.

Many people think Bob Barker was the man who started The Price is Right dynasty. WRONG!! Bill started it. He hosted the original ABC and NBC versions of The Price is Right from 1956-1965. 4 episodes were released on The Best of Price DVD in early 2008. I liked his hosting skills on there. Although it was different from today's version we all know (and for some) love.

Bill hosted several more game shows. In 1974 he hosted The $25,000 Pyramid, the 70's nighttime. He also hosted shows such as Blockbusters, Pass the Buck, Child's Play, Chain Reaction, Hot Potato, and The Joker's Wild. In the Spring of 1980 he subbed for Allen Ludden on Password Plus

Bill was also a panelist on Match Game, The (New) $25,000 Pyramid, Password Plus, Super Password, Tattletales and more.

Bill last appeared on Pyramid in June 1987, and passed away from Lung Cancer in 1990.

Bill, you were great. We miss you.

Online Pick of the Week (6/19) - Card Sharks 1981 Finale

My second favorite game show is Card Sharks with Jim Perry. He did it best. Yeah sure Eubanks had better rules, but the Perry version is the best in my book (which is all that matters to me). Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and on October 23rd, 1981, Card Sharks was cancelled. It returned in 1986 with Bob Eubanks on CBS, and later Bill Rafferty in Syndication (who did a great job). Here is the finale, and the end of something good.

Card Sharks (Perry) Finale, My Online Pick of the Week

One of the Greats

Hello. I'm sad right now, so I need to be happy. So in response to my first online pick of the week, I will review the Match Game 70's series.

Match Gane returned to the airwaves on July 2, 1973 with the announcing combo Gene Rayburn and Johnny Olson back from the 60's version. The starting panel consisted of Michael Landon, Vicki Lawrence, Jack Klugman, Jo Ann Pflug, Richard Dawson, and Anita Gillette. It was a simple "Name Something" or John loves fried BLANK. It was pretty slow the first few weeks. Jack Klugman who was on the first week recommended his wife Brett to appear. She appeared on week 3. She was widely popular that she appeared a few more weeks then was on for many subsequent weeks (till 1982)

On that first week, broadway actor who worked with Gene, Charles Nelson Reilly appeared. He also appeared a few more weeks, then many more (with several gaps, including 7 months).

Richard Dawson was just always there.

And thus we had a nice combo of regulars. However things just went to hell over time, at least for Dawson, and he left in 1978. By the end he was not happy to be there. That's OK, it put a different yet still good feel to the show.

Why did Dawson leave? Part of it was the Star Wheel. It debuted 8 weeks before Dawson left. During 77-78, Dawson was chose 99% of the time. So to make it fair, and give you a chance to play for double, they added the star wheel.

The show's ratings on CBS were down the toilet, so in April 1979 it was cancelled. A syndicated version premired in September 1979, and ended in September 1982.

There was a nighttime version that started in 1975 and ran till 1981. You played for double the daytime stakes. It was known as Match Game PM

Cheers to Match Game, the best game show ever.

Online Pick of the Week (6/12) - How To Play the Violin

Ever wonder how to play the violin? I don't. This is just a funny short video cartoon about a kid playing a violin per request of his father. It's making Trumpet noises. Apparently it's tormenting the poor kid.

Play the Violin Johnny, My Online Pick of the week.

Online Pick of the Week (6/5) - Match Game 78

As on the popular, now defunct Brandon's TV Blog he had an Online Pick of the Week. I will do so as well. For my first pick, is my favorite game show ever, Match Game. This episode is from Match Game 78 from Richard Dawson's last week.

This is episode #1281. This episode is skipped over by GSN. Why, I will never know. There's nothing offensive or anything like that, nothing controversial, so I really don't get why this is skipped. Well, I'm glad it was uploaded to YouTube. I love Match Game. 


Match Game 78 My Online Pick of the Week

Time to report my first schedule change. Starts on Monday. Here they are

3:00pm - Lingo (Engvall) (Starts Tuesday)
3:30pm - 1 vs. 100 (Inaba)
5:30pm - Family Feud (Karn) (Monday June 6 Only) Lingo (Engvall) (Starts Tuesday)
6:00pm - Baggage
8:00pm - Lingo (Engvall)
8:30pm - Improv-A-Ganza
11:00pm - Lingo (Engvall)
11:30pm - Improv-A-Ganza
1:30am - Baggage
2:00am - Lingo (Engvall)
2:30am - Improv-A-Ganza

Not bad changes. Older Woolery Lingo beats it in afternoons. The Shandi and Chuck episodes stay at noon. $25,000 Pyramid is no longer in Latenights. Oh well. It's still on the schedule. Oh well. Engvall gets 5 times a day.

As for weekends. Engvall Lingo gets Saturdays at 7:00pm and Sundays at 10:00pm. Improv gets 2 hours on Saturday night at 8:00pm-10:00pm. That last part sounds bad. Good luck GSN. You'll need it.

My New Blog

Hi. This is Chameleonwhammy from GSN buzz. I am starting a blog again. This one I'll make an effort to maintain it. It's an entertainment thing and I will feature topics on a lot of things, game shows and non game shows. Hope you enjoy.