Contestants

Four-time contestants: We present a list of those who have played on four or more games. (Note: only shows n which the player in question was competing on their own behalf are counted for this list.) Know some more? Let me know!

  • Dan Avila – The Joker’s Wild, Break the Bank, Jeopardy! Greed
  • Bart Barrett – Hit Man, Wheel of Fortune, Super Password, Scrabble, Pyramid (’02)
  • Mike Barry – Shoot for the Stars, $20K Pyramid, Super Password, Trump Card
  • Don Benn – Diamond Head Game, Dating Game (’70s and ’80s), $128,000 Question, Mindreaders, Sale of the Century, Scrabble, Tic Tac Dough, You Bet Your Life, USA Gonzo Games
  • Jason Block – Turn It Up!, Wheel of Fortune, WWTBAM, Jeopardy!
  • Maggie Brown – Second Chance*, Joker’s Wild, Whew!, Press Your Luck, Wipeout
  • LaRae Dillman – Blockbusters, $25,000 Pyramid, $ale of the Century, Russian Roulette
  • Doak Fairey – Jeopardy!, The Challengers, Greed, WWTBAM
  • Tom Gauer – $20,000 Pyramid, Sale of the Century, Wheel Of Fortune, Caesar’s Challenge
  • John Goss – Now You See It, Liar’s Club, $25K Pyramid, $ale of the Century
  • Phyllis Harris – Card Sharks, Trivia Trap, Scrabble, Wheel of Fortune, Greed, WWTBAM
  • Susan Hawk – Survivor (I), Big Brother 2, Cannonball Run 2001: Race Across America, Dog Eat Dog
  • Scott Hostetler – Wheel of Fortune, Press Your Luck, Trivial Pursuit, Match Game ’98, Whammy!
  • Emilie Kong – Body Language, Super Password, $100K Pyramid, Match Game ’90
  • Gerry Lancaster – Hollywood Showdown, The Chair, Big Brother 3, Dirty Rotten Cheater
  • Mark Leinwand – Tic Tac Dough, Press Your Luck, Jeopardy!, The Challengers
  • Leszek Pawlowicz – Jeopardy!, Win Ben Stein’s Money, WWTBAM, History IQ
  • Mark Richards (later host of Starcade) – Break the Bank, Big Payoff, Play Your Hunch, Dating Game, To Tell the Truth, Wheel of Fortune
  • Sharlene Roth – Face the Music, $25K Pyramid, Monopoly, Shopping Spree, Trivial Pursuit, Wheel Of Fortune, Hollywood Squares
  • John Spishak – Dream League, Sports on Tap, Scattergories, Quicksilver, Wait ’til You Have Kids!!, Debt, Match Game ’98, Burt Luddin’s Love Buffet, 100%, Smush, Weakest Link (daytime)
  • Dave Wagner – Tic Tac Dough, The Joker’s Wild, Press Your Luck, Headline Chasers
  • Curtis Warren – Sale of the Century, Jeopardy!, Win Ben Stein’s Money, Greed
  • Randy West (later announcer of several games) – What’s My Line?, Face the Music, Hit Man, Press Your Luck, All-Star Blitz, Sweethearts, To Tell the Truth

Contestants turned hosts: It’s happened a few times.

  • Rudy Boesch: Contestant on Survivor; host of Combat Missions
  • Mark DeCarlo: Contestant on Tic Tac Dough (Wayne) and Sale of the Century; Host of Big Deal and Studs
  • Blake Emmons: Contestant on The Joker’s Wild; Host of The New Chain Reaction
  • Ron Maestri: Contestant on Win, Lose or Draw; host of Quicksilver
  • Frank Nicotero: Contestant on Debt and UFL: Ultimate Fan League; host of Street Smarts
  • Mike Reilly: Contestant on Jeopardy!; host of Monopoly
  • Paul Reubens: Contestant on The Gong Show; host of You Don’t Know Jack
  • Mark Richards: see above
  • Gene Wood: Contestant on The Generation Game; host of Beat the Clock (credit: The Encyclopedia)
  • The other way around… Larry Toffler: Hosted Finders Keepers; later was a contestant on Greed, Smush and Russian Roulette.
  • And both ways… Rudy Boesch was a contestant on Survivor (Borneo), became host of Combat Missions, and returned as a contestant on Survivor: All Stars.

Reality show contestants with previous game show credits

  • Teresa Cooper (Survivor: Africa): Card Sharks
  • Gerry Lancaster (Big Brother 3): Hollywood Showdown, The Chair (later on Dirty Rotten Cheater)
  • Marvin Latimer (Big Brother 5): Weakest Link (syn)
  • Mitchell Olson (Survivor: The Australian Outback): The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune (thanks for the e-mail, Mitchell!)
  • Nick Warnock (The Apprentice): Dog Eat Dog

Game Shows: All in the Family

    Husband-and-wife emcees:

  • Martin Gable (With This Ring) and Arlene Francis (Blind Date)
  • Allen Ludden (multiple series) and Betty White (Just Men!)
  • Bobby Van (multiple series) and Elaine Joyce (The All New Dating Game)
    Father-and-son emcees:

  • Herb Shriner (Two For the Money) and Wil Shriner (Small Talk)
    Brothers in the ranks:

  • Jack Narz and Jim “Tom Kennedy” Narz
    And Mother-and-daughter models:

  • Carol Merrill (Let’s Make a Deal) and Hillary Safire (Truth or Consequences!)