I watched every network Bob Barker obituary I could find over the weekend. The word "legend" is tossed around too frequently, but it really fits in describing Barker.
While I'm sorry he's gone, something in all those obituaries made me smile. It was great hearing announcer Johnny Olsen in those old "The Price is Right" clips. He was simply the best.
I will get some argument on that from the Don Pardo fans. He was great, but there was no one like Johnny Olsen. He could read the phone book aloud and make it sound exciting.
Another one high on my list was John Harlan, who handled the "Password" run on ABC in the 70's. The same goes for Jack Clark, who had a long list of credits, including "Pyramid."
And, you cannot forget Jay Stewart, who was not only the announcer on "Let's Make a Deal," but he was also Monty Hall's sidekick.
Charlie Tuna spent years working on "Scrabble," an underrated show.
I know an announcer is not the make or break person for a game show, but a talented voice does add a lot to the broadcast.
