Back when we were at ATGS, I said we never saw the face of Joe Cipriano, announcer on Alan Thicke's "Pictionary" as well as the voice behind the promos for Fox (until the mid-'90s), CBS, and Food Network.

Well tomorrow on Entertainment Tonight, we'll finally get to see Joe behind the microphone; he's part of a "Stage 28" feature story on the REAL highest-paid talent in Hollywood...the voice actors behind network promos and movie trailers; many of them do their work right at home without hopping from one recording studio to another. I wouldn't be surprised if we'll also be seeing former GSN promo announcer Neil Ross on there too.

Any other announcers we've NEVER got to see on camera besides Ross?

Seems like a story more suited to "The Insider" with Pat O'Brien. Any word on an in-depth follow up on the ET story on TI? Pat has some experience as a radio announcer as well, he filled in for Casey Kasem, I think. Might have been John Tesh or Leeza Gibbons' radio shows, though. If he wasn't on TV, Pat could probably make a good chunk of change as a voice over artist.

Nah, but long before he started his TV career he played in a local band in his hometown in South Dakota. Oh, and he only subbed for Casey Kasem.

But at one time, he did a Red Lobster commercial in the mid-'90s.

BTW...Billy Bush (Pat's uber-obnoxious successor on Access Hollywood who of course flopped hosting LMAD 2003) was a radio DJ in D.C. before heading to television.

Charlie Tuna(?), Michael Hanks(BtB85), Larry Van Nuys(TTD90), Ed Mackay(TJW90, Treasure Mall) I think are a few.

BZZZZ......oh, sorry Zach, Charlie Tuna WAS seen on camera, on the last episode of the original Scrabble. But thanks for playing, we have nice parting gifts, (insert announcer name here), tell him what he's leaving with.

Tyshaun

Of course, as we all know, Charlie Tuna is the same person as Charlie O'Donnell.

What's that supposed to mean? ;(

Here's an excerpt from Joe Cipriano's note to me about the ET feature:

>> Entertainment Tonight is doing a segment this week about Network Voice
>> Guys. I'm one of the v/o guys in the segment along with Don
>> LaFontaine, Andy Geller and Dave Fennoy.
>>
>> The piece is called, "The Best Job in Hollywood."
>>Who am I to disagree :-)
>> ET came by and filmed me doing some work in my studio, hanging
>> out at home with the family and going out to the studios to do sessions.
>>

The footage was actually shot a couple of months back, and the feature saved for the holiday season.

Don LaFontaine has been seen previously in this kind of feature, but not since he's had his new look with his shaved head. You'll easily recognize him. He started as an editor for film trailers and orchestrated a career that made him THE archetypical serious voice of trailers. His home studio is sweet, and just 10 feet from his sauna and indoor pool on the lower level of his Los Feliz home that looks as marvelous inside as the view of Griffith Park outside.

Cipriano has been a buddy since we were in radio together in Connecticut in the 70s. You'll recognize him as shorter in height and perpetually smiling (as well he should be!). His home is more traditional, and his studio in a small building on the other side of the pool. His voice is immediately recognizeable from FOX and CBS comedy promos, as well as The Food Channel and a few million other clients.

Andy Geller is newer to the fold. Like Cip, he's in his 40s with dark hair. A more serious kind of guy with a lower-key delivery. Dave Fennoy is another good guy, and his voice will sound familiar, as well.

Enjoy!

Randy
tvrandywest.com

Both of these fellows do some work for L.A. radio station KNX. You can see Ed's profile here, and Larry's profile here.

Also at KNX is former Price Is Right announcer candidate, Jim Thornton. He's here.

Try visiting www.primetimevoices.com They have many of TV and Radio's prominent voice-over announcers featured, although I still think Hal Douglas (AKA "In A World" Movie Announcer) should have been listed, since he does many promos for UPN...

Doug

Question from the Nutmeg state....where/when was this? Ever come back, or is this one of the 6 states you're not allowed in anymore?

He was shown on at least two other episodes. One was when Chuck talked about how Charlie was one of the first DJs to play Naturally Stoned and another was when a contestant talked about what a fan she was of Charlie's radio show on KHTZ and Charlie went on stage to meet her.

Thankfully, I think the statute of limitations has long run out. ;-)

Cip was still in high school when he started doing afternoons at 1240/WWCO in Waterbury. He would do his homework during the long records... seriously.

I worked briefly at WGCH, Greenwich as one of my first jobs. Later I jocked and programmed in the New Haven/Bridgeport market. The entire Connecticut radio community was particularly friendly in that era.


Randy
tvrandywest.com

Two other announcers whose faces we've never seen are Jerry Bishop (Judge Judy announcer who was also the voice of Disney Channel promos till the early '90s) and Les Marshak (Academy Awards announcer for much of the '90s), who had an uncredited role in Naked Gun 33 1/3...which featured a cameo by Vanna White during -- you guessed it -- the final scene which took place at the Oscars!

That's a great way of putting it. I've always wondered, with all the great voices in Hollywood (and just about anywhere else for that matter) how this one guy out of thousands became THE guy for doing that sort of thing.

The IMDB errnously calls O'Donnell and Tuna the same person.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

Two of the G-T announcers I can't recall seeing are Lee Vines and Hal Sims. Who was the voice of "Edgar the Talking Jukebox"?

Reportedly, though I can't say fer sure, it was Charlie Chase.

We radio/tv types in New Haven still are :) Even if we are all owned by Clear Channel....

And we're....alll.... owned ....by..... clear.....channellllll.....even....you.... will.....be.....soooooooonnnnnnnnnnnn

Bill Anderson was a guest on Crook and Chase not long after Fandango ended. Nothing was mentioned in that interview about Chase being Edgar's voice, but they did mention that Bill's autobiography "Whispering Bill", which came out around that time, told who Edgar's voice was.

R u serious?? OMG that is hilarious! Geiss, somebody really needs to give them a little game show lesson here... don't u think?

I associate Marshak more with the Tonys rather the Oscars, since he's NY-based (although I guess he has done a few Oscarcasts over his career)--not to mention his long-time gig with NBC Sports. But what I really associate Marshak with is restoring some order when a whacked-out WABC disc jockey got this notion that Paul McCartney was dead, setting off some kind of chaos.

For those so inclined, you can find a 21-minute aircheck of that chaos here. Scroll down to 1969 (it's probably not my place to directly hyperlink here the RealAudio link provided on the site, but I'm sure Allan Sniffen would welcome the extra traffic--for those who love radio, his WABC tribute site is one of the best in the business). It's about the fifth aircheck down in the 1969 section.

Doug

Just saw the ET piece and unfortunately, Andy Geller was not featured.

And no, he's not related to Sarah Michelle Gellar, who spells her last name G-E-L-L-A-R.

Not any more. I fixed it. Months ago.

Cyberspace is not set in stone, guys.

It's not?? But that's not what that Gore guy that invented it told me!!!
;)

Jerry G. Bishop's photo, aircheck, and brief bio can be found
here.

You can also find a photo & aircheck of a young Charlie Tuna Here.

You can find a few more game show announcers & hosts on various airchecks at reelradio.com. Just use the search engine. Always a few good surprises to be found there.

AND IT'S A GOOD THING TOO!



Wow!

Jerry Bishop and Jerry G. Bishop aren't the same person, kids. Trust me on that one--I used to listen to Jerry G. every morning on WCFL and later watch him as the original Svengoolie on "Screaming Yellow Theater" on WFLD and host over the zaniest "Dialing for Dollars" license ever, also on WFLD in Chicago. He's not Jerry Bishop the "Judge Judy" voice-over--and I like him more. :)

You are correct, sir.

Randy
tvrandywest.com

My bad, I know that Jerry G. Bishop dropped the G when he went to 'CFL, and on the realradio bio they said he did some TV work in California, so it seemed like a perfect fit.

While keeping on the nation's newest game show, "Is he or Ain't He The Same Person", is former Wheel of Fortune announcer M.G. Kelly and radio personality Machine Gun Kelly the same person???

Yep. They play his "American Hit List" on a local station in town, and I can tell you it's the same guy.

http://www.mgkelly.com

Also of interest: This same station also plays "Back to the 70's", hosted by "Scrabble"'s own Charlie Tuna.