Link (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/466434/chuck_woolery_says_not_all_was_well.html)

It's not that Chuck Woolery needed the job. Despite being replaced from hosting "Wheel of Fortune," arguably the most successful game show ever, Chuck Woolery is still considered by many to be the king of game shows. He revealed just recently, near the end of November, that he left because of a severe rift with Merv Griffin which made it impossible for the two to coexist peacefully in the same work environment.

Woolery says that he was replaced in 1981 because he felt Merv Griffin created a hostile work environment and refused to give Woolery the raise that he demanded. According to Woolery's side of the story, in 1981 he demanded a raise from $65,000 a year to about $500,000 a year because the NBC hit game show was drawing about a 44 share, and other hosts of game shows were making the higher amount. Griffin counter offered with around $400,000, and NBC (not wanting to lose a popular host) stepped in and offered to pay the other $100,000.

Apparently that made Merv Griffin furious, and he threatened to take the show to CBS, so NBC withdrew the offer. That led to hostile feelings between both Woolery and Griffin. Griffin fired Woolery and replaced him with Pat Sajak as host.

Why did this story stay under wraps for so long? According to Woolery, who went on to host "Scrabble," "The Dating Game," and "Greed," said it was out of respect because he didn't want a mess while Merv Griffin was alive, and he knew that could hurt both of them. After that mess, the two men never spoke again before Merv Griffin died, in August of 2007. Woolery still continues to host, and is host of the top rated game show on the Game Show Network: "Lingo."

Chuck Woolery is not the "king of game shows" in my opinion.

I find him to be extremely arrogant. but he got put in his place on an episode of Scrabble.

Here's how it went down:

Chuck Woolery: So, Aaron, did you get what you wanted for Christmas?
Aaron: Uh, NO, considering I'm Jewish.
Chuck Woolery: oh, well, ha ha ha, that was good. I was going to skim right over that, but that was good. So Jason, uh Aaron, did you get what you wanted for Hannukah?
Aaron: No, it's not that time of the year yet, Chuck.

Some King of game shows.

He also knocked on, what I consider to be the greatest game show ever, Press Your Luck, saying he thought it was stupid, and wouldn't have hosted it for millions of dollars. But Love Connection really isn't even a game show, and Lingo is pretty lame IMO. It's just a glorified version of bingo. Meanwhile, Press your luck is a cult classic, and big bucks no whammies is still chanted by many to this day, even though some kids today hadn't even been born yet by the time it went off the air.

While we did get to see him do Scrabble, I was pretty disappointed to discover what happened with him on WoF and with Merv. He is my favorite host on that. It's funny though, if only he had waited a little over a year and a half longer...

While we did get to see him do Scrabble, I was pretty disappointed to discover what happened with him on WoF and with Merv. He is my favorite host on that. It's funny though, if only he had waited a little over a year and a half longer...

The competition isn't exactly stiff, though: Pat Sajak has no enthusiasm at all and has no business hosting a game show.

I'm not entirely sure what happened with him and Merv, but being that Chuck is pretty arrogant, I can see it being a result of his inflated ego.

but i really like your avatar.

Chuck Woollery was certainly a MUCH better host on that show than Sajak, in fact, i stopped watching that show soon after Sajak took over, and never watched again.....and never will!

I don't think Pat is that bad; but I do agree Chuck was a much more lively host on WoF. I do agree that Chuck didn't do a good thing by stepping down from that show and how that was handled by him.

but i really like your avatar.
thanks! :)

I am just amazed Wheel of Fortune has gone on so long. It must be 30years ago Chuck was hosting. I thought he did fine on Greed a few years ago.

I don't think Pat is that bad...
I do! :thumbsdow

i never really cared for pat ether

A jump from 65k to 400k in one year, and you're still not satisfied? Can't feel sympathy there. Still a fan of Chuck's though, always a competent host.

Never understand the flack Sajak gets. He's quick-witted and pulls for contestants "Get outtttta thereeee! Ooh!...Fifty-seven thouuusand, two-hundred dollars!" Don't know what else you want out of host.

I have fond memores of WOF when Chuck was hosting the show. I loved Susan Stafford. The chemistry between them was great. I don't care that much for Pat nor Vanna. Since they took the shopping element out of the show it's not quite the same anymore to me.

Never understand the flack Sajak gets. He's quick-witted and pulls for contestants "Get outtttta thereeee! Ooh!...Fifty-seven thouuusand, two-hundred dollars!" Don't know what else you want out of host.
If you ask me who was truly BAD at hosting the show, then I would say none other than Rolf Benirschke himself. I wasn't sad to find out that Bob Goen replaced him on the daytime show. Even Rolf says he wasn't that great on the show.

Never understand the flack Sajak gets. He's quick-witted and pulls for contestants "Get outtttta thereeee! Ooh!...Fifty-seven thouuusand, two-hundred dollars!" Don't know what else you want out of host.

how bout a little of enthusiasm?

Chuck Woolery's in my Top 10 favorite game show hosts of all-time, so this is good to know.

Well, any of those fill-ins during Sajak's talk show were tough to get through. Seeing how Goen is on "That's the Question", it's more his speed. Rapid-fire clues requiring quick concentration, as opposed to Wheel's laid back style, which suits Sajak's humor.

You don't want enthusiasm every second, otherwise it would feel forced and chirpy-perky. Pat is good with a joke and excited at the big totals. *Shrug*

I think Bob Goen was alright; my problem with the CBS version of it was that it was so ridiculously cheap. I mean, come on, $50 and $75 spaces?! I mean, in 1975 when the show first started that was acceptable, but by 1989 you'd think there'd be more than that, especially if the show had gone all cash by then.

Thanks for this thread - I've always wondered why he left and was replaced. I always thought he was the best host on that show. I actually didn't watch as much and then stopped watching altogether when Pat Sajak took over. Not that I have anything against him personally, I just liked Chuck better.