Jim Perry (television)

James Edward Perry (born November 11, 1934, in Camden, New Jersey) was a television game show host in the 1970s and 1980s.

Related Topics:
November 11 - 1934 - Camden, New Jersey - Television - Game show - 1970s - 1980s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Originally starting out in comedy working with Sid Caesar as his straight man for several years, Jim Perry became a popular game show host in Canada in the early 1970s after a stint as an overnight DJ on radio station WABC in New York. His first effort in Canada was the popular game show Fractured Phrases, and afterwards presided over several other game shows, including Eye Bet and Money Makers -- the latter also airing on syndicated television in some markets across the United States.

Related Topics:
Sid Caesar - Canada - WABC - New York - Fractured Phrases - Eye Bet - Money Makers

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1973, Perry became host of the CTV game show Definition, a pre-Wheel of Fortune series which was one of the longest running game shows in Canadian Television history, lasting until 1990. Perry also hosted another long-running game show, Headline Hunters, which lasted from 1972 until 1981, with a year of repeats the following year.

Related Topics:
CTV - Definition - Wheel of Fortune - Headline Hunters - 1972 - 1981

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition, Jim presided as emcee of the annual Miss Canada Pageant, a job he held from 1967 until 1990, about the same length of time his U.S. counterpart Bob Barker presided over the Miss USA Pageant on CBS.

Related Topics:
Miss Canada Pageant - 1967 - 1990 - Bob Barker - Miss USA Pageant - CBS

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Perry's first major American network hosting job came in 1978 when NBC and Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions casted him for their new show Card Sharks. Perry hosted the entire NBC version, airing from April 24, 1978 until October 23, 1981.

Related Topics:
NBC - Mark Goodson - Bill Todman - Card Sharks - April 24 - 1978 - October 23 - 1981

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jim also hosted two game show pilots that never made it to television: Casino in 1981 and Twisters in 1982 -- the latter of which was similar in format to Jackpot and was produced by Bob Stewart Productions.

Related Topics:
Jackpot - Bob Stewart

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1982, NBC named Perry host of Sale of the Century, a revived version of the 1969-1973 series, airing from January 3, 1983 until March 29, 1989. For more than six seasons, he presided over the fast-paced Q&A game. His style helped to make the show a big hit for the network in the last golden era of game shows, and made Perry one of the top game show personalities of the 1980s in the United States.

Related Topics:
1982 - NBC - Sale of the Century - 1969 - 1973 - January 3 - 1983 - March 29 - 1989

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As the result of his successful work in both the United States and Canada, Jim spent over a decade commuting between Southern California and Toronto, Ontario (except between late-1981 and late-1982). Perry, Alex Trebek and Geoff Edwards are the only known game show hosts to have hosted at least one game show on both sides of the U.S./Canadian border at the same time.

Related Topics:
Alex Trebek - Geoff Edwards

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In total, Jim Perry hosted approximately ten different game shows in a career that spanned about 25 years.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jim is now retired and lives with his wife June in Florida.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Perry is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and was at one time an outstanding basketball player in high school thanks in part to his height (at 6'4").

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His son, Sean Perry, is a television producer and owner of a Beverly Hills-based talent agency. Sean was in charge of production for the most recent version of The Hollywood Squares and has worked on other television programs over the past decade. Jim's daughter, Erin Perry, worked with Bob Stewart Productions as an associate producer to The $25,000 Pyramid. She is now living in Europe.

Related Topics:
Sean Perry - The Hollywood Squares - Erin Perry - The $25,000 Pyramid

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jim also appeared as a celebrity player on Wheel of Fortune, Password Plus and Family Feud.

Related Topics:
Wheel of Fortune - Password Plus - Family Feud

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Perry is also known for many of his familiar catch-phrases:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• You're among friends -- a phrase he used many times to ease the nervousness of contestants.
• Took a chance and it paid off -- a player taking a gamble on a guess or going against the odds on a card on Card Sharks.
• We crowned a brand new champion -- a phrase he took from Jack Barry which is self-explanatory.
• We'll be back right after this commercial time-out -- a tag-line he used more often on $ale of the Century, signaling a commercial break.
 
Jim Perry (television): External link ►