(Scene begins with a smartwatch screen and a finger as it taps the screen and the 1994 American Gladiators plays as the scene cuts to a hand as it taps an app on his phone as it opens a portal.)
(It cuts to James and the characters he’s played until it cut to his face and the credit of “James Faraci” is shown as it cuts to “The Last Of The Americans'” current iteration then slides away to different images of Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun, Nick Yaun and the characters they’ve played until it cut to their faces. The credits of “ Paulo and Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca and Nick Yaun” are shown, then slide away to different images of Doug Yaun, Kyra Lee, and Crosslyn Castillo and the characters they’ve played, until it cuts to their faces.)
(After that, the credits “Doug Yaun, Kyra Lee, and Crosslyn Castillo” are shown, as it then slides away to different images of Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, and Olivia Horvath. Following this, the credits of “Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Olivia Horvath” are shown as the 0:00-0:21 mark of the theme song plays.)
(Everything becomes a swirl of reds, whites, and blues, as the credits “Produced by First Choice Entertainment Productions in association with Manic-Expression.com"; “Executive Producers: James Faraci, Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun, Nick Yaun, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Andrew Beach & Olivia Horvath”; “Editing by Eric Kurtzke and James Faraci”; “Written and Directed by James Faraci” are shown, as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays.)
(We then see an image of James as he jumps through the portal and lands with half of his team on his right. The other half on his left is on a black background. Finally, the title “THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS” is shown Lazer etched into Titanium as the last six seconds of the American Gladiators 1994 theme song plays.)
(The scene changes to James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as James Daniel Walsh, Rowdy, DukeCT, and other members of “Manic-Expresssion.Com” and the other reviewers formerly from the now dead “Site” as they celebrate a successful rehearsal for their episode of “Celebrity Family Feud” before they go for the real deal as James gets the food and drinks for celebrating.)
DukeCT:
Thanks for letting me host the game.
TLOTA:
Well, when it comes to someone as likable and comedically awesome as Steve Harvey, you’re the best!
DukeCT:
Thanks for the compliment. (Cut to Rowdy and Kyra Lee Of The Lacustrian Pod.)
Kyra Lee Of The Lacustrian Pod:
These survey answers are meant to be completed for the points, yet most of the time, the answers are handled with humorous levity, reflecting the lack of intelligent thought that often comes out of someone. For example, when you answered the survey question of “Name something that your better half that you’d like to improve.” You replied, “Her clothing,” and James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans, stood there not reacting with the arbitrary “Good Answer!” and cheering.
Rowdy:
James’s response to dumb answers is different than others. He doesn’t give them the time of day as he thinks if it’s a dumb answer, he will look at you and give you a look of “What were you thinking?” and then just move on. (Cut to James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as he sits in the corner and James Daniel Walsh walks to James Faraci The Last Of The Americans.)
James Daniel Walsh:
James, why aren’t you mingling with everyone more?
TLOTA:
After the past few years, I have been mingling...
James Daniel Walsh:
Don’t give me that, get out there and hang out with somebody.
TLOTA:
Okay, Okay, Okay! (James Faraci gets up and walks around and then grabs a bite of food as he and Crosslyn Castillo touch hands and connect through the eyes; however, James walks away as Crosslyn looks sad at how quickly James walked away, as Doug Yaun walks up to Crosslyn.)
Doug Yaun:
Don’t take it personally, he’s still struggling to recover from his loss.
Crosslyn Castillo:
Well, how long will it take for him to get over it?
Doug Yaun:
How long have you been a mermaid since you became one? (Cut to Linkara and Diamanda Hagen.)
Diamanda Hagen:
Did you see the look in James Faraci The Last Of The Americans’ eyes when he had to stare at me?
Linkara:
He must have heard about what you did at Scarsdale Manor.
Diamanda Hagen:
Well, let’s face it, we all showed our true colors there. (Cut to Kyle Kallgren and Antoni Matteo Garcia.)
Kyle Kallgren:
So James had asked me for assistance in his college courses during the past few years, and knowing he’s going back to college for another degree makes it sound like he is suffering from a mental disturbance!
Antoni Matteo Garcia:
I guess with everything he’s been through, he thinks that College is the third act in his life and that there is nothing else after that.
Kyle Kallgren:
You know, just because there is a three-act structure to a movie and other forms of entertainment, it does not apply to the real world, sometimes. (Cut to James Daniel Walsh as he asks for everyone’s attention, and everyone gives it. Cut to James Daniel Walsh)
James Daniel Walsh:
In two weeks, we’re heading to California for filming our episode. The episode will air a few weeks later, sometime in August. I would like to thank James for allowing us to rehearse for everything related to our episode, and I look forward to seeing everyone in two weeks.
TLOTA:
Thanks, everyone, for dropping by. Now I’ve got work to do. (Cut to everyone as they thank James Daniel Walsh and James Faraci The Last Of The Americans for everything during that day. Cut to an hour later as James sighs and cleans up and Crosslyn helps.)
TLOTA:
You know, you don’t have to stick around. I could’ve handled it myself.
Crosslyn Castillo:
That’s the thing, you may be “The Last Of The Americans” but you’re not alone, no matter how much you think your fate is sealed.
TLOTA:
However, I can tell you now that the experience reminded me why I love “Family Feud.” (Cut to clips of Classic Family Feud and the current series run as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
And it is because it, alongside “The Price Is Right”, “Wheel Of Fortune,” & “Jeopardy.” “Family Feud” was one of those shows that once you see it no matter who your first host was, whether it was Richard Dawson, Ray Combs, Richard Dawson (AGAIN), Louie Anderson, Richard Karn, John O’Hurley or the man currently in the hosting position and the single longest running host of the “Feud” Steve Harvey, it is one of those game shows that you still laugh at and thank that you’re not on unless you are winning at the game or you’re recognized for the myriad of quote unquote “Good Answers.” (Cut to James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans, physically in his office.)
TLOTA:
And today, I am celebrating this series for all its crazy family actions. I’m James Faraci The Last Of The Americans, the views I’m about to express are that of my own and some of yours, and this is my tribute to one of the most hilarious game shows ever, “Family Feud!” (Cut to clips of the “Family Feud” series with Richard Dawson, Ray Combs, Louie Anderson, Richard Karn, John O’Hurley, and its current host Steve Harvey as well as the theme song evolving to each host until the “Family Feud” logo pops up and then goes to the off-screen right and clips from the series “Match Game” are shown as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
As a series, the show evolved from the game show “Match Game,” hosted by Gene Rayburn and featuring a panel of six celebrities, including three continuing panelists: Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers, and Richard Dawson. The segment that inspired “Family Feud” involved a survey segment after the contestant won the main gameplay segment, which was overseen by some of the creative staff involved with the show, along with the production team led by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Despite Goodson's and Todman's ambivalence about the idea, they decided to allow those who liked it to work on refining the product. Originally called, “On A Roll” and later “Fast Company” the show’s format similar to a contestant/celebrity pairing on a game show, just with Surveys like “Name something you see in a circus.” while on one survey run during the development “Who was the hated person in the world?” with Richard Nixon at Number one (It was the 1970’s) and H**ler being in the number three spot. When no one figured out who was sandwiched between Nixon and H**ler, and it was revealed to be Howard Cosell, Mark Goodson watched and warmed up to the idea of the show, making some creative changes. First to go was the contestant/celebrity pairing. Goodson wanted to make it about two teams consisting of five members of a family trying to figure out the surveys through a couple of rounds, each round beginning with a faceoff between two members with the higher answer giving control to one team, however if they failed to clear the board with three strikes, the points would go to the other team if they could get an answer that the other team didn’t and if that team didn’t get the answer, the points would go to the original team, after reaching the goal of 300 points, or in most cases of reformatting 400 or even the higher point total at the end of multiple rounds as the game went on, the value of the points doubling and then tripling the points. The winning team would then proceed to a final round, where two members of the winning team would play a rapid-fire or “Fast Money” round of the game for the grand prize. With the format ready to go, the show needed three things: A network, A Host, and A Title. The Title part was easy thanks to Goodson now calling the show “Family Feud.” Next up was the network, now keep in mind, Goodson and Todman were able to revive the game show genre after the scandals of the 1950’s that nearly took the genre down with shows like "Concentration,” “Password,” “Beat The Clock,” “To Tell The Truth,” and of course “The Price Is Right.” so they weren’t neophiles in any way. They had some clout to get a game show on the air. Initially, they were pitching the series to NBC. However, no one wanted the show. Enter Fred Silverman, the man who nearly destroyed NBC and helped save CBS and ABC. He liked the show, and when he went to ABC, he championed it for their daytime lineup, with some backing from Michael Brockman. Michael Eisner gave the show a slot. With the network now in place, they needed a host. Looking back at “Match Game,” the host they almost went with was occasional panelist William Shatner. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
Yes, William Shatner, Captain James T. Kirk of the USS ENTERPRISE on “Star Trek,” was going to host “Family Feud.” I'm not sure about you, but given the legend of that man’s ego and attitude, I don't think he would have done well as the host of the show, especially with fans and the producers. (Cut to clips of Richard Dawson as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
However, another panelist, who was a regular on “Match Game,” heard about the show and wanted to try it, Richard Dawson. Born Colin Emm in England, he took on the stage name Dick Dawson to secure work in theatre and on the BBC in the 1950s. Along with his first wife, Diana Dors, he moved to California. Dawson, by the start of the 1960s, went on to become Corporal Peter Newkirk on the series “Hogan’s Heroes” alongside Bob Crane. However, once that series was cancelled Dawson was facing big problems including his wife divorcing him and his fight for custody of their two sons and a lack of steady income from a regular series, so Dawson hit the game show circuit which he liked because it was a weekly paycheck to take care of him and his sons. Once he was hired on “Match Game,” Mark Goodson told Dawson that the first chance to host his own game show would come down the pike one day, and sure enough that day came, Dawson filmed a pilot, (Cut to “Family Feud (Dawson Era)” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
And on July 12th, 1976, “Family Feud” aired on ABC. And right from the start, the show was a hit for ABC, Goodson, and Dawson. The thing Richard was known for on the show was kissing female contestants, which in today’s climate would have gone over like a titanium balloon! However, in the 1970s, people didn’t mind it because, according to the comments about Richard kissing the female contestants, “It was a wholesome expression of love,” and also, according to some research I had found, Richard ALWAYS, before the show began, met with both teams and asked for their permission! So yeah, no need for worry, right? Well... as much as the show was a success, with Dawson earning a Daytime Emmy for hosting “Family Feud,” there was a continual creative clash between Dawson and the show’s producers. However, the show continued to succeed, and many of the people who worked on it said that they enjoyed working with Dawson. He even took part in an opening to announce the engagement of his son, Mark, to one of the show's junior producers, Cathy Hughart, which was a nice moment for the show. However, that didn’t mean that the show was incident-free. A lot of people’s “Good Answers” definitely made the show what it is to this day. (Cut to clips of contestants during the Dawson Era as they give answers to the survey questions, which were surprisingly dumb! Intercut with James physically reacting as if to say, “WHO BROUGHT THESE PEOPLE IN TO BE CONTESTANTS ON THE SHOW?” Cut to the infamous “Name a month in which a woman begins to look pregnant,” and the contestant said “September,” and James's reaction is to comically shake his head. Cut to the infamous moment in which Richard asked to name a three-lettered word animal, and the man said “Alligator!” and James holds up a “You must be this intelligent to play on Family Feud” sign and a picture of a guy being slapped in the middle of the range. Cut to “Family Feud (Dawson Era)” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
By 1983, the show was starting to lose some of its steam thanks to the emergence of the Merv Griffith series, “Wheel Of Fortune.” and the fact the series was shown on ABC’s Daytime, National Syndicated Television during the night and a series of “Family Feud" episodes that were airing on ABC Primetime with celebrities caused oversaturation and with ratings going downwards from where it was and an exhausted Richard Dawson was the perfect storm for the end of the show’s first run. In 1985, Dawson signed off “Family Feud” for what many believed to be the final time. (Cut to “The Price Is Right” Bob Barker 1980s series time and clips of Ray Combs as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Fast forward to 1987, as Mark Goodson, who had found a solid position running “The Price Is Right” for CBS, decided to gamble on a “Family Feud” revival without Richard Dawson. CBS liked the idea, and now the search for a new host had begun. Names were being thrown around, including, of all people, former New York Jets superstar Joe Willie Namath, who took the team to their only Super Bowl appearance and win. Namath's name garnered the most attention. However, when he did the pilot, it didn’t go well. The search continued until one day uproarious laughter was heard, interrupting the tapings of other shows. A warm-up comedian by the name of Ray Combs was getting people to laugh at moments for sitcoms like “AMEN,” The Golden Girls,” “The Facts of Life,” and “Full House,” and that caught the attention of one Johnny Carson of “The Tonight Show.” Ray’s appearance went over gangbusters with a standing ovation from the audience, and Johnny invited Ray to stick around! Mark Goodson had found his new host, Ray Combs did his own pilot, (Cut to “Family Feud Combs/ Dawson Revival Era)” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
And on July 4, 1988, Ray Combs started hosting “Family Feud.” And to me, this is where I first heard about the show. Of course, comparisons to Richard Dawson would be made from the start. Please keep in mind that this is a biased perspective on things when I make this statement. Had I watched the original Richard Dawson era of the series, I probably would have wanted to see Richard hosting the show for the revival. However, because I was too young to see the show at the time being in a crib and sucking on a bottle of milk, I don’t have the luxury of remembering Richard Dawson on “Family Feud” at that time, So I WILL be on the camp of liking Ray Combs. I remember the first time I saw the show. (Cut to James looking like his younger self as he puts on “Family Feud” with Ray Combs.)
Young James “TLOTA”:
Ooh wow, this show looks cool, and it’s kind of funny! This host is great; what’s his name? Ray Combs. This is his show, and it's going to be a fun show. (Cut to “Family Feud Combs/ Dawson Revival Era” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
The show also performed well in both the CBS Daytime lineup, serving as a warm-up for “The Price Is Right,” and in the nighttime syndicated market. There was something about Ray that was approachable to everyone and likable. By 1992, CBS felt the series needed some adjustments, transforming the half-hour show into a full-hour format. This time, there were four rounds of the show. Starting with two teams of five families, the winning team from each round advances to a final game, which begins with a bullseye round to build up a bank. The winning team would then proceed to the “Fast Money” round, and the show was rebranded as “The New Family Feud.” As the show progressed, the ratings remained stable; however, things weren't quite as smooth as they initially appeared. As the early 1990s progressed, even with Ray Combs’ Daytime Emmy nomination, the show was starting to slip in the ratings. While CBS did pull the plug on the show, the syndicators did want the series to continue. But with the ratings down, a bullseye was on Ray Combs’s head. The syndicators had suggested that Combs be replaced by the person whom he replaced, Richard Dawson; also not helping was the passing of Mark Goodson. In 1993, Combs was fired. In his final episode, he signed off and walked out of the studio, never to return. Ray Combs was gone and replaced by the man he replaced, Richard Dawson. And at the time, I did not know A) who Richard Dawson was and B) what was going on behind the scenes at “Family Feud.” In 1994, after a nine-year absence, Richard Dawson’s return to Family Feud was met with much fanfare. As for me, I was not enthusiastic because, AGAIN, I never saw Richard Dawson in his prime on "Family Feud." So when I first saw Richard Dawson on the "Family Feud," my reaction was immediate. (Cut to James looking like his younger self as he puts on “Family Feud” with Richard Dawson in 1994.)
Young James “TLOTA”:
What happened to the show?! The set looks awful and... IS THAT THE GRANDPA FROM “CHARLES IN CHARGE” HOSTING RAY COMBS’ SHOW?! (Cut to James in his office, wincing in pain.)
TLOTA:
Yeah, I WAS NOT THAT BRIGHT A KID! (Cut to “Family Feud Combs/ Dawson Revival Era” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Despite my unfamiliarity with Richard Dawson, the series did not fare well, and it was not for a lack of effort. The ratings were good, but there was the fact that networks needed time for the O.J. Trial, and the writing was on the wall. In 1995, Richard Dawson’s second run ended with a resounding pfft! (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
And while yes, deaths do happen, especially with the passings of Dawson, Goodson and others from the show, sadly the number one WORST fate of death wound up going to... (“Family Feud” success ding is heard, and the words “Ray Combs” pops up under James. Cut to clips of Ray Combs after “Family Feud” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
After being fired from the “Family Feud,” Ray’s career had hit a sudden and impactful downturn. He suffered from a near-fatal car crash that left him dependent on medical assistance. Not only did that happen, but his financial situation was dire! Comedy clubs and other business ventures he had been a part of had gone belly up, any chance of a comeback after the Family Feud looked grim, and on top of that, his wife had filed for Divorce. While it wasn’t finalized, they never fully reconciled. While he had a chance to host another game show called "Family Challenge,” which I barely remember, it was clear that the Ray Combs I remembered on “Feud” was not the same man he was on “Family Challenge.” By the time the show had succeeded, he was not mentally in good shape. By June of 1996, he was in so much debt and turmoil that he was hospitalized for his mental and physical well-being under a suicide watch. There in a hospital, alone, financially broke, and broken by an industry that didn’t care, Ray Combs hung himself; he was pronounced dead on June 2nd, 1996. The death of Ray Combs has cast a lasting shadow over the series to this day. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
And by the end of the 1990s, it looked like the “Feud” was over. That is, until new producers figured that there was another life on “Family Feud.” My thoughts at that time were simple, ANY revivals of the “Feud” would not only have to deal with the Spectre of Ray Combs, it would have the shadows of Richard Dawson to contend with and much like it was ten years before the 1999 revival, names were being tossed around including Dolly Parton who I think would’ve been a great hostess on the “Feud,” however the deal fell through. However, that didn’t mean the producers were without options. (Cut to clips of Louie Anderson as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Enter Stand-Up Comedian Louie Anderson, who, like Ray Combs, made a big appearance on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” also had a character in the movie “Coming To America” as an employee working with both Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. He also worked on a cartoon loosely based on the comedian’s life, called “Life with Louie,” and continued to perform stand-up comedy. So, when the “Feud” revival was being discussed and Anderson expressed interest in the show, the producers wanted him to do a pilot for the series. Louie Anderson balked at the idea, but did not shy away from it. So, he set up a makeshift version of the show and his family would be the contestants. The pilot was well-received by the producers, and in September 1999... (Cut to the Louie Anderson era of “Family Feud” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
“Family Feud” returned to the national syndication market with positive reviews for both the host and the show. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
And at that point in my life, I was not interested in watching “Family Feud.” Not for a lack of wanting to watch "Family Feud,” but rather, I thought I was too old to watch the show, and I wasn’t even 20 at the time. (Cut to the Louie Anderson era of “Family Feud” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
That doesn't mean that I was unaware of Louie Anderson’s run on “Family Feud.” As a matter of fact, Louie’s run on "Family Feud” was almost done by the end of the second season because, unfortunately, he was embroiled in a controversy that would have sent lesser hosts to the show to be unemployed. However, he survived the scandal and emerged stronger. Louie also made a change to the show that remains to this day. Since the show’s inception in 1976, the grand prize has been $5,000. By the time Anderson was hosting “Family Feud,” a new series had emerged to make people instant millionaires called "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Anderson thought it would be a good idea to make the grand prize at least a respectable $20,000. However, by Louie’s third season, the ratings, while stable, had gone neither up nor down since the first season. Adding to the problems was the fact that new producers were looking to improve the series. While the series was good, and the set and theme song were nice, with a 2000s vibe, Louie stood out like a sore thumb. Of course, the scandal didn’t help him out. All those factors combined gave the producers the ammo to give Louie Anderson the boot. While he did leave without Sour Grapes and returned to “Family Feud” as a celebrity contestant under the newest host, as he hosted a “Celebrity” version of the show, he did inaccurately predict the series would end one year after he got fired, which didn’t happen. So, who’d be the new host after Louie was let go? (Cut to clips of Richard Karn as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Enter Richard Karn, for a long time, he was a stage actor with minor roles on TV, until Stephen Tobolowsky, who had promised to be on a series called "Home Improvement,” constantly backed out of his commitment to the show. Karn got his big break as Albert “Al” Borland, playing opposite Tim Allen as “Tim the Toolman Taylor.” After eight years on “Home Improvement,” the series was over and has been in syndication since. Karn went on to do some made-for-family fare and appeared on other shows. (Cut to the Richard Karn “Family Feud” era as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Then in 2002 came the call to host “Family Feud,” and when I checked out his era, there was a likability I hadn’t seen since watching the show as a kid with Ray Combs as the host. In a way, when I saw Ray, he was a frenetic entertainer with an extraordinary likability. When I checked out Richard Karn, it was like someone who said “Hi!” and you felt like you were just old friends catching up. And that was his style of hosting the show. He was funny enough to find the humor of the moment and then to be on the joke that many did not get. He also thrived when the series aired special episodes during the sweeps weeks, when you must not only attract the largest audience but also secure the most significant share from the show's sponsors. Karn’s era also saw a return to the classic format. (Cut to the Louie Anderson “Family Feud” era as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
During Louie’s tenure, the gameplay had changed to suit Louie’s style. The first three rounds of the game were a single-point survey game, with the final round tripling the points. The family with the most points at the end of the game would then proceed to the fast money round. (Cut to the Richard Karn “Family Feud” era as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
While that did work in the first season of Karn’s era, by the second season, the format returned to the classic version of the gameplay. The first round consisted of two survey questions for the first two team players. The second round saw the points scored doubled, and in the final round of regular game play, as Richard Karn said during his tenure, the best. (Cut to every time Richard Karn said “I’m tripling the points” on “Family Feud.” Cut to James physically.)
TLOTA:
And he did that because he had the Authority! (Cut to the Richard Karn “Family Feud” era as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
During his four years on the show, the ratings remained strong, and in some instances, they were even better than others. However, disaster did strike again as Richard’s contract was heading towards its end and the producers promised a raise at the end of his contract, which would’ve been Karn’s fifth and final season under the terms of the agreement, at that time. But when the producers weren’t going to honor that promise, Richard left the show after four seasons. So, the host’s position was open again. (Cut to clips of John O’Hurley as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
Enter John O’Hurley, and believe it or not, there were connections to both Karn and the original host of the series, Richard Dawson. As a younger actor in the early 1980’s he appeared on a Daytime soap called “Loving” which also had an actor by the name of Earl Hindman, who was also in a movie I had reviewed earlier in the year called “Three Men and A Baby,” Earl went on to join the series “Home Improvement” with Richard Karn. During the time of both Hindman and O’Hurley’s time on “Loving,” they appeared on a primetime ABC “Celebrity Family Feud” run under the Richard Dawson era. So O’Hurley wasn’t a “Family Feud” neophile. (Cut to the John O’Hurley “Family Feud” era as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
After a long career as a character actor best known as J. Peterman on the series “Seinfeld,” and a run the game show circuit hosting a short-lived revival of “To Tell The Truth," And a run on the first season of “Dancing With The Stars,” in 2006, John O’Hurley became the latest host of “Family Feud.” And while Richard Karn had the warm and comfortable charm of Ray Combs with a more passive energy, O’Hurley had the Dawson likability without the ego and attitude that seemed to permeate the series under Dawson’s first run on the “Feud.” The set was a bit of a return to the original version of the set under the Dawson and Combs era but with a more modernized look, the music remained the same throughout the series under the Anderson and Karn eras for the first couple of seasons of O’Hurley’s era, by his third season, the theme song that we knew from the Richard Dawson and Ray Combs era was back but slightly modernized, the logo in his first season was more suited to being on a video game than the “Family Feud” itself. By O’Hurley’s second season, the logo was redesigned to resemble the classic version of the show, albeit with a more modernized look. However, as the series continued with O’Hurley, the ratings started to stagnate. By the fourth season, the show was in danger of ending, so they tried to bring out a change in the gameplay by turning the first round into the Bullseye Round from the end of the Combs era, and the rest of the gameplay went on as usual, but at a more rapid pace. It was during this time that producers were looking to anyone to help keep the show going, when a commissioned paper came out showing that twenty percent of the show's failings were due to its positioning in the syndicated market. A whopping eighty percent was due to the show's appearance. It was during this time that the producers were looking for a new host, while O’Hurley was still hosting the show. (Cut to clips of Steve Harvey as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
It’s here that we’ve come to the most recent host, Steve Harvey. Harvey was a stand-up comedian much like Louie Anderson; however, he was also very funny as one of the “Kings Of Comedy” alongside D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and the late Bernie Mac. He also had two sitcoms during the 1990s, “Me and the Boys” on ABC and “The Steve Harvey Show” on the WB. He also became the long-time host of “Showtime at the Apollo.” By the time the John O’Hurley era was starting to end, Steve had also achieved success as a Radio show host in Atlanta, GA, and written some excellent self-help and relationship books while maintaining his Stand-Up Career and transitioning into motivational speaking. While at one point, Harvey was with the same people who worked on the commissioned paper on “Family Feud,” he tried to convince Steve Harvey to sign on as host of the show. When he observed what John O’Hurley was doing as the host, he declined; he was not interested in hosting the show, instead wanting to host a daytime show. However, once he saw the amount of money he would get from hosting Family Feud, he could afford to not only host “Family Feud" but also get his own show on at that time. The problem now was that they had to inform John O’Hurley that he would be leaving the show in place of Steve Harvey. O’Hurley was sad to leave but felt that the show was in good hands. The next hurdle was wondering if the audience would accept Steve Harvey as host of the Family Feud. Thankfully, a site called “YouTube” was starting to boom during the O’Hurley era, and clips of O’Hurley’s run were there, but they were rough and the raw content from an episode of the O’Hurley era. (Cut to clips of the Steve Harvey “Family Feud” era as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
To help usher in the Steve Harvey era, they decided to post full clips of Steve Harvey on YouTube as a preview of what the audience could expect from Steve Harvey’s first season. (Cut to clips of Steve Harvey roasting the contestants and their “Good Answers” or reacting as if he were the audience surrogate. Cut to James physically.)
TLOTA:
Watching these clips eased a lot of the audience into the new era and as a longtime fan, I found myself enjoying Steve not only letting the contestants not get away with their “Good Answers,” but letting them know that he was in charge of “Family Feud” and that he was not any of his predecessors. (Cut to the Steve Harvey “Family Feud” era as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
And on September 13, 2010, the Steve Harvey era of Family Feud officially started not with a bang but with a boom that helped make his era, the longest in the history of “Family Feud.” and that was in part because of the clips on “YouTube” but also because what Steve did in a full-length episode. And as much as I loved the Ray Combs era, and the other hosts of the new revival era, they didn’t do much to keep the energy up or bring their own shoes to “Family Feud.” Steve got his own shoes to the show and wasn’t afraid to wear them, letting them know he was in charge. And in a short time between the clips on YouTube and how the whole thing was going down, the ratings were going up better than they had ever been, even more than the Richard Dawson era. In a few short years, Steve Harvey’s Family Feud dominated over the powerhouse of both “Wheel of Fortune” & “Jeopardy.” However, the series was second only to reruns of “Judge Judy” of all things. (Cut to clips of Steve Harvey's other series and hosting jobs as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
And he had even gone on, while on the “Feud,” to host other shows, and even some Pageants with some rather unforgettable results. He even hosted a summer series of “Family Feud” that featured celebrities, and believe it or not, this wasn't the first time that happened. (Cut to “Celebrity Family Feud” as hosted by Al Roker on NBC as James does a voiceover)
TLOTA (V.O.):
During the O’Hurley Era of “Family Feud,” O’Hurley was tapped to do another show that lasted only one episode while that was going on. During the same summer, NBC thought that “Family Feud" might get them some good starter ratings to lead into the Olympics that summer. So, with that, a “Celebrity Family Feud" aired on NBC, hosted by, of all people, Al Roker. However, the gameplay was confusing, and it really didn’t do much for the network and their hopes for a strong summer before and after the Olympics that year. But that doesn't mean it was bad. It had one of the last times Ed McMahon, the cast of the short-lived revival of “American Gladiators,” sans the host that I dare not utter his moniker out loud, and other celebrities and their families or in the case of the cast of “My Name is Earl,” it was the characters coming to reality. However, that only meant there were some things to clarify. (Cut to “Celebrity Family Feud” as hosted by Steve Harvey on ABC as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
And while it did take some time, “Celebrity Family Feud” became a summer staple for ABC, hosted by Steve Harvey. I guess some things do take time to get it right. (Cut to international versions of “Family Feud" as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
As for the “Feud” itself there have been a myriad of different versions of the show, including in the South African region as it is hosted today by Steve Harvey and in the United Kingdom under the title of “Family Fortunes” and by sheer coincidence, Diana Dors, Richard Dawson’s first wife wound up marrying the first host of “Family Fortunes.” Feeling a little bit of Irony in that fate. Diana Dors divorced the American host of the Feud only to marry his British counterpart. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
At the time this is posted, the show is slated to run until the end of the 2026 syndication season, I hope it continues. If this marks the end of the Steve Harvey era, I hope it doesn’t mean the end of the show. (Cut to all the clips of the different eras of “Family Feud” as James does a voiceover.)
TLOTA (V.O.):
That’s because the gameplay is solid; it's a fun time seeing the “Good Answers” from the contestants and witnessing the different reactions from the hosts. And if Steve Harvey returns for one last time, it will be his way that the series will play out without Steve Harvey. The host may be the sane eye of the hurricane of the craziness that is in the show. Plus, it allows us to see that other families are just as “Sane” as we are, in one way or another. And we get to see what 100 people think of some of the best answers they can give, and it allows us to question the sanity of our fellow humans. I still think how great the show is still to this day, when I check out the reruns of classic Family Feud when it plays on Buzr or GSN, I still find the classic episodes and the different eras hold up well, even if most of the content is not correct by today’s standards, I get the humor and I get the game play, I still enjoy watching episodes from the Ray Combs era and I can also get a laugh now from the original Richard Dawson era that they air alongside the Louie Anderson, John O’Hurley, Richard Karn, Ray Combs and even the current Steve Harvey Era and still find plenty of good reasons to see what that Survey Says next. (Cut to James physically)
TLOTA:
I’m James Faraci The Last Of The Americans, and that’s my opinion.
