Game Show Hosts: Parts 1, 2, 16 and 20,303

Goodbye, damnit, goodbye! Seems that Bob is having a protracted farewell tour. I haven't seen such a spectacle since those mid '90s goodbye-a-thons athletes used to have. Thinking about Bob reminded me of a few other game show host favorites. Unlike Bob, these guys haven't been accused of murder, hoo hah hah hah...





Wink Martindale: Boring, Boring and Boring. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more reliable yet uninspiring host than Wink Martindale. He's most famous for the late '70s snoozer, Tic Tac Dough. Hee, hee--nice play on words. Martindale is also known as a former neighbor to Barry White and appears on an Orbitz commercial.






Chuck Woolery- I have to mention him to put a stop to the revisionist history. People seem to think that Pat Sajak was the first and only host of the Wheel of Fortune. He wasn't. Chuck Woolery. After his six year stint, Chuck indulged in a little Chuck Foolery by asking for a raise from penny Merv Griffin. Griffin said "nothing doing" and promptly let Chuck "explore other opportunities."

Fast Fact: Chuck had a 1969 "hit" called "Naturally Stoned." If I ever hear it, I'll wish I was "Naturally Deaf."






Alex Trebek- -Before he became Mr. Know-It-All by association, Alex Trebek was just your regular, semi-annoying host. High Rollers was an enjoyable game that had two stint on NBC in the '70s and again in the early '80s. By 1984 the aforementioned Griffin rescued Alex from an increasingly dim-witted slate of games for a big revival: Jeopardy!



Now It Can Be Told: According to my reports, the real Alex Trebek has been missing for years. The guy on the left is one of many replacements. Good luck to the original Alex Trebek and all fake ones too!








Jack Berry- I have to say out of all of the hosts, Jack was a bit, well, intense. Barry had some baggage by the Joker's Wild run. In the late '50s Barry's name was tainted in the rigging of the game show Twenty One. By the '70s after a few shows, he did the Jokers Wild for CBS. Barry is probably best known for the 78-84 syndicated run. On the show he struck an eerie figure seemingly enjoying seeing the devil take the contestants money away.

Part 2: After Barry's death in 1984, the producers of Joker's Wild decided to go young and hired Bill Cullen.






Bert Convy- Everybody remembers Bert Convy. If they don't, I don't want to talk to them. One good thing about Bob Barker, he seemed to be a fan. Bert had a nice run on CBS's Tattletales from 1974-1978 and again in the early '80s. While some might have found Convy, mind-numbingly bland, chatty and ultimately wearing--he was still a heck of a guy.

It's Actually True: Look what's on the record machine! Bert Convy actually hit the charts with the song, "Black Denim Trousers." God help me, I didn't even have to research that...



Adam Wade- Musical Chairs. Aside from making solid gold hits, Adam Wade was the first African-American to host a game show. 1975's Musical Chairs was on CBS and enjoyed a brief though memorable run.








Smoking Is Bad For You: Wade is also known from his Nicoderm commercials. I was so proud of his smoke cessation, I sent him a carton of Pall Malls to celebrate.