Geoff Edwards
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Bruce Owen "Geoff" Edwards (born February 13, 1931) is an American television
actor, game show host and radio personality
. Over the past decade and a half, he has been a writer and broadcaster on travel. He was born in Westfield, New Jersey
.
. By the late 1950s, Edwards headed west to Southern California, landing his first job at station KFMB-AM in San Diego, hosting an evening show, and co-hosting the "Don Ross - Geoff Edwards Show".
As a news reporter, Edwards was present in the basement of the Dallas Police Department when Jack Ruby
shot suspected John F. Kennedy
assassin Lee Harvey Oswald
on November 24, 1963. He was one of the witnesses interviewed by NBC
television correspondent Tom Pettit
after the assassination
.
After a few short stints at other stations, Edwards was hired at KMPC
in Los Angeles, occupying the 9 a.m.-Noon slot for several years beginning in 1968. He later worked at KFI
, but ultimately resigned from as a protest against fellow KFI personality Tom Leykis
, destroying Cat Stevens
(Yusuf Islam) records
following Stevens' call for a fatwa
on Salman Rushdie. Most recently, Edwards was a morning DJ with KSUR (now KKGO) in Los Angeles. One of the features of his radio show was "Radio's Answer Lady," in which listeners could call in with questions—some serious, some not so serious—and he would answer on the air, sometimes with serious answers, sometimes with quips.
During that time, Edwards tried his hand at acting, appearing on I Dream of Jeannie
, That Girl
and Petticoat Junction
. On the latter show, he met — and maintained a very close friendship with — Meredith MacRae
. He also guest starred on Diff'rent Strokes
and Small Wonder.
In the early 1970s, Edwards appeared on The Bobby Darin Show as the straight man to singer Bobby Darin
. After that series ended, Edwards pursued a game show career; this began with Says Who? in 1971 followed by Cop-Out! in late 1972—however, both shows eventually turned out to be unsold pilots
.
's Hollywood's Talking
, a remake of a late 1960s ABC
game Everybody's Talking
and the Canadian hit Eye Bet
. The program featured contestants watching a video clip of a celebrity talking about a subject; their job was to guess the subject in question. The series, which aired afternoons on CBS
did not fare well and the network cancelled it in favor of the phenomenally popular Match Game
remake.
Six months later, in January 1974, NBC
and Bob Stewart Productions hired Edwards to host the New York-based Jackpot
. That series proved to be a modest success for Edwards, lasting nearly two years. The previous fall, Chuck Barris
hired Edwards to host the weekly revival of the 1950s game show Treasure Hunt, entitled The New Treasure Hunt. He did the weekly version for four years (1973–77) and helmed a daily Treasure Hunt again for one year (1981–82).
Other game shows Edwards hosted over the years included the New York-based Shoot For the Stars
in 1977, Chain Reaction
(as a substitute host for Bill Cullen
in 1980 and a regular host from 1986–91, having taken over from Blake Emmons
), Starcade
, Play the Percentages
and a revival of Jackpot
from 1989-90. Edwards also was a substitute host in 1985 on Let's Make a Deal
.
Edwards is famous for his catch phrase, "Right you are!"
(now KCAL-TV), replacing Bob Hilton
in the early 1980s and paired with co-host Meredith MacRae
. Edwards and MacRae won an Emmy Award for best host and best hostess respectively for a news magazine series. The two would also host an unsold Bob Stewart-produced game show pilot, $50,000 a Minute, in 1985 for ABC
.
In 1986, Geoff became host of The Big Spin
, the game show of the California Lottery, and would remain host of that program until his retirement from television in 1995. In an interview with Blog Talk Radio, Geoff said he helmed the pilot of Fun & Fortune
, the lottery game show in Missouri
(before Rick Tamblyn became permanent host).
He was also the host of the WTBS show Starcade during its 1982-1983 run. He replaced Mark Richards after the first 23 episodes.
. Geoff appeared on GSN Live
on May 16, 2008.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actor, game show host and radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
. Over the past decade and a half, he has been a writer and broadcaster on travel. He was born in Westfield, New Jersey
Westfield, New Jersey
Westfield is a town in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 30,316. The old village area, now the downtown district, was settled in 1720 as part of the Elizabethtown Tract....
.
Background
Edwards began his career while in college, working for a radio station in Albany, New YorkAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
. By the late 1950s, Edwards headed west to Southern California, landing his first job at station KFMB-AM in San Diego, hosting an evening show, and co-hosting the "Don Ross - Geoff Edwards Show".
As a news reporter, Edwards was present in the basement of the Dallas Police Department when Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby
Jacob Leon Rubenstein , who legally changed his name to Jack Leon Ruby in 1947, was convicted of the November 24, 1963 murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Ruby, who was originally from Chicago, Illinois, was then a nightclub operator in Dallas, Texas...
shot suspected John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
assassin Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
on November 24, 1963. He was one of the witnesses interviewed by NBC
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
television correspondent Tom Pettit
Tom Pettit
William Thomas "Tom" Pettit was a television news correspondent for NBC from the 1960s through 1995...
after the assassination
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
.
After a few short stints at other stations, Edwards was hired at KMPC
KMPC
KMPC is a radio station based in Los Angeles, California and is owned by P&Y Broadcasting Licensee, LLC. Radio Korea is a division of the Radio Korea Media Group. The station airs Korean-language programming...
in Los Angeles, occupying the 9 a.m.-Noon slot for several years beginning in 1968. He later worked at KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
, but ultimately resigned from as a protest against fellow KFI personality Tom Leykis
Tom Leykis
Thomas Joseph Leykis is an American radio personality. He currently hosts The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis, a weekly lifestyle program dealing with fine food and drink, airing weekends mainly in West Coast markets...
, destroying Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
(Yusuf Islam) records
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
following Stevens' call for a fatwa
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is a juristic ruling concerning Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar. In Sunni Islam any fatwā is non-binding, whereas in Shia Islam it could be considered by an individual as binding, depending on his or her relation to the scholar. The person who issues a fatwā...
on Salman Rushdie. Most recently, Edwards was a morning DJ with KSUR (now KKGO) in Los Angeles. One of the features of his radio show was "Radio's Answer Lady," in which listeners could call in with questions—some serious, some not so serious—and he would answer on the air, sometimes with serious answers, sometimes with quips.
During that time, Edwards tried his hand at acting, appearing on I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
, That Girl
That Girl
That Girl is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. It stars Marlo Thomas as the title character, Ann Marie, an aspiring actress, who had moved from her hometown of Brewster, New York to make it big in New York City...
and Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
. On the latter show, he met — and maintained a very close friendship with — Meredith MacRae
Meredith MacRae
Meredith Lynn MacRae was an American actress and singer.-Life and career:MacRae was best known for her television roles as Billie Jo on Petticoat Junction and as Sally Ann in My Three Sons...
. He also guest starred on Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
and Small Wonder.
In the early 1970s, Edwards appeared on The Bobby Darin Show as the straight man to singer Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
. After that series ended, Edwards pursued a game show career; this began with Says Who? in 1971 followed by Cop-Out! in late 1972—however, both shows eventually turned out to be unsold pilots
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
.
Game shows
His first full-time game show hosting stint took place from March through June 1973 on Jack BarryJack Barry (television)
Jack Barry was an American television game show host and producer via Barry & Enright Productions, his production company with Dan Enright...
's Hollywood's Talking
Hollywood's Talking
Hollywood's Talking is a short lived American game show based the 60s quizzer, Everybody's Talking, and produced by Jack Barry. It ran on CBS for three months in 1973, debuting on March 26 and ending on June 22 to make room for a new version of Match Game.It was hosted by Geoff Edwards, with...
, a remake of a late 1960s ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
game Everybody's Talking
Everybody's Talking
Everybody's Talking was a game show which aired on ABC from February 6 to December 29, 1967. Former dance-party host Lloyd Thaxton was the host; Wink Martindale and Charlie O'Donnell were the announcers...
and the Canadian hit Eye Bet
Eye Bet
Eye Bet was a Canadian television game show hosted by Jim Perry, which debuted on CTV in 1971. His announcer, as with most Jim Perry game shows in Canada, was smooth voiced CFTO weatherman Dave Devall...
. The program featured contestants watching a video clip of a celebrity talking about a subject; their job was to guess the subject in question. The series, which aired afternoons on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
did not fare well and the network cancelled it in favor of the phenomenally popular Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
remake.
Six months later, in January 1974, 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...
and Bob Stewart Productions hired Edwards to host the New York-based Jackpot
Jackpot (game show)
Jackpot! is a television game show seen in three different runs between 1974 and 1990. Geoff Edwards hosted the original version of this Bob Stewart production from January 7, 1974 until September 26, 1975 on NBC. A second version, produced in Canada, aired from September 30, 1985 to December 30,...
. That series proved to be a modest success for Edwards, lasting nearly two years. The previous fall, Chuck Barris
Chuck Barris
Charles Hirsch "Chuck" Barris is an American game show producer, film director and presenter best known for hosting The Gong Show and creating The Dating Game. Barris, a survivor of lung cancer, is also an author and claims to have worked for the CIA.-Early career:Barris was born in Oakland, New...
hired Edwards to host the weekly revival of the 1950s game show Treasure Hunt, entitled The New Treasure Hunt. He did the weekly version for four years (1973–77) and helmed a daily Treasure Hunt again for one year (1981–82).
Other game shows Edwards hosted over the years included the New York-based Shoot For the Stars
Shoot For The Stars
Shoot for the Stars is a game show created and produced by Bob Stewart, and aired on the NBC television network. The show aired from January 3 to September 30, 1977, and was produced in New York City...
in 1977, Chain Reaction
Chain Reaction (game show)
Chain Reaction is an American game show created by Bob Stewart, in which players compete to form chains composed of two-word phrases.The show aired three separate runs: Bill Cullen hosted the original series on NBC from January 14 to June 20, 1980...
(as a substitute host for Bill Cullen
Bill Cullen
William Lawrence Francis "Bill" Cullen was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades...
in 1980 and a regular host from 1986–91, having taken over from Blake Emmons
Blake Emmons
Blake Emmons is a Canadian country music singer and entertainer.Emmons is famous in Canada for his music, as well as his hosting of the 1974 CTV series Funny Farm, the Canadian answer to Hee Haw....
), Starcade
Starcade
Starcade was a game show where contestants competed against one another by playing arcade video games. The series originally aired on WTBS from 1982–1983, followed by a run in syndication for the following season....
, Play the Percentages
Play the Percentages
Play the Percentages is an American game show hosted by Geoff Edwards which aired in syndication from January 7 to September 12, 1980. Bob Hilton became the main announcer after Jay Stewart announced for the first several weeks....
and a revival of Jackpot
Jackpot (game show)
Jackpot! is a television game show seen in three different runs between 1974 and 1990. Geoff Edwards hosted the original version of this Bob Stewart production from January 7, 1974 until September 26, 1975 on NBC. A second version, produced in Canada, aired from September 30, 1985 to December 30,...
from 1989-90. Edwards also was a substitute host in 1985 on Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
.
Edwards is famous for his catch phrase, "Right you are!"
Other television work
Edwards was also co-host of the Los Angeles news program Mid Morning L.A. on KHJ-TVKCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
(now KCAL-TV), replacing Bob Hilton
Bob Hilton
Robert "Bob" Wesley Hilton is an American television game show personality. He hosted The Guinness Game, a revival of Truth or Consequences and the 1990 revival of Let's Make a Deal, and announced on several other shows....
in the early 1980s and paired with co-host Meredith MacRae
Meredith MacRae
Meredith Lynn MacRae was an American actress and singer.-Life and career:MacRae was best known for her television roles as Billie Jo on Petticoat Junction and as Sally Ann in My Three Sons...
. Edwards and MacRae won an Emmy Award for best host and best hostess respectively for a news magazine series. The two would also host an unsold Bob Stewart-produced game show pilot, $50,000 a Minute, in 1985 for ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
In 1986, Geoff became host of The Big Spin
The Big Spin
The Big Spin is the California Lottery's first television game show. Originally a Fred Tatashore production, it was later an Alexander Media Services production, followed by a production of Cal Image, and then finally a Jonathan Goodson Production....
, the game show of the California Lottery, and would remain host of that program until his retirement from television in 1995. In an interview with Blog Talk Radio, Geoff said he helmed the pilot of Fun & Fortune
Fun & Fortune
Fun & Fortune was a game show that was part of the Missouri Lottery. The show was broadcast from the 1990s until late 2002. ....
, the lottery game show in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
(before Rick Tamblyn became permanent host).
He was also the host of the WTBS show Starcade during its 1982-1983 run. He replaced Mark Richards after the first 23 episodes.
Present
In later years, Edwards traveled extensively, hosting traveling programs on both radio and television. He is now semi-retired and living in California, and continues to write extensively about travelTravel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
. Geoff appeared on GSN Live
GSN Live
GSN Live is an American live interactive show on Game Show Network that premiered on February 25, 2008 at noon ET and officially ended its 3 year run on July 29, 2011. The last "live" edition aired May 13, 2011...
on May 16, 2008.