Game Show Host and Aficionado
This week, Ira spoke with Mark Richards, who hosted “Starcade,” cable television’s first original game show, was a contestant coordinator for “Jeopardy,” and hosted a nightly 3-hour game show on a major Los Angeles radio station. In this “come-on-down” episode of Ira’s Everything Bagel, Mark talks about his early passion for game shows beginning at age 12; his appearances on numerous shows, including “To Tell The Truth,” and “Wheel of Fortune; his first time meeting Alex Trebek as they competed in an audition for a game show (which Mark won); getting subsequently hired to become a contestant coordinator on “Jeopardy”; his biggest thrill (meeting face to face with Mark Goodson); his favorite game shows and quiz shows; the future of game shows; and his new project.
Mark Richards moved to Las Vegas in 1990 and began hosting his nightly radio game show on KENO-AM, was karaoke host at Harrah’s, produced and hosted three weekly half-hour television programs for independent channel 33/cable 6, hired to warm-up the audiences for the NBC daytime game show, “Caesars Challenge,” worked in the main lounges of casinos including the Riviera, Sands and the Las Vegas Hilton hosting audience participation games during the house band’s hourly 20-minute break, hosted and produced two game show pilots, and started his own video production company specializing in the videotaping of weddings.
For the past eight years, he has held the position as the advertising, marketing and promotions director for the Crescent School of Gaming and Bartender and still continues to videotape weekend weddings. And most recently, he formed Out of the Box Gaming, creating new casino table games and blackjack side bets.
Leave a Reply