A half-century in the past, Hollywood Squares, the life-size celeb tic-tac-toe sport, received its first Emmy for excellent sport present.
Hollywood Squares had premiered as a pilot on NBC in 1965, with the premise that well-known panelists in a large board assist (or hinder) contestants by answering a query from the host. The contestant chooses to agree or disagree with the reply and earns the sq. for themselves in the event that they select accurately, or for his or her opponent if incorrect. Three squares in a row wins the contestant money and prizes.
When the present grew to become a sequence in 1966, Peter Marshall signed on as a brief host after pilot host Bert Parks grew to become unavailable. Marshall ended up holding the job for 15 years — and successful the excellent sport present host Emmy 4 instances, together with in 1975. That season’s board was populated by such panelists as Sandy Duncan, Vincent Worth, Charo, Redd Foxx and Paul Lynde, who grew to become a “heart sq.” common by 1981.
From left: Richard Crenna, Charo and Vincent Worth.
Gene Trindl/TV Information/©NBC/Courtesy Everett Assortment
Hollywood Squares received the Emmy once more in 1978 and 1979; it break up the honour in 1980 with new companion sport The $20,000 Pyramid, and was canceled the identical yr (to make means for David Letterman’s daytime discuss present, a precursor to The Late Present). It has since been revived a number of instances and spun off just a few extra, having been produced over seven totally different a long time. And it nonetheless lives on: Drew Barrymore, Nate Burleson (who additionally hosts) and Jesse Collins govt produce the present model, now on CBS.
This story first appeared in a June stand-alone concern of The Hollywood Reporter journal. To obtain the journal, click here to subscribe.