http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-pressyourluckhostdies,0,44122.story?coll=zap-news-headlines


LOS ANGELES -- Peter Tomarken, the host of the 1980s game show "Press Your Luck," died Monday morning when a small plane carrying him and two other passengers crashed in the Pacific Ocean.

According to news reports, Tomarken, 63, and two other people were aboard a Beechcraft 36 when it hit the ocean near the Santa Monica Pier a little after 9:30 a.m. Monday. The pilot reported engine failure not long after the aircraft's takeoff from Santa Monica Airport, a couple of miles inland from the crash site.

Rescuers recovered two bodies -- those of Tomarken and his wife, Kathleen, 41. Authorities are seeking a third person who was reportedly aboard.

Tomarken hosted "Press Your Luck," which was a daytime hit on CBS from 1983-86. The show is notable for its animated "Whammy" characters that took contestants' money when they landed on them, and for a 1984 scandal in which a player named Paul Michael Larson discovered a pattern in the show's game board and used it to win more than $100,000.

Larson wasn't doing anything illegal, but the show's producers later reprogrammed the game board to move randomly and keep other players from beating the game.

Tomarken was also an actor, with appearances on "Ally McBeal," "The Rockford Files" and "Heaven Can Wait" to his credit.

http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-pressyourluckhostdies,0,44122.story?coll=zap-news-headlines


LOS ANGELES -- Peter Tomarken, the host of the 1980s game show "Press Your Luck," died Monday morning when a small plane carrying him and two other passengers crashed in the Pacific Ocean.

According to news reports, Tomarken, 63, and two other people were aboard a Beechcraft 36 when it hit the ocean near the Santa Monica Pier a little after 9:30 a.m. Monday. The pilot reported engine failure not long after the aircraft's takeoff from Santa Monica Airport, a couple of miles inland from the crash site.

Rescuers recovered two bodies -- those of Tomarken and his wife, Kathleen, 41. Authorities are seeking a third person who was reportedly aboard.

Tomarken hosted "Press Your Luck," which was a daytime hit on CBS from 1983-86. The show is notable for its animated "Whammy" characters that took contestants' money when they landed on them, and for a 1984 scandal in which a player named Paul Michael Larson discovered a pattern in the show's game board and used it to win more than $100,000.

Larson wasn't doing anything illegal, but the show's producers later reprogrammed the game board to move randomly and keep other players from beating the game.

Tomarken was also an actor, with appearances on "Ally McBeal," "The Rockford Files" and "Heaven Can Wait" to his credit.
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :(

I am in shock :eek:

What a shame. I don't recall the show, and I can't place him.

oH NO!!!!! I loved Peter and PYL.. :(

What a shame. I don't recall the show, and I can't place him.


here he is Janice

http://sonicwhammy.20fr.com/petertom.jpg

here he is Janice

http://sonicwhammy.20fr.com/petertom.jpg
Thank you. Now I recognize him. Tragic.

OH NO!!!!!!!! This is terrible! :crying: He was a great host. This is a huge loss to game show fans. :rip: Peter.

He can get together with Rod Roddy and play PYL with others in heaven.

Very sad news, indeed. Press Your Luck was one of the best game shows of all time... :(

I just read about this earlier. :( I used to watch PYL as a kid. (I loved the Whammies, hehe!)

this is very sad news i was always a big fan of peter and press your luck

OH NO!!! I loved that show, with all those goofy Whammies!!! That's very sad.:(

http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/ap/PLANE_CRASH.sff_LA112_20060313195259.jpg

That's very sad. R.I.P. Peter. :(

That's so sad. I loved watching Press Your Luck.:(

The plane was on its way to San Diego to ferry a medical patient to the UCLA Medical Center, said Doug Griffith, a spokesman for Angel Flight West, a nonprofit which provides free air transportation for needy patients.


Griffith said the pilot was a volunteer for the group. According to the FAA, the plane was registered to Tomarken and he was the pilot.


Honestly, this just makes it sadder. Peter was on his way to help - genuinely help - someone, and died as a result

This is very sad indeed. With Peter Tomarken now gone, this means that the three most memorable people associated with "Press Your Luck" have all passed away:

1. Host Peter Tomarken
2. Announcer Rod Roddy of cancer on October 27, 2003.
3. Contestant Michael Larson, who memorized the patterns on the board and won $110,237. He died on February 16, 1999 of throat cancer.

Honestly, this just makes it sadder. Peter was on his way to help - genuinely help - someone, and died as a result

Awww...:crying:

To quote Billy Joel: "Only the good die young."

Network to Air 'BIG BUCKS: THE PRESS YOUR LUCK SCANDAL' Tuesday, March 14 and
an All-Day 'PRESS YOUR LUCK' Tribute Sunday, March 19 From 9 AM to 6 PM ET

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 13 -- GSN mourns the loss of
Peter Tomarken, host of the classic game series PRESS YOUR LUCK, who died
today along with his wife, Kathleen, in a plane crash in Santa Monica, Ca.

GSN will salute Tomarken with two special tributes, starting tomorrow
night (3/14) with the re-broadcast of the documentary BIG BUCKS: THE PRESS
YOUR LUCK SCANDAL at 10 PM/9 PM C. The network will follow with a day-long
PRESS YOUR LUCK tribute Sunday, March 19 from 9 AM to 6 PM ET.

"On behalf of game show fans and GSN, we mourn the loss of a wonderful
person and one of the great game show hosts of all-time, Peter Tomarken. We
last worked with Peter when he hosted our documentary BIG BUCKS: THE PRESS
YOUR LUCK SCANDAL. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to his
family and friends during this difficult time," said Rich Cronin, President
and CEO of GSN.

Tomarken, who will best be remembered as the host of PRESS YOUR LUCK, also
was the host of "Bargain Hunters," "Hit Man" and "Wipeout." But it was his
role in PRESS YOUR LUCK and the dreaded word "whammy" that made him most
famous. In PRESS YOUR LUCK, if a "whammy" appeared the contestant would lose
all their money and prizes. The contestants loved to shout out "big bucks, no
whammies" each time they spun the wheel to win cash and prizes.

---Me----
The episodes aired will be the first 18 episodes aired from 1985, featuring 6 episodes
from that month's home player sweepstakes, as well as an episode in which talk show
hostess Jenny Jones (as Jennie Weyburn) is a contestant, a $0 win, and an appearance by the Flokati Rug)

:rip:

My mom and I are both very sad about this because we both like watching "Press Your Luck" on GSN.

RIP:(