Monday, March 13, 2006

Whammy 1, Peter Tomarken 0

Peter Tomarken and his wife were killed tonight in a plane crash -- the story just broke on the wire. What a shame -- he was always the ultimate epitome of Sleazy Game Show Host -- without him, "Press Your Luck" woulda just sucked.

Here's to you, Peter. Let's hope the Afterlife has big money and NO Whammies.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Never heard of the guy. Shane, you spend too much time watching TV.

-shane- said...

Aww, man! You don't remember "Press Your Luck"? The game show where people constantly yelled out "Okay! Big money! NO WHAMMIES!"... it was basically like "Wheel of Fortune," except it was on one big electronic screen, and instead of there being a "bankrupt" square like there is on "Wheel," you landed on a "WHAMMY," where suddenly this primitive cartoon devil thing would come on screen, laugh at you, and reduce your winnings to $0.

It was a HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE show, and it deserves an appropriately greasy, smarmy host (a role that Tomarken filled perfectly,) but when I was a kid, I watched it DAILY.

The show was a phenomenon, I swear it. Go type "Press Your Luck" into Yahoo and you'll find FANSITES devoted to the show, even though it's been off the air for well over a decade.

Tidoubleguher said...

I think I loved the show just because it was so cheesy. I know I watched it ALL the time when I was a kid.

I wonder if it's on GSN...

Anonymous said...

"infamous scribbler said Never heard of the guy. Shane, you spend too much time watching TV."

How can anyone not have heard of Peter Tomarken or Press Your Luck?! The show is considered the most popular cancelled game show of all time!!! After the show was cancelled, reruns were shown on the USA network for eight years after the show was cancelled! The show has a cult following today! The show is even well known for the biggest game show scandal where contestant Michael Larson memorized the board pattern to win over $100,000 in one day!!! For theose who say they've never heard of Peter Tomarken or Press Your Luck, if they were to actually SEE THE SHOW then they would know why it's considered the most popular cancelled game show ever and why it has a cult following!!! It ranks up with the popularity of "The Price is Right", "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Furtune"! There's a reason the saying "Big Bucks, No Whammies!" become a popular saying! Many Press Your Luck videos are shown on Youtube!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUjkPHltzNA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeEZe6tW_z8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfT6FNaveUQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAHD_CIysFw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtNy-nuae10