Of all the reviews I have done for this website, The Gong show is the first Chuck Barris show I wrote about. It was a show I remember watching a few months after the local NBC affiliate started carrying it because they aired a local talk show in its original timeslot when it debuted. It was a show I loved to hate because Barris was mad, cracked, sick and crazy (to quote the titles of humor magazines) as a host and the acts were rather strange.
One thing I remember was when an act was really bad, the audience would groan and I would shout at the TV "THROW THE BUM OUT!!" it was a sign that an act was on the verge of being gonged.
Many celebrities served as judges on the show, including Jaye P. Morgan, Arte Johnson, Rex Reed, Phyllis Diller and Jamie Farr. Also guesting on the panel were then LA Dodger Steve Garvey and Dodger Stadium peanut vendor Roger Owens.
I also remember getting a kick out of a couple of semiregulars The Unknown Comic and Gene Gene the Dancing Machine. They were hilarious. It also contributed to The Gong Show's wild and crazy atmosphere.
There was also a syndicated nighttime version that was hosted first by Gary Owens and later Barris. Owens usually said once per episode "All acts know beforehand that they may be gonged." The Gong Show was silly but memorable.
One thing I remember was when an act was really bad, the audience would groan and I would shout at the TV "THROW THE BUM OUT!!" it was a sign that an act was on the verge of being gonged.
Many celebrities served as judges on the show, including Jaye P. Morgan, Arte Johnson, Rex Reed, Phyllis Diller and Jamie Farr. Also guesting on the panel were then LA Dodger Steve Garvey and Dodger Stadium peanut vendor Roger Owens.
I also remember getting a kick out of a couple of semiregulars The Unknown Comic and Gene Gene the Dancing Machine. They were hilarious. It also contributed to The Gong Show's wild and crazy atmosphere.
There was also a syndicated nighttime version that was hosted first by Gary Owens and later Barris. Owens usually said once per episode "All acts know beforehand that they may be gonged." The Gong Show was silly but memorable.