1994-95 Family Feud & The "New" Price Is Right

[billmcdee]

Recently I've been watching some documentaries about the long history of Family Feud.

This of course included the 1994-95 "comeback" of Richard Dawson hosting the program, after Ray Combs was so unceremoniously released by Jonathan Goodson as the host.

Feud was not doing all that great in the ratings to begin with, both during CBS daytime and the syndicated versions.

CBS cancelled the daytime Feud but the syndicated one remained, and I suppose the powers that be thought "What's old is new again" and brought back Richard to host.

Richard had his day in the sun during the early years of his first run as host, from 1976 - 1985.  I think around 1981 or 1982 the show was beginning to just feel "tired".

I wanted to share my thoughts and opinions about both the 1994-95 Feud as well as the "New" Price is Right which was hosted by Doug Davidson.

Both of these shows were off the air by 1995 and I dare say with good reasons.

First let me preface this by saying that a great many of these episodes were pre-empted due to the O.J. Simpson Trial that was going on, and that didn't help either show to begin with.

But even if there had been no pre-emptions made, I'd like to opine as to why I believe both of these shows flopped, and why I personally did not like them very much.

I'll start with the Family Feud.

First of all, they cut the teams down from 5 players to just 4.  That I found rather awkward.

Second, while I will always have a great fondness for Richard Dawson's early years of hosting Feud, as well as his better times on Match Game until early to mid 1978, during this version he was not nearly as good.

Quite often he would mumble through or very softly whisper the question and it was difficult to hear.

Also, they totally did away with the "flip" board during the main game, and the set was done over and looked far too dark and sterile to me.

And while I've never been a huge fan of the Bullseye Round, the Bankroll Game was even worse to me.  The dollar values were awkward $500, $1,500 and $2,500 for the first half of the show, then $1,000, $3,000 and $5,000 for the second half.  Just seemed to add to the cheapness of the game.  I mean a top Fast Money prize of $14,000 is just awkward, $15,000 would have made more sense to me, but that's all water under the bridge now.

Gene Wood did an outstanding job as announcer, that's one thing they got right.  The updated jazzy theme was a nice touch too and I suppose that's why they overhauled the set to make it look much less "Hokey".


The "New" Price Is Right.  This title alone caused a great deal of concern and confusion for fans of the CBS Daytime version which was still going very strong.

Doug Davidson was a serviceable host for the game.  He wasn't a Bob Barker, nor was he a Pat Bullard (Card Sharks 2001).  He was a middle of the road host to me, a 5 on a scale from 0 to 10.

My single biggest pet peeve about this new version was there was no qualifying round to earn a spot to get on stage to play a pricing game.  This was a real sticking point to me if for no other reason than in theory, all three players could very well have lost their respective pricing games, and the one who went on to play for the showcase could have lost it, and you could have had a program where for 30 minutes, nobody won a blessed thing.  Now I don't know if that ever happened during its short run, but the potential for that to happen was the single biggest flaw of this updated version.

Burton Richardson was a sensational announcer.  The set was rather sleek and made darker which I liked.  The models were lovely and some new prize cue music was created and introduced, much of which was then used by the REAL Price is Right as well.

I rather liked "The Price WAS Right" game to determine which of the 3 stage players got to play for the showcase at the end of the show.  That I thought was rather clever.

Then it seemed like they ran out of things to use for that game, and I have no idea why, and suddenly the Big Wheel came back again for the Showcase Showdown round instead.

Had they used the wheel from the onset that would have been great.  And had they perhaps used "The Price WAS Right" as a qualifying game for players to earn their way up on stage, and perhaps award them a prize for doing so, that would have made it somewhat better too in my opinion.

I did sort of like the Range Game being used for the Showcase.  I did not even mind that it was just a solo player and one showcase to play for.

I would have preferred for the player to actually bid on it in dollars and have to come within X amount without going over to win their showcase, and if they got within $100 winning an added cash bonus in lieu of their now being a second showcase to win.

Also it seemed that this new Price played Switch? just about every dang episode!

Rant over, I look forward to hearing your replies and comments.

[Bill Skinner]

I'm suspecting that Jonathan Goodson (son of Mark) saw the major success that Merv Griffin was having with Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, and he wanted to replicate it for his own gameshow block.

This iteration of Family Feud may be the worst one ever, even more so than the Louie Anderson era that lasted three seasons. Looking back, I can't believe how cheap they were, because Bankroll's jackpot ($7,000/$14,000) was comically lower than the one Bullseye had. At least in Bullseye, you could win up to $10,000 for the first half, and $20,000 for the second half, and they should've kept it that way. I also hated the 4-on-4 format that they used here instead of the traditional 5-on-5. That didn't feel like Feud at all. At least they had this great idea of bringing back former champions who played on Dawson's original series (whether it was syndicated or ABC), and he didn't do the kissing women schtick that existed on his first run, at the insistence of his wife and daughter. But unfortunately, it signaled the beginning of the franchise's downhill trajectory, because it hasn't recovered from this train wreck ever since. I liked Richard Karn and John O'Hurley's versions, but Steve Harvey rubs me the wrong way with his raunchy content. I get that he's a comedian, but his foul mouth is something I can do without.

As for The New Price is Right, while there were flaws with that show as well (like the possibility that there could be an episode where nothing was ever won, which can never happen on the daytime show thanks to the One Bid round), I actually enjoyed it. Edd Kalehoff breathed new life into the show's theme with a jazzy take on it, plus his prize cues were some of the best ones ever made, and made great additions to the daytime show's music library. I thought it was a stroke of genius to create a new losing cue, with the badly-played guitar and breaking glass; the traditional tuba and slide trombone tune that the daytime show had would've felt so out of place here. I also loved how they did things differently from the daytime show with some pricing games, like giving away the first number for free in 3 Strikes, buzzing wrong numbers in Lucky $even, and replacing grocery items with small prizes in Hole in One and Grand Game. The Video Wall was not as bad as many people claim it was, but the lack of a Turntable led to awkward placement of the games that would've been played there on Bob's show. I do agree with Bill's point that if they had played The Price WAS Right as a qualifying game (similar to the One Bid) and used the traditional Showcase Showdown with the Big Wheel and the traditional Showcase round (albeit with one player, and probably using Card Game's format) as well, then the show might've done a bit better than it did. But something good came from this, as the daytime show started to attract a younger demographic via Bob's appearance on Happy Gilmore (and they always asked him about the fight scene with Adam Sandler), and while Doug Davidson was a pretty good host, I'm glad they went with Drew Carey as Barker's replacement back in 2007. Sure, he started out rough, but he really has improved over time, and is finding his own niche as the show's host. Drew vibes with the contestants well, and he doesn't put down people like Barker did; instead, he roots for them to win, even if they end up losing, which is the quality I enjoy the most.

[Bryan]

If they had went on and canceled Feud instead of pushing another season, Ray may not have been as bitter and never went down the road he did. The “new” PIR was a total joke! Burton is a great announcer don’t get me wrong, but his “Come On Down” cue was severely annoying when he said “Right” at the end.

[babytims]

Since I wasn’t born yet when both shows were originally in the air, and since both shows haven’t totally surfaced online, i can’t give a full opinion, but with the shows I did watch, I can give a solid one.

My opinion with both shows are asymmetrical in a sense: I think Feud had a solid set and format, but the wrong host, and Price had a solid host, but the wrong format. I’ll start with Price: Davidson was a fairly good host, and he makes me laugh and smile at certain points in the show. In a sense, his laid back silliness reminds me of myself which I can appreciate. The show’s format however seemed off to me. Nighttime shows usually replicate their daytime counterparts, just with a few tweaks and changes to accommodate a larger budget. Think of Feud when, on nighttime, the Fast Money jackpot doubled, and added in an extra round. Or Wheel, when the prize budget was just simply increased. Price’s early days had that too, so for them to completely overhaul the format and do away with so many defining features is…just…no. “The Price WAS Right” was a smart concept, although I was thinking that could’ve been the regular one bud game and have a regular cash bonus if the player wins that. I’m glad certain episodes had the big wheel, to make the show still feel like Price, which I can appreciate. The games were still classic as ever, but everything felt very “gamey”, and without the One Bid round and the showcases, it makes the show feel out of place, as if it’s a completely different show entirely. The showcases as well feel so different, to have one player play the showcase in a Range Game format is weird to me. Overall, a 6 out of 10.

Now for Feud, the only complaint I have is Dawson himself. He seemed to have a lack of energy, which could’ve made the show suffer some. Other than that, I pretty much like everything else about the show (I know I’m going against pretty much all of you here, I don’t really hate too many things in general lol, I don’t like being that kind of person). I really love Bullseye (which is why I’m bringing it back in my own carnation of “Feud”), really because I love when game shows have some sort of Jackpot and just to give the show variety. Having one set winning amount each show is redundant, so to have it where the Jackpot prize can vary is smart to me. Plus, it made a way for the prize can be higher than normal, and give away more money. The set was really good, loved how they retained the classic-ness and modernized it at the same time. Maybe if they gave the show a better time slot and kept Ray as host, the show would’ve had a chance.

Overall, 2 very solid shows that had potential if it were to be done the right way. Thankfully both shows are still on in some capacity to this date, with Drew on Price and Harvey on Feud (I know some people don’t like Harvey as host, I tend to like him…he’s genuinely funny, he’s always making the show fun and upbeat, and yes…the show can be raunchy but it still has family-friendly moments).

But uh…yeah….that’s my version of this rant!

[mrgarry]

Personally I think Feud 94-95 is pretty good. In spite of the format change and reducing contestants down to 4 I enjoy it. I wish more episodes would turn up on Youtube Dailymotion and better yet Buzzr since is the rarest version of feud not only because of how infrequently its been seen in reruns but because of the episode count as well. As much as people didn't like Richard in this version, I still think he is the same likable host just no kissing, though I do understand why people don't like him in this version. I've only got a few minor criticisms for Feud 94-95. First I think that there were too many celebrity/special feud weeks this season there were at least 6 (Carol Burnett vs Betty White, Beauty Vs Brawn, Playmates vs Hunks, Young and Restless vs Bold and Beautiful, Ex Husbands vs Ex Wives and LAPD vs LAFD). In addition I think the format used on these episodes was pointless. Why not just have the special feud for the whole episode instead of bringing back 2 returning families in the first half? My second criticism was airing the first few taped weeks of shows out of order. I understand that when theres no returning champions its cute to air the shows out of order, but when you switch to returning champions after a little over a month you might as well just air them in order. Third is the payout. i think they should have kept it the same as the bullseye or just made the values a flat $7,000 or $14,000. or better yet make it a flat $10,000 or $20,000. My last criticism is the fee plugs. I love when shows use 10 second mini commercials for fee plugs because i often think the commercials are amusing. But on shows that used mini commercials between 1990-1995, the majority of the fee plugs were still shot ads read by a female announcer (who read still shot ads from 1990 until the end of the 1996-1997 season and she really cleaned up.) If that was the case i would have done what Jokers Wild, Tic Tac Dough and Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy did, which was have Gene Wood (or Charlie O Donnell and Johnny Gilbert in the case of the other shows) read the still shot ads then show the mini commercials afterward. Either way I enjoy the mini commercials. Overall I think in spite of the flaws I like it.

Now for Price is Right 94-95 I have more criticisms. First, Doug Davidson, while I love him on Y&R, I think he is the worst host of all versions of price is right. I think Ray Combs should have hosted he would have done excellent. Second, using the one bid for qualifying for the showcase was a HUGE mistake. They should have stuck with the Showcase Showdown and I think it could have run longer. Third using the range game to win the showcase was completely pointless and also using one person and one showcase was pointless. And the biggest criticism I have is for the music. Edd Kalehoff is a big inspiration for me as a composer but I do not like the price 94-95 music. I think he made it work somewhat for feud 94-95 but for price he didnt. He should have used his original arrangements. What I like best about this version is Burton Richardson. He's no Rod Roddy and hes certainly no Johnny Olson but. he was very very good. I dont hate price 94-95 but i dont like it that much.

Aug 18, 2023 0:02:06 GMT -5 mrgarry said:

Personally I think Feud 94-95 is pretty good. In spite of the format change and reducing contestants down to 4 I enjoy it. I wish more episodes would turn up on Youtube Dailymotion and better yet Buzzr since is the rarest version of feud not only because of how infrequently its been seen in reruns but because of the episode count as well. As much as people didn't like Richard in this version, I still think he is the same likable host just no kissing, though I do understand why people don't like him in this version. I've only got a few minor criticisms for Feud 94-95. First I think that there were too many celebrity/special feud weeks this season there were at least 6 (Carol Burnett vs Betty White, Beauty Vs Brawn, Playmates vs Hunks, Young and Restless vs Bold and Beautiful, Ex Husbands vs Ex Wives and LAPD vs LAFD). In addition I think the format used on these episodes was pointless. Why not just have the special feud for the whole episode instead of bringing back 2 returning families in the first half? My second criticism was airing the first few taped weeks of shows out of order. I understand that when theres no returning champions its cute to air the shows out of order, but when you switch to returning champions after a little over a month you might as well just air them in order. Third is the payout. i think they should have kept it the same as the bullseye or just made the values a flat $7,000 or $14,000. or better yet make it a flat $10,000 or $20,000. My last criticism is the fee plugs. I love when shows use 10 second mini commercials for fee plugs because i often think the commercials are amusing. But on shows that used mini commercials between 1990-1995, the majority of the fee plugs were still shot ads read by a female announcer (who read still shot ads from 1990 until the end of the 1996-1997 season and she really cleaned up.) If that was the case i would have done what Jokers Wild, Tic Tac Dough and Wheel Of Fortune and Jeopardy did, which was have Gene Wood (or Charlie O Donnell and Johnny Gilbert in the case of the other shows) read the still shot ads then show the mini commercials afterward. Either way I enjoy the mini commercials. Overall I think in spite of the flaws I like it.

Now for Price is Right 94-95 I have more criticisms. First, Doug Davidson, while I love him on Y&R, I think he is the worst host of all versions of price is right. I think Ray Combs should have hosted he would have done excellent. Second, using the one bid for qualifying for the showcase was a HUGE mistake. They should have stuck with the Showcase Showdown and I think it could have run longer. Third using the range game to win the showcase was completely pointless and also using one person and one showcase was pointless. And the biggest criticism I have is for the music. Edd Kalehoff is a big inspiration for me as a composer but I do not like the price 94-95 music. I think he made it work somewhat for feud 94-95 but for price he didnt. He should have used his original arrangements. What I like best about this version is Burton Richardson. He's no Rod Roddy and hes certainly no Johnny Olson but. he was very very good. I dont hate price 94-95 but i dont like it that much.

I forgot to mention the American Gladiators special as well so there were at least 7.

[mrgarry]

Jul 22, 2023 13:14:56 GMT -5 Bill Skinner said:

I'm suspecting that Jonathan Goodson (son of Mark) saw the major success that Merv Griffin was having with Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, and he wanted to replicate it for his own gameshow block.

This iteration of Family Feud may be the worst one ever, even more so than the Louie Anderson era that lasted three seasons. Looking back, I can't believe how cheap they were, because Bankroll's jackpot ($7,000/$14,000) was comically lower than the one Bullseye had. At least in Bullseye, you could win up to $10,000 for the first half, and $20,000 for the second half, and they should've kept it that way. I also hated the 4-on-4 format that they used here instead of the traditional 5-on-5. That didn't feel like Feud at all. At least they had this great idea of bringing back former champions who played on Dawson's original series (whether it was syndicated or ABC), and he didn't do the kissing women schtick that existed on his first run, at the insistence of his wife and daughter. But unfortunately, it signaled the beginning of the franchise's downhill trajectory, because it hasn't recovered from this train wreck ever since. I liked Richard Karn and John O'Hurley's versions, but Steve Harvey rubs me the wrong way with his raunchy content. I get that he's a comedian, but his foul mouth is something I can do without.

As for The New Price is Right, while there were flaws with that show as well (like the possibility that there could be an episode where nothing was ever won, which can never happen on the daytime show thanks to the One Bid round), I actually enjoyed it. Edd Kalehoff breathed new life into the show's theme with a jazzy take on it, plus his prize cues were some of the best ones ever made, and made great additions to the daytime show's music library. I thought it was a stroke of genius to create a new losing cue, with the badly-played guitar and breaking glass; the traditional tuba and slide trombone tune that the daytime show had would've felt so out of place here. I also loved how they did things differently from the daytime show with some pricing games, like giving away the first number for free in 3 Strikes, buzzing wrong numbers in Lucky $even, and replacing grocery items with small prizes in Hole in One and Grand Game. The Video Wall was not as bad as many people claim it was, but the lack of a Turntable led to awkward placement of the games that would've been played there on Bob's show. I do agree with Bill's point that if they had played The Price WAS Right as a qualifying game (similar to the One Bid) and used the traditional Showcase Showdown with the Big Wheel and the traditional Showcase round (albeit with one player, and probably using Card Game's format) as well, then the show might've done a bit better than it did. But something good came from this, as the daytime show started to attract a younger demographic via Bob's appearance on Happy Gilmore (and they always asked him about the fight scene with Adam Sandler), and while Doug Davidson was a pretty good host, I'm glad they went with Drew Carey as Barker's replacement back in 2007. Sure, he started out rough, but he really has improved over time, and is finding his own niche as the show's host. Drew vibes with the contestants well, and he doesn't put down people like Barker did; instead, he roots for them to win, even if they end up losing, which is the quality I enjoy the most.

Personally I think that if Feud '94 made the values flat rates instead of the bullseye it would have been less cheaper than Louie Anderson. That being said I still prefer Feud '94 over Louie Anderson and ESPECIALLY Richard Karn. I enjoy Karn on home improvement but he was a poor choice for family feud.