Bill Rafferty
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Rafferty (born June 17, 1944) is a comedian
and impressionist
who hosted the game show
s Every Second Counts
(1984, syndicated), Card Sharks
(1986-87, syndication), and Blockbusters
(1987, NBC
).
Rafferty was born in Queens, New York. His first national TV exposure came as a roving reporter on the NBC
reality series Real People
which ran from 1979-1984.
Rafferty also did some guest spots on episodes of Laugh-In in the late 1970s version of the show. During his brief game show hosting stints, Rafferty developed several catchphrases, including "dual implication", meaning that either contestant can win the game or match with the next correct answer on Blockbusters and "the land of parting gifts" which was used on both Blockbusters and Card Sharks, meaning that the person who lost the game wins whatever prizes mentioned by the announcer in the closing plug. Rafferty is currently the host of a television show on Retirement Living TV
, called "Retired and Wired", which debuted in October 2007.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and impressionist
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
who hosted the game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
s Every Second Counts
Every Second Counts (US game show)
Every Second Counts was a television game show that aired in United States syndication from September 17, 1984 to September 1985. The show was produced by Group W Productions in association with Charles Colarusso Productions....
(1984, syndicated), Card Sharks
Card Sharks
Card Sharks is an American television game show created by Chester Feldman for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Two contestants compete for control of a row of oversized playing cards by answering questions posed by the host and then guessing if the next card is higher or lower in value than...
(1986-87, syndication), and Blockbusters
Blockbusters (US game show)
Blockbusters is an American game show which had two separate runs in the 1980s. Created by Steve Ryan for Mark Goodson Productions, the first series debuted on NBC on October 27, 1980 and aired until April 23, 1982. In the first series, a team of two family members competed against a solo contestant...
(1987, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
).
Rafferty was born in Queens, New York. His first national TV exposure came as a roving reporter on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
reality series Real People
Real People
Real People is an NBC reality television series that aired from 1979 to 1984, on Wednesday and then Sunday nights. Its initial episodes aired live in the Eastern and Central Time Zones.-Synopsis:...
which ran from 1979-1984.
Rafferty also did some guest spots on episodes of Laugh-In in the late 1970s version of the show. During his brief game show hosting stints, Rafferty developed several catchphrases, including "dual implication", meaning that either contestant can win the game or match with the next correct answer on Blockbusters and "the land of parting gifts" which was used on both Blockbusters and Card Sharks, meaning that the person who lost the game wins whatever prizes mentioned by the announcer in the closing plug. Rafferty is currently the host of a television show on Retirement Living TV
Retirement Living TV
Retirement Living TV is an American cable television network targeted at a demographic aged 50 years and older. Its topics and programs include health care, finance, travel, lifestyle, comedy, and drama....
, called "Retired and Wired", which debuted in October 2007.