I'm starting to be of the opinion that Orson bean was every bit the unsufferable annoying comedian-first, panelist-later-if-I-still-have-time scenery-chewer on To Tell the Truth that Ms. Poundstone was decried for being in the '00-'02 version.

He may well be one of the main reasons I'm not sad to see the Collyer version disappear this week. This show really became something special in syndication when Garry took over and Orson split.

My *memory* of Orson Bean on TTTT was as the occasional interloper on the 70s version, and in that role I remember him being very entertaining with his stories and his drawings on his vote cards. If he was on every day, though, I might have tired of the schtick a lot faster.

Can someone please remind me why Paula left TTTT?

And as for Orson-- well, he just gets even more cringe-worthy as the CBS run goes on... :^)

-Kevin

I didn't think Bean was overbearing either, in the early days. It's just the classic GT panel chemistry plan - comparing it to Secret, Bean was the Henry Morgan (wag) of the TTTT panel, like Tom Poston was the Cullen (solid player, personable), as Dawson was for Match Game. It's a tribute to GT that hardly anyone matched their skill in creating tv panels so well balanced after the dry start with the first What's My Line?

Orson took the game seriously; Paula did not. It's about as simple as that.

The last show I thought came close to having the feel of a GT panel show was Relatively Speaking with John Byner some time back. The panel members, including Jamie Farr and Meredith MacRae, knew how to keep the egos in check and play the game for our enjoyment, not just theirs. The old pros were fun to watch. They know the fun is in the solving of the puzzle/problem, not hogging the spotlight. I won't give up hope that someone can't develop a good new panel game format somewhere down the road. And I thought O'Hurley was very good, too.

Don't diss the Bean!

I thought Orson was witty and creative as hell. Even as a kid (whew, glad that's over) I thought his cute drawings on the voting cards were funny. Today he's still a class act. I think he has a couple of kids in the biz, but I would see him on sets where I worked with his daughter - first time in the 80s on KTLA stage 9 (can't remember the show), and most recently at "Weakest Link".

He's always been charming and very pleased to be recognized and remembered. Last time we talked about a pilot he hosted for Goodson, and how, after just once as a host, he preferred being cast as the guest/panelist. Why? Everything from carrying the mechanics of the game limiting his ability to joke around (a role he prefers), to something about thinking he walked funny! (He walks fine ;-)


Randy
tvrandywest.com