Merv Griffin Enterprises
Encyclopedia
Merv Griffin
Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...
, in business from 1964 to 1994.
History
The company was first established as Merv Griffin Productions in 1964 and Griffin's first production was Jeopardy!Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
In 1965, his talk show The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
returned to television. Also, he created the game show called Shopper's Bazaar, which was later changed to the famous name Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
in 1975 after Jeopardy! was cancelled. Griffin revived Jeopardy! as The All New Jeopardy! in 1978, though it was proven to be unsuccessful.
The 1980s and 1990s
In 1983, the company joined forces with King WorldKing World Productions
King World Productions, Inc. was a production company and a syndicator of television programming in the United States until its eventual 2007 incorporation into CBS Television Distribution...
(now CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
) to syndicate a nightly version of Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
. The company also had the rights to syndicate The Merv Griffin Show until 1986 when Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television
Columbia Pictures Television was the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gems . The studio changed its name on September 4, 1974.-1974-1982:...
distributed the final episodes and the first two pilots of Jeopardy in 1983 and January 1, 1984. In 1984, Griffin expanded his company as Merv Griffin Enterprises. That same year, Jeopardy! also returned to television in 1983, but was syndicated nightly on September 10, 1984. On May 6, 1986, Griffin sold the company to The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia...
(then-owner of Columbia Pictures Industries
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
) for $250 million during his retirement and after finding out that the company had experienced financial difficulties. Griffin however, still held the copyrights of the game shows. The company later merged into Columbia Pictures on December 21, 1987, and was sold to Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Corporation along with CPE's other companies on September 28, 1989.
Merv Griffin Enterprises ended in summer 1994, Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune were taken over by Columbia TriStar Television
Columbia TriStar Television
Columbia TriStar Television was the third name of the television studio Screen Gems, named after its then-current 1991 home video division....
(now Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
), while Griffin remained executive producer for both game shows until 2000. Griffin later founded Merv Griffin Entertainment
Merv Griffin Entertainment
Merv Griffin Entertainment is a production company founded by entertainer Merv Griffin in December 1995. Its productions include revivals of recent franchises . Griffin's company is part of The Griffin Group...
in December 1995.
Television programs
- The Merv Griffin ShowThe Merv Griffin ShowThe Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
(1962-1963; 1965-1986) - Jeopardy!Jeopardy!Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
(1964-1975, 1983 pilot, 1984 pilot, 1984-present; production responsibilities assumed in 1994 by Columbia TriStar TelevisionColumbia TriStar TelevisionColumbia TriStar Television was the third name of the television studio Screen Gems, named after its then-current 1991 home video division....
and later Sony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
; distributed in syndication since September 10, 1984 by King WorldKing World ProductionsKing World Productions, Inc. was a production company and a syndicator of television programming in the United States until its eventual 2007 incorporation into CBS Television Distribution...
, now CBS Television DistributionCBS Television DistributionCBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
) - Let's Play Post OfficeLet's Play Post OfficeLet's Play Post Office was an American game show which aired on NBC from September 27, 1965 to July 1, 1966. Don Morrow was the host, with Bill Wendell and Wayne Howell as announcers...
(1965-1966) - Reach for the StarsReach for the Stars (game show)Reach for the Stars was an American game show which briefly aired on NBC weekday mornings at 10:00 beginning January 2, 1967 for a total of 65 episodes...
(1967) - One in a Million (1967)
- Memory GameMemory GameMemory Game was a short-lived American television game show that aired on NBC...
(1971) - Wheel of FortuneWheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, which premiered in 1975. Contestants compete to solve word puzzles, similar to those used in Hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a large wheel. The title refers to the show's giant carnival wheel that...
(1975-1991 (Daytime version), 1983-present (Nighttime version); production responsibilities assumed in 1994 by Columbia TriStar TelevisionColumbia TriStar TelevisionColumbia TriStar Television was the third name of the television studio Screen Gems, named after its then-current 1991 home video division....
and later Sony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
; nighttime version distributed since 1983 by King World, now CBS Television DistributionCBS Television DistributionCBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
) - The All New Jeopardy! (1978)
- Dance FeverDance FeverDance Fever is an American musical variety series that aired weekly in syndication from January 1979 to September 1987. The series was created and produced by Merv Griffin and written by Tony Garofalo....
(1979-1987; co-production and distributed by 20th Century Fox Television20th Century Fox Television20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
) - Headline ChasersHeadline ChasersHeadline Chasers is a syndicated game show that ran daily from September 9, 1985 to September 5, 1986. The series was created, hosted, and produced by Wink Martindale with Johnny Gilbert as announcer...
(1985; co-production with Wink Martindale Enterprises and Distributed by King World) - MonopolyMonopoly (game show)Monopoly is an American television game show based on the board game of the same name. It aired on ABC from June 16 to September 1, 1990. Mike Reilly, a former Jeopardy! contestant, hosted while Charlie O'Donnell announced....
(1990; co-produced by King World) - Super Jeopardy! (1990)
- RuckusRuckus (game show)Ruckus is an American game show starring The Amazing Johnathan and shot at Merv Griffin's Resorts in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Assistants on the program were Helen and Charlene. The format has audience members playing games for cash prizes. The most used game on the program was Reach for The...
(1991)