"Quizmaster: The Life and Times and Fun and Games of Bill Cullen" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 07-17-2013, 09:22 PM

Vienna native writes book about game show host

Link

GLENDALE, Calif. - He said writing books about game shows is something he is good at, but Vienna native Adam Nedeff has a few other talents.

Nedeff has an amazing skill based on his knowledge of daytime television and entertainment shows.

"Give me a date and I can give you the game show that aired on that date," he said of his talent.

That's not all he is recognized for; the 30-year-old West Virginian, who now lives in Glendale, Calif., is also a published author. His most recent endeavour is a book, "Quizmaster: The Life and Times and Fun and Games of Bill Cullen," about one of his childhood heroes, Bill Cullen.

"He was one of my favorites and a story that deserves to be told," Nedeff said of Cullen. "Successful actors are remembered forever but game show hosts continue to fade away."

Cullen, a Pittsburgh native, is most famous for hosting "Place the Face," the original "The Price Is Right," the syndicated "The $25,000 Pyramid" and "Blockbusters." He also served as a panelist on "I've Got a Secret" and "To Tell the Truth."

Cullen starred on 40 game shows, Nedeff said.

Nedeff, a 2005 Marshall University graduate, said he admired the game show host as a child watching television everyday. He moved to California in 2007 to pursue his passion for entertainment.

"I was shy when I was a kid and watched game shows a lot," he said. "The flashing lights and bright colors and music, I was drawn to it."

He also had a fascination with Cullen because he was an older man who never stood up; even at a young age he noticed that aspect of the host.

"He had polio as an infant and never fully recovered from it," Nedeff said of Cullen. "That's another reason I felt his story needed to be told."

Nedeff said he enjoys writing and has five other books that haven't been published yet. He said the last one he wrote, the one about the game show host, is the first one to be published.

"It wasn't the most daunting task," he added. "I had a lot of help. I'd say I was writing a book about Cullen and they said they wanted to help."

Those who "helped" him write the biography included people who knew the on-air game show host personally and Cullen's wife, Ann, who lives in Orange County, Calif.

Nedeff hopes to continue to write about game shows and one day have his own.

"Writing about game shows is going to be my thing now," he said. "There was always somebody saying I should do it."

Along with his roommate, Nedeff re-enacts game shows of all types using homemade props and computer animations. They remake the sets for the shows in parks and perform at private parties and corporate functions, he said.

Nedeff has appeared as a contestant on three game shows and worked behind-the-scenes for Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right.

In January 2011, Nedeff participated in the Conan O'Brien show when O'Brien stopped by the Madame Tussauds house of wax figures in Los Angeles. Nedeff was a tour guide for the museum and spoke with O'Brien for hours of footage on the figures, including one with the likeness of the comedian.

Nedeff said work is scarce in California so he took matters into his own hands.

"I have a desire to get into game shows so I decided to create my own work," he said.

"Quizmaster: The Life and Times and Fun and Games of Bill Cullen" is available in paperback and PDF format at bearmanormedia.com and in paperback and Kindle format at amazon.com.

Question: What do Bob Barker, Dick Clark, Pat Sajak, and Alex Trebek have in common?

Answer: Bill Cullen hosted more game shows than all of them combined. And all of them have referred to Bill as the best game show host of all time.

Quizmaster: The Life & Times & Fun & Games of Bill Cullen is the remarkable story of a “a kid with polio” who became a mechanic, truck driver, photographer, pilot, disc jockey, and the finest master of ceremonies that a game show could ever have.

On the game show Quick as a Flash in 1949, host Bill Cullen was assisted for some of the questions by actress Mercedes McCambridge. In 1973, McCambridge supplied the voice for a child in what horror movie?

THE EXORCIST

On an episode of the game show Catch Me If You Can in 1948, host Bill Cullen welcomed a contestant who was unemployed and seeking work as an actor. That night, he won a gas range. The following year, that actor made his film debut, playing a painter in The Lady Takes a Sailor. His final film role, in 2000, was playing elderly Hardy Greaves in The Legend of Bagger Vance. Who was that actor?

JACK LEMMON

The long-running game show I've Got a Secret was created and produced by a comedy writer who later became a star in his own right with a wildly popular series of albums featuring his parodies of popular songs. Who was he?

ALLAN SHERMAN

In 1956, The Price is Right premiered with host Bill Cullen. Bill got the job after an actor-comic said no. In 1961, that actor's legendary sitcom made its debut on CBS. Who said no to The Price is Right?

DICK VAN DYKE

About the Author

ADAM NEDEFF grew up in Vienna, West Virginia, and spent his childhood infinitely more interested in late night comedy & game shows than afternoon cartoons. As a teenager, he began collecting game show memorabilia as a hobby, frantically gathering 8x10 glossies of hosts, board game adaptations, videos and DVDs of classic game shows. He was even commissioned to produce a game show for Marshall University at the State Fair of West Virginia. He majored in radio & television at Marshall and by the time he graduated, he had already served as announcer for two locally-produced game shows.

He spent a few years toiling as a disc jockey before moving to Los Angeles to see if he could make a career out of his childhood obsessions. He has worked as a freelance comedy writer and appeared as a contestant on three game shows: Catch-21, Trivial Pursuit: America Plays, and Who's Still Standing? He's experienced the world of game shows from the other side of the camera as well, having worked briefly behind-the-scenes for Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. With a team of kindred spirits, he helped started a small business, Home Game Enterprizes, which specializes in recreating and producing live game shows for conventions, restaurants, private parties and corporate functions.

Though encouraged by teachers who told him he had “a passion and a flair” for writing, it took years for Adam to finally start writing about the subjects that he knew best. Encouragement came from an unlikely source: late night star Conan O'Brien. Adam was holding down a day job for a wax museum when his bosses surprised him with the news that Conan O'Brien was filming a comedy skit in the museum, and the museum staff had nominated Adam to appear in the skit with him. Off-camera, Adam and Conan struck up a conversation, and Adam walked away with the encouragement he needed to finally start writing. Adam began writing books about game show history, starting with Quizmaster, a comprehensive biography of beloved game show host Bill Cullen, and This Day in Game Show History, a four-volume set chronicling 365 milestones in the history of his favorite genre.

KurtfromPitts · 07-24-2013, 11:01 AM

Sounds like an interesting book.

GameShowFan66 · 11-20-2013, 01:43 PM

I'd love to get this as a birthday/Christmas present. Cullen was, is, and will always be THE very best!

70s show watcher · 11-22-2013, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GameShowFan66

I'd love to get this as a birthday/Christmas present. Cullen was, is, and will always be THE very best!

i hope i get it for christmas too

07-17-2013, 09:22 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,429	"Quizmaster: The Life and Times and Fun and Games of Bill Cullen" Vienna native writes book about game show host Link GLENDALE, Calif. - He said writing books about game shows is something he is good at, but Vienna native Adam Nedeff has a few other talents. Nedeff has an amazing skill based on his knowledge of daytime television and entertainment shows. "Give me a date and I can give you the game show that aired on that date," he said of his talent. That's not all he is recognized for; the 30-year-old West Virginian, who now lives in Glendale, Calif., is also a published author. His most recent endeavour is a book, "Quizmaster: The Life and Times and Fun and Games of Bill Cullen," about one of his childhood heroes, Bill Cullen. "He was one of my favorites and a story that deserves to be told," Nedeff said of Cullen. "Successful actors are remembered forever but game show hosts continue to fade away." Cullen, a Pittsburgh native, is most famous for hosting "Place the Face," the original "The Price Is Right," the syndicated "The $25,000 Pyramid" and "Blockbusters." He also served as a panelist on "I've Got a Secret" and "To Tell the Truth." Cullen starred on 40 game shows, Nedeff said. Nedeff, a 2005 Marshall University graduate, said he admired the game show host as a child watching television everyday. He moved to California in 2007 to pursue his passion for entertainment. "I was shy when I was a kid and watched game shows a lot," he said. "The flashing lights and bright colors and music, I was drawn to it." He also had a fascination with Cullen because he was an older man who never stood up; even at a young age he noticed that aspect of the host. "He had polio as an infant and never fully recovered from it," Nedeff said of Cullen. "That's another reason I felt his story needed to be told." Nedeff said he enjoys writing and has five other books that haven't been published yet. He said the last one he wrote, the one about the game show host, is the first one to be published. "It wasn't the most daunting task," he added. "I had a lot of help. I'd say I was writing a book about Cullen and they said they wanted to help." Those who "helped" him write the biography included people who knew the on-air game show host personally and Cullen's wife, Ann, who lives in Orange County, Calif. Nedeff hopes to continue to write about game shows and one day have his own. "Writing about game shows is going to be my thing now," he said. "There was always somebody saying I should do it." Along with his roommate, Nedeff re-enacts game shows of all types using homemade props and computer animations. They remake the sets for the shows in parks and perform at private parties and corporate functions, he said. Nedeff has appeared as a contestant on three game shows and worked behind-the-scenes for Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. In January 2011, Nedeff participated in the Conan O'Brien show when O'Brien stopped by the Madame Tussauds house of wax figures in Los Angeles. Nedeff was a tour guide for the museum and spoke with O'Brien for hours of footage on the figures, including one with the likeness of the comedian. Nedeff said work is scarce in California so he took matters into his own hands. "I have a desire to get into game shows so I decided to create my own work," he said. "Quizmaster: The Life and Times and Fun and Games of Bill Cullen" is available in paperback and PDF format at bearmanormedia.com and in paperback and Kindle format at amazon.com. Question: What do Bob Barker, Dick Clark, Pat Sajak, and Alex Trebek have in common? Answer: Bill Cullen hosted more game shows than all of them combined. And all of them have referred to Bill as the best game show host of all time. Quizmaster: The Life & Times & Fun & Games of Bill Cullen is the remarkable story of a “a kid with polio” who became a mechanic, truck driver, photographer, pilot, disc jockey, and the finest master of ceremonies that a game show could ever have. On the game show Quick as a Flash in 1949, host Bill Cullen was assisted for some of the questions by actress Mercedes McCambridge. In 1973, McCambridge supplied the voice for a child in what horror movie? THE EXORCIST On an episode of the game show Catch Me If You Can in 1948, host Bill Cullen welcomed a contestant who was unemployed and seeking work as an actor. That night, he won a gas range. The following year, that actor made his film debut, playing a painter in The Lady Takes a Sailor. His final film role, in 2000, was playing elderly Hardy Greaves in The Legend of Bagger Vance. Who was that actor? JACK LEMMON The long-running game show I've Got a Secret was created and produced by a comedy writer who later became a star in his own right with a wildly popular series of albums featuring his parodies of popular songs. Who was he? ALLAN SHERMAN In 1956, The Price is Right premiered with host Bill Cullen. Bill got the job after an actor-comic said no. In 1961, that actor's legendary sitcom made its debut on CBS. Who said no to The Price is Right? DICK VAN DYKE About the Author ADAM NEDEFF grew up in Vienna, West Virginia, and spent his childhood infinitely more interested in late night comedy & game shows than afternoon cartoons. As a teenager, he began collecting game show memorabilia as a hobby, frantically gathering 8x10 glossies of hosts, board game adaptations, videos and DVDs of classic game shows. He was even commissioned to produce a game show for Marshall University at the State Fair of West Virginia. He majored in radio & television at Marshall and by the time he graduated, he had already served as announcer for two locally-produced game shows. He spent a few years toiling as a disc jockey before moving to Los Angeles to see if he could make a career out of his childhood obsessions. He has worked as a freelance comedy writer and appeared as a contestant on three game shows: Catch-21, Trivial Pursuit: America Plays, and Who's Still Standing? He's experienced the world of game shows from the other side of the camera as well, having worked briefly behind-the-scenes for Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. With a team of kindred spirits, he helped started a small business, Home Game Enterprizes, which specializes in recreating and producing live game shows for conventions, restaurants, private parties and corporate functions. Though encouraged by teachers who told him he had “a passion and a flair” for writing, it took years for Adam to finally start writing about the subjects that he knew best. Encouragement came from an unlikely source: late night star Conan O'Brien. Adam was holding down a day job for a wax museum when his bosses surprised him with the news that Conan O'Brien was filming a comedy skit in the museum, and the museum staff had nominated Adam to appear in the skit with him. Off-camera, Adam and Conan struck up a conversation, and Adam walked away with the encouragement he needed to finally start writing. Adam began writing books about game show history, starting with Quizmaster, a comprehensive biography of beloved game show host Bill Cullen, and This Day in Game Show History, a four-volume set chronicling 365 milestones in the history of his favorite genre.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

07-24-2013, 11:01 AM	#2
KurtfromPitts Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 10, 2006 Location: Carnegie PA Posts: 1,536	Sounds like an interesting book.

11-20-2013, 01:43 PM	#3
GameShowFan66 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 20, 2013 Location: Suburban Philadelphia, PA Posts: 78	I'd love to get this as a birthday/Christmas present. Cullen was, is, and will always be THE very best!