Jay Wolpert, who was the original producer of The Price Is Right in the 1970s, created other game shows and later scripted The Count of Monte Cristo and Disney’s first Pirates of the Caribbean film, died Monday of Alzheimer’s in Los Angeles. He was 78.
Wolpert’s reps at Code Entertainment confirmed his death today. Watch a WGA West video interview with him below.
Wolpert won a Jeopardy! championship in the late 1960s, an experience that steered him toward a career in TV game shows. Working for Goodman-Todman Productions, he became the first producer of the Bob Barker-hosted Price Is Right, which premiered in 1972. He remained in that role until 1978.
In 1976, Wolpert created Double Dare, another Goodman-Todson game show originally hosted by future Jeopardy! answer man Alex Trebek. It aired for about five months. Wolpert went on to launch Jay Wolpert Productions, for which he created the daytime game shows Whew!
Wolpert’s reps at Code Entertainment confirmed his death today. Watch a WGA West video interview with him below.
Wolpert won a Jeopardy! championship in the late 1960s, an experience that steered him toward a career in TV game shows. Working for Goodman-Todman Productions, he became the first producer of the Bob Barker-hosted Price Is Right, which premiered in 1972. He remained in that role until 1978.
In 1976, Wolpert created Double Dare, another Goodman-Todson game show originally hosted by future Jeopardy! answer man Alex Trebek. It aired for about five months. Wolpert went on to launch Jay Wolpert Productions, for which he created the daytime game shows Whew!
- 1/4/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Big bucks, expensive vowels, and a million cackling Whammies.
The Daytime Emmys are this Sunday, and for the first time ever, there’s a gay nominee for Best Game Show Host — the marvelous and frightfully funny Billy Eichner. Wahoo! To celebrate, let’s rank the 25 best game shows of all time. Get out your purse and prepare to buy some vowels, gents.
25. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?: Sorry Double Dare, but Carmen Sandiego is the greatest kids’ game ever. It made geography cool while highlighting the glamorous felonies of a femme fatale. I wish more TV shows concluded with the entire cast yelling in unison, “Do it, Rockapella!”
24. Let’s Make a Deal: Carol Merrill and Monty Hall could woo you into anything. Though if you’re already wearing a chicken outfit, you probably don’t need much coercing.
23. Sale of the Century: Jim Perry...
The Daytime Emmys are this Sunday, and for the first time ever, there’s a gay nominee for Best Game Show Host — the marvelous and frightfully funny Billy Eichner. Wahoo! To celebrate, let’s rank the 25 best game shows of all time. Get out your purse and prepare to buy some vowels, gents.
25. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?: Sorry Double Dare, but Carmen Sandiego is the greatest kids’ game ever. It made geography cool while highlighting the glamorous felonies of a femme fatale. I wish more TV shows concluded with the entire cast yelling in unison, “Do it, Rockapella!”
24. Let’s Make a Deal: Carol Merrill and Monty Hall could woo you into anything. Though if you’re already wearing a chicken outfit, you probably don’t need much coercing.
23. Sale of the Century: Jim Perry...
- 6/14/2013
- by Louis Virtel
- The Backlot
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