merv griffin

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• Jaime Weinman shows up some of TV's most depressing intros.

The Game Show Network will have a special tribute to Merv Griffin, who died earlier this week of cancer at age 82.

On Saturday and Sunday, August 18 and 19, GSN will run two different Griffin marathons, from 10am to 3pm. The shows included in the marathons will include a Chuck Woolery-hosted episode of Wheel Of Fortune and the first episode that featured Vanna White. We'll also see the first NYC-based episode of Wheel (not sure why this is so special, but I guess I'll wait and see) and a Jeopardy Masters Tournament of Champions. On Sunday night we'll see a 1960 episode of Play Your Hunch, a game show Griffin hosted, and then at 3:30am we'll see a To Tell The Truth episode that Griffin guest hosted.

That's a lot better than their tribute to Kitty Carlisle earlier this year, when they ran her game show appearances in the wee hours of the morning and that was it.

Businessman and talk show host Merv Griffin died last night of prostate cancer. He was 82. Rich had told you the other day, there were rumors floating around that Griffin was very ill and that it didn't look good. Those reports turned out to be true.

Griffin started as a singer in San Francisco and had roles on TV shows and movies, though he went on to greater fame as host of The Merv Griffin Show, the daytime talk show that lasted several years.

The news is not good for 82-year-old talkshow host and game show producer Merv Griffin. It is being reported that the TV legend is in grave condition after a return of prostate cancer.

Griffin was admitted to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center back in July for a recurrence of the cancer, which he first battled in 1996. Various media outlets, such as Entertainment Tonight and KNBC, are reporting that the prognosis is not good and that Griffin is currently in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit. Griffin's representatives have yet to reply to press inquiries.

Crosswords is the eagerly awaited new game show from Merv Griffin that premieres in syndication this fall, and they have found their host.

Ty Treadway, a former actor on One Life To Live and a co-host of Soap Talk with Lisa Rinna (who also has a new gig, taking over for Joan and Melissa Rivers at the TV Guide Channel) for several years, is going to host the new word-oriented game show. In explaining the choice, Griffin said that Treadway "exudes the kind of energy that will keep audiences engaged and excited."

Come on, Ty Treadway? Is that his real name? Indeed it is. It sounds like a name of a Simpsons character. Was Guy Smiley not available?

Veteran talk show host Mike Douglas has died in West Palm Beach, Florida. No cause of death was given yet, but he was admitted to the hospital after becoming ill on a golf course. Oddly, today is also his 81st birthday.

I remember watching Douglas in the 70s. Along with Merv Griffin, he always had an entertaining daytime talk/variety show. I felt bad a few years ago when Rosie O'Donnell had him on the show, and the day before she announced to the audience that "Mike Douglas" was going to be on the show, and the crowd went absolutely bonkers with delight. Even Rosie seemed a little shocked by the reaction of the audience. I think they were thinking of actor Michael Douglas. I cringed a little bit that day.

I couldn't find a DVD release for Douglas' show. Is there one yet? I know Griffin and Dick Cavett have releases.

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• The Merv Griffin Show - 40 of the Most Interesting People of Our Time

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• New on DVD: Ken Tucker gives a B to the new Merv Griffin Show set.