Gene Wood

Eugene Edward Wood (October 20, 1925 – May 21, 2004) was an American television personality, known primarily for his work as an announcer on various game shows. From the 1950s to the 1990s, he announced many game shows, primarily Mark Goodson–Bill Todman productions such as Family Feud, Classic Concentration, Card Sharks, Password, and Beat the Clock. Wood also served a brief stint as a host on this last show, and on another show, Anything You Can Do. After retiring from game shows in 1996, Wood worked as an announcer for the Game Show Network until his retirement in 1998.

Early life

Wood was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. He served in the Army Air Forces during World War II. Wood majored in speech and theater at Emerson College.<ref name=LATimes>Template:Cite news</ref>

Career

Early career

Wood wrote one episode for The Arlene Francis Show in 1958.Template:Citation needed His early career included stand-up comedy, television commercials, and writing for Bob Keeshan of Captain Kangaroo fame.<ref name=LATimes/> This work included a Terrytoons-produced cartoon series, The Adventures of Lariat Sam, which aired on the Captain Kangaroo show.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Wood also supplied voices and sang the theme song. Wood also had a comedy career, often pairing with partner Bill Dana, performing their comedy act at nightclubs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Wood with Jay Burton wrote one episode for When Things Were Rotten, "The French Dis-connection", in 1975.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Announcing

Wood's first role as a game show announcer came as a substitute on the ABC version of Supermarket SweepTemplate:Citation needed and The Soupy Sales Hour<ref>Template:Citebook</ref> in 1966; three years later, he began a long association with Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, where he worked on Beat the Clock as its announcer from 1969 to 1972;<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> after the departure of the show's host, Jack Narz, Wood then took over as host of Beat the Clock, with Nick Holenreich serving as announcer.<ref name=LATimes/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Wood hosted the 1971–72 season of the short-lived game show Anything You Can Do, which featured teams of men competing against teams of women in stunts similar to Beat the Clock.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He also appeared as a celebrity panelist on one week of Match Game in 1974. By 1976, Wood had become a regular announcer for Goodson–Todman, working as voice-over for many of the company's game shows.<ref name=LATimes/> In addition to his role as announcer, he regularly served as a warm-up act for the audiences on these shows, and often performed a series of comedy skits.

Among Wood's most popular jobs was as announcer on the original version of Family Feud.<ref name=LATimes/> The original version, hosted by Richard Dawson, ran on ABC from 1976 to 1985.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=FF325>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> When Family Feud was revived in 1988 with Ray Combs as host, he announced on that version as well through the 1994–1995 season,<ref name=FF325/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> during which Dawson returned as host.<ref name=FF325/> Another show for which Wood announced on both the original version and a revival was Card Sharks. The show's first incarnation, starring Jim Perry, ran from 1978 to 1981 on NBC,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> while two concurrent revivals (one on CBS and another in syndication, hosted by Bob Eubanks<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Bill Rafferty, respectively) ran from 1986 to 1989.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He announced for Child's Play from 1982 to 1983.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Wood announced the first few weeks of Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak on ABC,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> before being replaced by Marc Summers.Template:Citation needed

After the 1985 death of the original announcer Johnny Olson on the Bob Barker version of The Price Is Right, Wood was one of four interim announcers on that show, until Rod Roddy was chosen as Olson's successor. At that same time, he also announced on the nightly syndicated version hosted by Tom Kennedy that ran for the season. According to former producer Roger Dobkowitz, between Barker, Goodson, and Dobkowitz himself, they felt that his voice was a little on the harsh side and was unsuitable for the show, despite his experience.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Wood returned to Price briefly in 1998 to read the summer rerun fee plugs. He also filled in for Olson, during the final weeks of the Tom Kennedy-hosted version of Body Language. Other shows on which Wood served as a regular announcer were Password (CBS, 1963–67),<ref name=Terrace131>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Password>Template:Cite book</ref> Now You See It (CBS, 1974–78),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Tattletales (CBS, 1974–78),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Double Dare (CBS, 1976–77), Showoffs (ABC, 1976–78),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Better Sex (ABC, 1977–78),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Password Plus (NBC, 1979–82),<ref name=Terrace131/><ref name=Password/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (NBC, 1983–84),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Trivia Trap (ABC, 1984–85)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Super Password (NBC, 1984–89),<ref name=Password/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Love Connection (Syndication, 1985–1988),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Classic Concentration (NBC, 1987–91),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Win, Lose or Draw (Syndicated, 1987–90),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> the Ross Shafer-hosted Match Game (1990–91),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Baby Races (Family Channel, 1993–94),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Family Challenge (1995–96).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Prior to his retirement in the late 1990s, Wood also did voiceovers for the Game Show Network.<ref name=NYTimes/>

Personal life and death

Wood married Carleen Anderson in 1960. They had two daughters, Sasha and Mia, together. He had one son, Timothy, from a previous marriage.<ref name=NYTimes/> Wood retired to Adamsville, Rhode Island in the 1990s.<ref name=LATimes/> He died of lung cancer in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 21, 2004.<ref name=NYTimes>Template:Cite news</ref>

External links

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