1996, '97 and '98 have been the only period that "Family Feud" has not been in productions since 1976. In that time I have read accounts that Dolly Parton, Doug Davidson and yes, Richard Dawson, were mentioned as possible hosts for the Pearson TV revival.

I was wodering if any pilots and/or run downs were taped and with who. Also I wonder if there was bad word of mouth before Louie's show had even started.

Uh...maybe I'm missing something, but what about 1986 and '87?

EDIT: And yeah, I see now that that's not the point of the thread. Sue me. :P

I seem to remember (going off of sketchy usenet memories here, don't ask me to provide proof) that Parton did get as far as a pilot (taped with families on couches, allegedly). Louie taped a pilot on the British set.

Didn't Dolly tape a pilot of "Match Game" as well, or am I getting the two confused?

You got your blondes mixed up a little. Dallas's Charlene Tilton did a pilot for Match Game in 1996. Those who saw the pilot say it was even more of a train wreck than the MG98 series was

Parton and Davidson were considered as hosts(Parton taped a pilot c. 1997), but I don't think Dawson was. Seeing him on the 1994-95 season of Feud showed a host who had less of an ego than he had when the ABC Feud was in its final years, but was a bit too old-school for 90s audiences.

I thought I remember seeing on E! True Hollywood Story that Louie taped his pilot in Las Vegas, when he was doing some comedy skit there. Didn't he also say the contestants he used for his pilot were his own family?

Correct. And this was the tape sent out to many General Managers and Production execs, AND shown at NATPE.... I remember my GM telling me about the family skit, and how awful the thing looked....needless to say he didn't buy it.

Make up your own blonde joke here, folks.

Indeed...the set looked like Just Men's, they had the contestants revealing their answers AFTER the celebs, and the positions of the Audience and Head-to-Head Match were reversed.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

How do you format the bonus round reversed? Seriously...can someone elaborate on this?

The problem wasn't seeing him on the 94-95 Feud, it was hearing him. Or, rather, not.

There were a couple of occasions where I went an entire round without knowing exactly what the survey question was. And Fast Money . . . eeugh.

(Place got spiffier while I was gone . . .)