David Letterman (The Riddlers - 1977)
So far you've learned that America's favorite weatherman, a world-class magician, various sports stars and a couple of tabloid talk show hosts have all taken the plunge into the world of game show emceeing. The final three names on this list can all be described as television icons, each of which specializes in a different genre of television. The first is one of late night television's biggest stars, hosting The Late Show for 22 years. He appeared on a number of game shows in the seventies including Password Plus, but in 1977, he had the chance to host a game show pilot which didn't get picked up. It's funnyman David Letterman and the show was called The Riddlers.
The Riddlers featured two teams of five players competing to be the first team to answer nine riddles correctly and have a chance to win $2,000 in the bonus game. One team consists of celebrities playing to win money for selected at-home viewers and the other team comprised of five people, who all know each other, hoping to win money to divide among themselves. The game itself was, by all means, a dud. It was basically the mid-'70s game show Jackpot but with celebrities and a Family Feud looking set. The game dragged at various times and even David Letterman's constant jokes couldn't help the cause.
Speaking of David Letterman, the only reason he was probably chosen to host this pilot was because he was a huge name in the comedy scene at this time. Many of the riddles featured throughout the game contained puns, innuendos and punch lines, so it was a perfect format for a comedian. Although there wasn't much of a game, Letterman seemed like he was more focused on making this a comedy show rather than a game show and it felt like this was just a way to showcase his comedic stylings instead of showcasing his hosting abilities. Thankfully he could host a late-night talk show better than a game show because he was going to make it nowhere if he tried to become a professional game show host.
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