The Greediest Man I Know
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Good afternoon. Welcome to another edition of........
Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83.
Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present.
“Chuck was a dear friend and brother and a tremendous man of faith, life will not be the same without him,” Young wrote.
Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. In 1983, Woolery began an 11-year run as host of TV’s “Love Connection,” for which he coined the phrase, “We’ll be back in two minutes and two seconds,” a two-fingered signature dubbed the “2 and 2.” In 1984, he hosted TV’s “Scrabble,” simultaneously hosting two game shows on TV until 1990. “Love Connection,” which aired long before the dawn of dating apps, had a premise that featured either a single man or single woman who would watch audition tapes of three potential mates and then pick one for a date.
Other career highlights included hosting the shows “Lingo,” “Greed” and “The Chuck Woolery Show,” as well as hosting the short-lived syndicated revival of “The Dating Game” from 1998 to 2000 and an ill-fated 1991 talk show. In 1992, he played himself in two episodes of TV’s “Melrose Place.”
Woolery became the subject of the Game Show Network’s first attempt at a reality show, “Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned,” which premiered in 2003. It shared the title of the pop song in 1968 by Woolery and his rock group, the Avant-Garde. It lasted six episode and was panned by critics.
Woolery began his TV career at a show that has become a mainstay. Although most associated with Pat Sajak and Vanna White, “Wheel of Fortune” debuted Jan. 6, 1975, on NBC with Woolery welcoming contestants and the audience. Woolery, then 33, was trying to make it in Nashville as a singer. “Wheel of Fortune” started life as “Shopper’s Bazaar,” incorporating Hangman-style puzzles and a roulette wheel.
After Woolery appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show” singing “Delta Dawn,” Merv Griffin asked him to host the new show with Susan Stafford. “I had an interview that stretched to 15, 20 minutes,” Woolery told The New York Times in 2003. “After the show, when Merv asked if I wanted to do a game show, I thought, ‘Great, a guy with a bad jacket and an equally bad mustache who doesn’t care what you have to say — that’s the guy I want to be.’”
NBC initially passed, but they retooled it as “Wheel of Fortune” and got the green light. After a few years, Woolery demanded a raise to $500,000 a year, or what host Peter Marshall was making on “Hollywood Squares.” Griffin balked and replaced Woolery with weather reporter Pat Sajak.
“Both Chuck and Susie did a fine job, and ‘Wheel’ did well enough on NBC, although it never approached the kind of ratings success that ‘Jeopardy!’ achieved in its heyday,” Griffin said in “Merv: Making the Good Life Last,” an autobiography from the 2000s co-written by David Bender. Woolery earned an Emmy nod as host.
Stafford posted the following statement...
“Chuck Woolery was without doubt the Real Deal. He was an original. There was no one like Chuck. Our 7 years as the original host and hostess on Wheel of Fortune were like magic.
“Our deep friendship continued after our time on the show. He was an original. There was no one like Chuck. He had so much energy and was the same warm caring genuine person offstage as he was on. He was very spiritual and we shared a true love for God which made it even more worthwhile. So grateful to know I will see him again.“
Born in Ashland, Kentucky, Woolery served in the U.S. Navy before attending college. He played double bass in a folk trio, then formed the psychedelic rock duo The Avant-Garde in 1967 while working as a truck driver to support himself as a musician. The Avant-Garde, which tourbed in a refitted Cadillac hearse, had the Top 40 hit “Naturally Stoned,” with Woolery singing, “When I put my mind on you alone/I can get a good sensation/Feel like I’m naturally stoned.”
After The Avant-Garde broke up, Woolery released his debut solo single “I’ve Been Wrong” in 1969 and several more singles with Columbia before transitioning to country music by the 1970s. He released two solo singles, “Forgive My Heart” and “Love Me, Love Me.” Woolery wrote or co-wrote songs for himself and everyone from Pat Boone to Tammy Wynette. On Wynette’s 1971 album “We Sure Can Love Each Other,” Woolery wrote “The Joys of Being a Woman” with lyrics including “See our baby on the swing/Hear her laugh, hear her scream.”
After his TV career ended, Woolery went into podcasting. In an interview with The New York Times, he called himself a gun-rights activist and described himself as a conservative libertarian and constitutionalist. He said he hadn’t revealed his politics in liberal Hollywood for fear of retribution. He teamed up with Mark Young in 2014 for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and soon became a full supporter of Donald Trump while arguing minorities don’t need civil rights and causing a firestorm by tweeting an antisemitic comment linking Soviet Communists to Judaism.
“President Obama’s popularity is a fantasy only held by him and his dwindling legion of juice-box-drinking, anxiety-dog-hugging, safe-space-hiding snowflakes,” he said. Woolery also was active online, retweeting articles from Conservative Brief, insisting Democrats were trying to install a system of Marxism and spreading headlines such as “Impeach him! Devastating photo of Joe Biden leaks.”
During the early stages of the pandemic, Woolery initially accused medical professionals and Democrats of lying about the virus in an effort to hurt the economy and Trump’s chances for reelection to the presidency. “The most outrageous lies are the ones about COVID-19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, media, Democrats, our doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust. I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I’m sick of it,” Woolery wrote in July 2020.
Just days later, Woolery changed his stance, announcing his son had contracted COVID-19. “To further clarify and add perspective, COVID-19 is real and it is here. My son tested positive for the virus, and I feel for of those suffering and especially for those who have lost loved ones,” Woolery posted before his account was deleted. Woolery later explained on his podcast that he never called COVID-19 “a hoax” or said “it’s not real,” just that “we’ve been lied to.” Woolery also said it was “an honor to have your president retweet what your thoughts are and think it’s important enough to do that.”
In addition to his wife, Woolery is survived by his sons Michael and Sean and his daughter Melissa, Young said.
We'll have a lot more of the program in just a moment.
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A pickleball paddle from Pickleballcentral.com. Why do you need it? When do you need it? Right now and RIGHT here at pickleballcentral.com. It's so easy to do even a tennis pro might try. Now we siwng back to Pierre Kelly!
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Now comes the part in which we have to seperate the men....from the toys. It's the Yay & Yawn of November.
The Yay: DWTS. 500 episodes and still dancing, baby!
The Yawn: Lucky 13. Gina and Shaq produced a game show. Season 2 was on the way, but alas.............ABC nixed it. Ouch.
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Peacock released a first look at Season 3 of the Emmy Award(R)-winning competition reality series The Traitors.
Returning January 9 and hosted by the impossibly stylish and devastatingly witty Alan Cumming, the next 21 contestants participating in Season 3 are:
· Bob Harper (The Biggest Loser)
· Bob The Drag Queen (RuPaul's Drag Race)
· Britney Haynes (Big Brother)
· Carolyn Wiger (Survivor)
· Chanel Ayan (The Real Housewives of Dubai)
· Chrishell Stause (Selling Sunset)
· Ciara Miller (Summer House)
· Danielle Reyes (Big Brother)
· Dolores Catania (The Real Housewives of New Jersey)
· Dorinda Medley (The Real Housewives of New York City)
· Dylan Efron (Down to Earth with Zac Efron)
· Gabby Windey (The Bachelorette)
· Jeremy Collins (Survivor)
· Lord Ivar Mountbatten (British Royal)
· Nikki Garcia (WWE Hall of Famer)
· Rob Mariano (Survivor & Deal or No Deal Island)
· Robyn Dixon (The Real Housewives of Potomac)
· Sam Asghari (Actor & Model)
· Tom Sandoval (Vanderpump Rules)
· Tony Vlachos (Survivor)
· Wells Adams (Bachelor in Paradise)
The Traitors is produced by Studio Lambert with Stephen Lambert, Mike Cotton, Sam Rees-Jones, Rosie Franks, Jack Burgess and Tim Harcourt serving as executive producers.
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Here's a follow along on Lucky 13's cancellation.
Lucky 13 has proved unfortunate for those involved in making the ABC game show.
Several sources said hosts Shaquille O’Neal and Gina Rodriguez — as well as equipment and services firms and individuals who worked on the series — are cumulatively owed at least $500,000.
Deadline revealed last week that Lucky 13 would not be renewed for a second season after its unusual financing model turned sour. UK producer Studio 1 pre-funded Lucky 13 in return for a share of ABC’s advertising and product placement sales, but revenue fell well short of projections. Studio 1 is now being chased for the unpaid cash after effectively going bankrupt.
An ABC source said the Disney-owned network is working to ensure O’Neal and Rodriguez, who doubled as executive producers, receive payment. A rep for the presenters has been contacted for comment. ABC had no comment.
Contractors out of pocket include Funicular Goats, which has worked on projects such as Disney’s Elton John Live, and UK production management firm Nest Productions. Others impacted include kit firm Luna Remote Systems and Suite, a post-production company. All declined to comment.
Two sources told Deadline that the money owed could be closer to $1M, though this was downplayed by others familiar with the matter. Either way, contractors have been chasing payment for months. The series wrapped in June and contractors would usually expect to be paid within 30 days.
“It’s a nightmare,” said the founder of one company impacted by the issue. Another added: “We’ve been strung along quite a bit by the producers. They’ve told us over the past couple of months that payment was coming and they were picked up for Season 2. The story we got was that one of the financiers dropped out and they were reconnecting with a new source of financing.”
Sources said Studio 1 pulled together a number of financiers for Lucky 13. A person who worked on the show said it was an audacious “gamble” that has not worked out for Studio 1, which was founded by the team that developed Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Lucky 13 Holdings and Studio 13 Entertainment, the special purpose companies Studio 1 set up to house Lucky 13, are subject to an administration process in the UK as creditors chase their debts. UK accountancy company Menzies is overseeing the administration. Menzies said it was too early to comment on the process. Studio 1 declined to comment.
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CNN has renewed Have I Got News For You for a second season that will air early next year as part of CNN's Saturday primetime lineup. The American version of the long-running UK comedy series is hosted by Roy Wood Jr. along with team captains Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black. Produced by Hat Trick Productions for CNN Originals, Have I Got News for You concludes its ten-episode freshman season on Saturday, November 23 at 9pm ET/PT on CNN.
Season one of CNN's Have I Got News For You was declared by The Telegraph as "cheerfully competent" and "nowhere near the embarrassment it might have been." Always relevant and topical, the series serves up a smart and edgy take on the news of the week, as the comic trio led by host by Wood Jr. guides a rotating collection of guests through an array of comic games and quick-witted panel conversations that test their knowledge of current events.
"For its inaugural season, Have I Got News For You has been a welcome and lively extension of the CNN brand, and our viewers continue to show enthusiasm for comic relief on Saturday nights" said Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development. The series premiered on September 13 and joined CNN's encore presentation of Real Time With Bill Maher as part of the network's revitalized Saturday primetime offering, marking CNN's investment into topical entertainment programming.
"We're thrilled that Have I Got News For You has made an impact with the CNN audience and can't wait to come back next year," said Executive Producer Jimmy Mulville. "I think we'll have plenty of news to poke fun at!
Notable guests from season one of Have I Got News For You included Robin Thede, Andy Richter, Mark McKinnon, Ana Navarro, Larry Wilmore, Adam Kinzinger, Anthony Scaramucci, Bomani Jones, Representative Tim Burchett, and more. Journalist and host Kara Swisher will join as guest in the finale of season one this Saturday, November 23.
Have I Got News For You is executive produced by Jim Biederman, Jimmy Mulville and Richard Wilson for Hat Trick Productions.
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Sorry, Kay-bee but...............
Toys “R” Us is getting into the reality television business.
The toy store is developing a competition series Toys “R” Us Family Faceoff – with Fox Alternative Entertainment.
The company is working on the project via its Toys “R” Us Studios division and has teamed up with Known Originals, which is behind Netflix’s Jeen Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy and Amazon’s McDonald’s All-American Games as well as the unscripted production arm of Fox Entertainment Studios.
The series will seek families competing inside a “larger-than-life” toy store and will integrate a range of nostalgic and popular trending toys and games from classic toy brands.
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It's been (wait for it!) 30 years since Friends first premiered and while we've already gotten to celebrate the show's legacy with a reunion back in 2021, HBO and Max are giving us the next best thing: the chance to prove how much of a superfan we are. Some lucky contestants were chosen to be a part of Fast Friends, a brand new competition series that will put their knowledge of the show to the ultimate test.
"Max is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the global phenomenon Friends with the premiere of Fast Friends, a Friends fan challenge special hosted by comedian Whitney Cummings. Filmed at The Friends Experience: The One in New York City, Fast Friends takes place in the celebrated series’ iconic sets in a fast-paced competition event," Max revealed to Cosmopolitan. "From racing through Rachel and Monica’s apartment to darting across Joey and Chandler’s bachelor pad and grabbing a coffee at Central Perk, fans will re-live their favorite moments while being put to the test with trivia, puzzles, and games that will keep even the most die-hard Friends fans on their toes. The quickest team will win the title of Ultimate Fast Friends Champion."
Comedian Whitney Cummings, who is also a Friends fan herself, will be hosting the show and she even has some special advice to the contestants. "I’m so excited to be hosting Fast Friends! This is your chance to time travel to a world before social media," she exclusively told Cosmopolitan.
"I suggest everyone tuning in, learn all of Phoebe’s songs and wear sneakers...you’re gonna need them!" The four-episode special premieres Thursday, December 19 on Max. New episodes will debut weekly through January 9.
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Host Will Arnett returns alongside Brickmasters Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard as judges for the third installment of the holiday-themed event special LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular, airing Tuesday, Dec. 10 and Tuesday, Dec. 17 @ 8:00-10:00PM ET/PT on FOX. The two-night event series, airing over two weeks, will coldly go where no snowman has gone before, with unpredictable twists and surprises. Special celebrity guests include Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill, Chicago P.D.), Holly Robinson Peete (Queens Court, Meet the Peetes), Eric McCormack (Will & Grace, The Other Black Girl) and Lil Rel Howery (Get Out, Harold and the Purple Crayon) pairing up with fan-favorite former contestants - Christine Blandino (Season 3), Stephen Joo (Season 3), Aaron Newman (Season 1) and Corey D. Samuels (Season 1) - to compete in jaw-dropping holiday-themed challenges for charities of their choice. In the end, one team will earn the title of LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular champions and leave with the coveted trophy. Raise a glass and make a mistle-toast to the holiday season!
Fans of LEGO Masters can watch anytime on Hulu, Fox.com, On Demand and FOX Entertainment's streaming platform, Tubi. On Demand episodes are available for customers of Cox Contour TV, DIRECTV, DISH, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Optimum, Spectrum, Verizon FiOS, XFINITY, YouTube TV and many more.
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And it's time for a Mistplay Game Break. Here's a question.
We all know Chuck Woolery played Mr. Dingle in New Zoo Revue before his game show career but................
What occupation did Mr. Dingle hold?
While you ponder on that, here's chuck in his rock music years.
And now we get the answer. Mr. Dingle was............a mailman. Just like Reba in Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
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And here's a segment I'd like to call itself....................
Podcasts......you should listen to.
It's a TV podcast that covers all the shows you've been watching and some you want to get watching. Amye Archer is joined by a group of friends for a discussion about things reality and scripted. It's what you need to know before taking your plastic cards out for payment of subsciption services like Hulu, Peacock and such. So before you get to your phone, your TV, your computer or whatever, get to this first:
https://www.youtube.com/@LittleMissRecap
Then watch it afterwards for proof. New episodes up on Spotify, Apple, Iheartradio and elsewhere.
https://youtu.be/3jAXjec5N7U?si=kxh0-xjh0DNWy8cS
Don't forget to email me at kellypierre8@gmail.com, coppockonsports@yahoo.com, Pierre Kelly on FB and @Johnny_Arcade on X which is formerly Twitter. Also I'm on Snapchat as MisterGSN and Instagram as MrJackbox2. We will return next Wednesday, and until we return, Play on playas.
Amy: Pierre Kelly's wardrobe was dressed by Geek Fuel at geekfuel.com. This is Amy Irons for Game Show Live!, a presentation of Pacific Quay Entertainment, Local Now Productions and Jackbox Media Services which may or may not be reponsible for the litter we made up.
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