20 years ago this fall; Richard Dawson Returns to Feud & TPIR Returns to Syndication

[simmytbone]

Hey guys,

20 years ago this fall, during the 1994/1995 Season, Family Feud and The New Price is Right on syndication (2 Game Shows from Mark Goodson Productions) saw some changes:

Richard Dawson the Original Host of Family Feud from the abc years from 1976-1985 returned to the Feud for the 1st time in 9 years and The Price is Right returned to syndication for the 1st time in 8 years

Bob Barker was still hosting The Daytime Version of The New Price is Right on CBS and Bob was in his 23rd Season as host of the show

But back to the task @ hand, Richard Dawson came back to Family Feud in the Fall of 1994 after Ray Combs was fired from the show and the show was still on syndication and it was still Recorded @ CBS Television City in Hollywood which was the same studio where Dawson appeared on Match Game from 1973-1978

However, this version of Family Feud has once again changed its set that made its debut at the Opryland USA tapings the previous season became the permanent set, the contestants was shortened by 1 and so instead of 5 vs. 5, it became 4 vs. 4 and the show was expanded to an hour on syndication

But the rules were still the same, the 1st team to reach 300 points played Fast Money, but instead of the Bullseye Game, it was changed to the Bankroll Game and instead of 5 questions, it was 3 questions

In the 1st half, it was played for $500, $1500 & $2500 and in the 2nd half, it was still doubled to $1000, $3000 & $5000

Each team started out w/$2500 in the 1st half & $5000 in the 2nd half

The most a family or team can play for is $7000 in the 1st half and in 2nd half, the most they can play for in $14000 and as usual, the winning family from the 1st half played against the winning family in the 2nd half

and also, during the 2nd half of the show, they had specials like Beauty vs. Brawn, Ex-Wives vs. Ex-Husbands, The American Gladiators women vs. men and Carol Burnett & Friends vs. Betty White & Friends

and just like The Family Feud Challenge and The NEW Family Feud from 1992-1994 w/the late Ray Combs, it was Single, Double and Triple and if no one reached 300 points, they still played for Triple the points and as usual, the winner played Fast Money and if the family or team reaches 200 points or more, then they can still take home whichever money they played for

During an interview w/E!, the reason that Family Feud changed the Bullseye Game to the Bankroll Game was b/c Dawson admitted that he didn't like the Bullseye Game and also, his son Gary was the Executive Producer of Family Feud and Chester Feldman was the show's Sr. Executive Producer

Now as for The New Price is Right, the show returned to syndication in the fall of 1994 and it was hosted by Doug Davidson of The Young and the Restless Fame and a man who had also appeared on Family Feud w/Ray Combs and the returning Richard Dawson but the set was different from the daytime version of the show

and unlike Bob Barker and Tom Kennedy who used the G-T MIC and unlike the late Dennis James who used all different kinds of Microphones except for the G-T MIC, Doug Davidson used a Cordless Microphone

also, during the Pricing Games, The Clock Game offered a Bonus Prize if a contestant won both prizes, 3 Strikes, instead of 5 numbers, it had 4 numbers in the bag and the 1st number of the price of the car was given and as for Plinko, they had 2 $5000 spaces in the middle, 3 $0 spaces including in the center, the $1000 spaces and the $2500 spaces in each end and later on, the spaces were changed back to the daytime version with $5000 in the center, $0 spaces, $1000 spaces, $500 spaces and $2500 spaces in each end instead of the $100 spaces

Unlike the other half-hour formats of Price, the Davidson version used the Showcase Showdown to determine which contestant competed in the showcase. Two different versions were used

The Price Was Right
The most widely used Showcase Showdown game on The New Price Is Right was The Price Was Right, played similarly to the One Bid on the daytime version. A vintage commercial for a product was presented to the three contestants who were then asked to bid on what the product cost at the time the commercial first aired. The contestant with the closest bid without going over advanced to the Showcase.

In the event that all three contestants overbid (which rarely happened), the bids were erased and began again, with Davidson instructing contestants to bid lower than the lowest bid in the previous round. A "Perfect Bid", however, earned no bonus (and was only accomplished once during the show's brief run).

A similar concept had been used on the original 1956-1965 version hosted by Bill Cullen, which occasionally offered vintage items (such as an automobile from 1919) and asked the contestants to bid what they believed the item cost in a particular period. Contestants who "won" the bidding round often also received a more contemporary equivalent prize.

The Big Wheel
The producers had originally intended to use "The Price Was Right" on every episode, but when tapings for the series began the staff had only been able to complete research on 60 commercials and products. For the other twenty episodes (mostly in the early part of the show's run), the Big Wheel was used.

The Big Wheel was played with the same rules and bonuses in use at the time on the daytime show. However, contestants spun in order from highest to lowest winnings instead of the reverse

With only one person playing the Showcase, the pricing game Range Game was modified for this round. A new prop was built with a $60,000 scale ($10,000 to $70,000). During the show's final commercial break, the winner of the Showcase Showdown chose a range at random between $3,000 and $10,000 (in $1,000 increments).

A single showcase was then presented. Once it was finished, the rangefinder was started up the scale. The contestant pulled a lever when they thought the showcase value was contained within the range. If correct, the contestant won the showcase, which was generally worth between $20,000-$60,000, comparatively higher than average showcase values on the daytime show (which, at the time, offered showcases usually worth between $10,000-$30,000)

TNPIR '94 also saw a history makin' moment in which there was a contestant who won Ten Chances with only the 1st 3 chances

These versions also had Themes that were composed by Edd Kalehoff and the theme were jazzy and used a Saxophone Sound for both versions

Family Feud w/the returning Richard Dawson saw the ratings rise up, but despite an initial rise in the ratings, the momentum could not be sustained and Dawson did not last beyond the one season as host and the final episode aired on May 26, 1995, and reruns continued until September 8

One of the reasons why Dawson's Feud was cancelled was b/c the O.J. Simpson murder trial, which began in January 1995 many of the stations carrying Family Feud also picked up The New Price Is Right, which never found an audience and was cancelled after sixteen weeks and during the final taping of Dawson's Return to Family Feud, Dawson once again gave his final goodbye and said the same line that he said 25 years ago: "God Bless All the Little Children in the World"

Family Feud w/the returning Richard Dawson was Distributed by All American Television, the same company that distributed Baywatch Starring David Hasselhoff of Knight Rider Fame and America's Top 10 w/Casey Kasem

Gene Wood who was a longtime close friend of Richard Dawson was the announcer once again for Family Feud and it would be the last time Gene Wood would announce Family Feud and as for The New Price is Right, the Models were Julie Lynn Cialini, Ferrari Farris and Lisa Stahl and the announcer was Burton Richardson who was the Announcer for The Arsenio Hall Show (Produced by Paramount Domestic Television) and other Game Shows like To Tell The Truth for NBC and the John O'Hurley Version, Family Feud since 1999 w/Louie Anderson, Richard Karn and John O'Hurley, WinTuition w/Marc Summers of Double Dare Fame and Russian Roulette w/Cable TV Legend Mark L. Walberg

Richard Dawson and Doug Davidson's Wardrobes were provided by Ron Ross Studio City, CA

and that's your look @ a moment from 20 years ago this fall:

Richard Dawson Returns to Family Feud and The NEW Price is Right Returns to Syndication

The Family Feud Logo from 1994


Richard Dawson Returns to the Show


The Dawson's Return Set


The NEW Price is Right Logo from 1994


Doug Davidson as host of this NEW Version


The Video Wall


Family Feud is a Mark Goodson Television Production
Distributed by All American Television


The NEW Price is Right is a Mark Goodson Television Producion
Distributed by Paramount Domestic Television A Paramount Communications Company


In the meantime, here are the Video Clips:

Main Theme to Family Feud w/the return of Richard Dawson from 94/95 & The Doug Davidson Version of TNPIR and they're both composed by Edd Kalehoff

Family Feud Theme from 1994
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thYMztm89Fw

The NEW Price is Right Theme from 1994
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAHOF77rHTw

Jim Nolan Interviewing Richard Dawson about returning to the Feud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV0k8ixAV4Y

Family Feud Promo with the Return of Richard Dawson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ28XXH217c

First Aired Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8t6tGIex_8

Dawson's Return to the Feud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP5CBjJYKHg

Ruggles vs. Chase
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he8b8029LHo

Halloween Episode from 1994
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he8b8029LHo

Marcello on the Feud

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7fX2uyPZbA

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvGJgYDOraw

American Gladiators Special - Women vs. Men

Sky, Ice, Zap & Panther vs. Sabre, Laser, Nitro & Hawk

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WZldBLofgA

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFcTDoHGrG4

Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml53SrZivC8

Carol Burnett vs. Betty White Featuring the late Henry Polic II

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz394_vg7zk

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eOeZpdqU9U

Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjFt_Rk_pCY

Part 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWm_0mtLsno

Ex Husbands vs. Ex Wives

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4P0CUV9PbM

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx2UUwQi5_E

Beauty vs. Brawn

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5sZ6rNGk38

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmZw6S8BGYQ

Playmates vs. Hunks

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClkhecW-WYA

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8_2ihmUXxI

Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAeGuATiBrg

Family Feud Finale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmONkloQB6I

The NEW Price is Right Premiere

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evlpffT2az8

Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc5CSKCQ1Pk

Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXf7Wax3dqw

Part 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX0WGKbcpis

Another Episode with the Big Wheel 9/27/94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5c7TANTIDk

Another Episode including a Different PLINKO Format and a PERFECT Ten Chances
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qNi83Khh30

Another Episode w/Hole in One/Switch/Safe Crackers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiWqOtChtH4

Another Episode from 10/4/94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkmzO9gOnco

A Halloween Episode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJsYM7emUV8

Another from 11/7/94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0kZasUg2HM

Another from 11/8/94
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEpSYGU1Pyk

Another from December 1994
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPVMybDvHpY

The Final Episode of The NEW Price is Right
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXxgN6aG7Ao

Game Show Garbage Presents The Top 5 Reasons Why "The New Price is Right" (1994) Failed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pAW73rhwyU

and BTW, the 1994/1995 Season was not only Dawson's Comeback and TPIR's Return to syndication, but it was also the Final Season for Full House, SWAT KATS: The Radical Squadron, Matlock, Perry Mason Movie Mysteries, In the Heat of the Night, Blossom Starring Mayim Bialik, Garfield & Friends, Empty Nest and The Original Star Search w/the late Ed McMahon also, the Houston Rockets won their 2nd straight NBA Title against the Orlando Magic and the Power Rangers returned with the Thunderzords and the White Tigerzord

Plus, California Dreams were back and they had 2 new members in Mark Winkle and the Biggest Supporter Lorena Marina Costa who would end up becoming Sly Winkle's Girlfriend in the Final Season of the series

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also changed its theme as did Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

American Gladiators were back and Hulk Hogan and STING Ruled WCW while Bret "The Hitman" Hart RULED the WWF and Harlem Heat would soon become THE Hottest Tag Team in Professional Wrestling

Plus, the 94/95 Season saw the NBC Debut of Friends and ER and Seinfeld became THE #1 Show on Primetime Television and thanks to Friends and ER (both produced by Warner Bros. Television) NBC was back on top in Prime Time Television and Good Morning America w/Joan Lunden & Charles Gibson was still the #1 Morning News Program on Television and 20 years later, GMA is #1 w/Robin Roberts, George Stephenopolus, Amy Robach, Lara Spencer, Michael Strahan and Ginger Zee over The Today Show

[TMC]

Today, Family Feud is a ubiquitous piece of popular culture. Steve Harvey has catapulted the long-languishing franchise back into immense popularity for US audiences. But the show's original heyday may have been even more overwhelmingly successful. From 1976 to 1985, Family Feud dominated both daytime television and evening syndication, combining the intrigue of everyday people with the dashing persona of Richard Dawson to generate a true television phenomenon. In this video, we take a look at the genesis of what would become the most popular game show in two distinct generations of broadcasting -- and the factors that led to its initial descent, and ultimately to its cancellation.

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:07 Match Game Background
• 2:47 Early Feud Development
• 5:00 Richard Dawson Background
• 8:20 Picking a Host
• 9:46 The Pilot
• 10:58 The Gameplay
• 13:05 The Human Element
• 14:19 Rise to Prominence
• 17:01 The Egotism of Richard Dawson
• 20:16 The Kissing
• 22:48 Gretchen Johnson & Diana Dors
• 23:57 Late Night Dawson
• 29:09 Family Feud's Decline
• 32:28 Dawson's Final Monologue
• 35:08 Aftermath and Conclusion

[Hawkee]

When you look back at the 90's in TV I can say that I think for syndicated game shows 1994 was the weakest link for game shows. Because ever since the O.J. Simpson trial was the most talked about subject in TV I think it hurt a lot of game shows being in production waiting to air episodes. What I think happened with the syndicated 1994 version of The Price Is Right was they thought it could be a very wise hit and more better than the original CBS Bob Barker version. But I think what really caused the 1994 The Price Is Right to have weak ratings was having Doug Davidson be the host and to me they were trying to attract to the young crowd by having a host that could be like what a teenage idol used to be in the 50's and 60's. I remember watching an episode of The Price Is Right with Doug Davidson with my mom once and she couldn't believe that Doug Davidson was hosting it and we thought the show was weird and I think Doug Davidson mainly took the hosting job as a second job because at the time he also played the character Paul on The Young And The Restless and this job offered him more money but if they had chosen a better host I think it would've survived. Family Feud on the other hand I can't figure out why they decided to bring Richard Dawson back and to me I think Richard really wanted to come back to Family Feud was so everyone could see he was truly a Comeback Kid but I think that this version really ruined Family Feud for life. And the only saving grace was having Gene Wood return as announcer. By the way is Gene Wood still alive? I hadn't heard much about him except that he was ill
Bestie

[cd637299]

Yes, the OJ coverage hurt syndicated game shows pretty much.

The main man behind “The New Price Is Right” was Jay Wolpert, who was an original Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner (1969 during Art Fleming’s run). Wolpert worked on the Price Is Right upon its return in 1972 with Bob Barker.

I absolutely loved Wolpert’s game show “Whew!” and felt it deserved better in viewership. I thought it a major coup for BUZZR to get the Whew! package. However I cannot think of another game show he created that I cared for. Nor did I care for what he did to Price Is Right in 1994.

As to Dawson’s return, I haven’t seen this on YouTube, but IMO there was one hilarious Fast Money answer in his return season…

Dawson: [Name] something that weighs more than a ton.
Contestant: Two tons.

After the clock ran out, Dawson had his arm over the guy’s shoulder….Dawson said, “I hope you win the money, that was a GREAT answer!”

cd