Mike Stokey, 84, of "Pantomime Quiz"

http://www.latimes.com/la-me-stokey12sep12.story

QUOTE (aaron sica @ Sep 12 2003, 11:58 AM)

Mike Stokey, 84, of "Pantomime Quiz" http://www.latimes.com/la-me-stokey12sep12.story

Thanks for the info, Aaron.

Stokey was an early thinker about how to exploit the new visual medium of TV. If I remember correctly, his TV game of charades won the first emmy for a game show. It was a hugely popular format for decades, and he was able to book the kind of big name stars who would never appear on a game show these days.

As I heard it, Stokey was very protective of his "baby"; it may well have prevented a revival or two over the years. While right now the focus is on paying tribute to Mr. Stokey as one of the few fathers of game show television, I can't help but wonder if his heirs will be more agreeable to licensing (or even selling) the format.

The ranks of the first generation of TV personalities are thinning very quickly. I'm sorry to hear this news.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

Yes, those of us who are of a certain age (ahem!) can remember "Stump the Stars," as it was later known, as a fairly dependable summer replacement show. And even though it was basically a game of charades, it was obvious that the celebrities (usually A-listers) really enjoyed playing the game. Some of the regulars (e.g., Stubby Kaye, Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland) were amazing charades players...and they'd often have to knock off a 15-20 word phrase in 2 minutes.
Stokey's personality could be a little heavy-handed at times, but you gotta give the guy credit for coming up with a durable format that was a helluva lot of fun to watch.

Cash, Ritter, now MIKE STOKEY??!!!! Three in a day??!!

:'(

QUOTE (tvrandywest @ Sep 12 2003, 01:41 PM)

As I heard it, Stokey was very protective of his "baby"; it may well have prevented a revival or two over the years. While right now the focus is on paying tribute to Mr. Stokey as one of the few fathers of game show television, I can't help but wonder if his heirs will be more agreeable to licensing (or even selling) the format.

I have the feeling that Stokey might've been more protective of his baby after seeing what happened when he *did* license out the format--the stinkeroo "Celebrity Charades" in 1979 (he had a consultant credit, but those often don't mean diddly). Your comment more or less answered my question of whether Sony still held rights to the "Pantomime Quiz" format.

QUOTE

Cash, Ritter, now MIKE STOKEY??!!!! Three in a day??!!

Stokey passed away on Sunday.

Well, Mike Stokey's protectiveness of the format didn't prevent Goodson-Todman from doing two "charades" shows of their own: "Showoffs" and "Body Language".

The nice thing is that those early shows were filmed (not kinescoped) in Hollywood, and if I were a betting man, I'd bet that they all (or at least a good many of them) still exist somewhere. Too many have turned up all these years later to be a coincidence. I would love to see those old shows again, unlikely as that might be. Also, more than a dozen shows from the 62-63 season (most with Stokey, but a few with Pat Harrington) are floating around as well.

Stokey had every reason to be protective of "his baby", since it was basically an only child. As the obituaries are reporting, he never really had any significant success outside of his little parlour game. He absolutely deserves credit for giving us a truly visual game show that could never have been done on the radio, and an amazingly classy and literate one at that. (Watching Hans Conried struggling with the *exact* wording of an elaborate Shakespeare quote is not your typical game show fare.) However, that's pretty much the one credit he gets.

QUOTE (davemackey @ Sep 12 2003, 01:17 PM)

Well, Mike Stokey's protectiveness of the format didn't prevent Goodson-Todman from doing two "charades" shows of their own: "Showoffs" and "Body Language".

Well, it's not like Mike Stokey could prove in court that he *invented* charades...

QUOTE (davemackey @ Sep 12 2003, 03:17 PM)

Well, Mike Stokey's protectiveness of the format didn't prevent Goodson-Todman from doing two "charades" shows of their own: "Showoffs" and "Body Language".

There's only so much that can be copyrighted, service marked or patented... otherwise "Uncle Jim's Question Bee" might have been the last Q&A show. Stokey's show remains unique in my memory.


>>Well, it's not like Mike Stokey could prove in court that he *invented* charades... <<

No more than Merv created Hangman or Barris invented the (un)talent(ed) competition.


Randy
tvrandywest.com

And to think that I purchased some Mike Stokey photos two months ago when I was making another of my Hollywood visits!

BTW, I recall that back in 1975-76, our ABC affiliate in Santa Barbara aired Stump The Stars episodes from the 1969-70 version. Those episodes featured Roger C. Carmel, Deanna Lund, and Dick Patterson as regulars. You might say they were Stokey's version of the 'Dawson-Somers-Reilly' triumvirate!

Cordially,
Tammy Warner--the 'Sally Ann Howes of the Big Board!

QUOTE (Winkfan @ Sep 12 2003, 07:50 PM)

BTW, I recall that back in 1975-76, our ABC affiliate in Santa Barbara aired Stump The Stars episodes from the 1969-70 version. Those episodes featured Roger C. Carmel, Deanna Lund, and Dick Patterson as regulars. You might say they were Stokey's version of the 'Dawson-Somers-Reilly' triumvirate!

It's surprising that the 69-70 version is the only one that doesn't appear to have turned up, either in the circuit or in any private collections that I know about. Heck, GSN treated us to "Celebrity Charades", and we're denied the opportunity to watch Harry Mudd play the game?

(Just making an obscure reference to count the Trekkies...)

QUOTE

BTW, I recall that back in 1975-76, our ABC affiliate in Santa Barbara aired Stump The Stars episodes from the 1969-70 version. Those episodes featured Roger C. Carmel, Deanna Lund, and Dick Patterson as regulars.

Wasn't Patterson also announcer for the '79 semi-revival, Celebrity Charades?

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")