The Gong Show

The Gong Showis an American amateur talent contest franchised bySony Pictures Televisionto many countries. It was broadcast onNBC's daytime schedule from June 14, 1976, through July 21, 1978, and infirst-run syndicationfrom 1976 to 1980 and 1988 to 1989, and was revived in 2017 for broadcast on ABC. The show was created and originally produced byChuck Barris, who also served as host for the NBC run and from 1977 to 1980 in syndication. Its most recent version was executive-produced byWill Arnettand hosted by Tommy Maitland, a fictional character performed byMike Myers(uncredited in Season 1).The Gong Showis known for its absurdist humor and style, with the actual competition secondary to the often outlandish acts presented; a small cash prize has typically been awarded to each show's winner.
Each show presented a competition of amateur performers of often dubious talent, with a panel of three celebrity judges. If any judge considered an act to be particularly bad, they could force it to stop by striking a largegong, a trope adapted from the durable radio showMajor Bowes Amateur Hour.The host would then ask the judges in question why they had gonged the act, usually receiving a facetious response.
Any act that survived without being gonged was given a score by each of the three judges on a scale of 0 to 10, for a maximum possible score of 30. On the NBC series, the contestant who achieved the highest combined score won the grand prize: a check for $516.32 (a "highly unusual amount", in Barris's words; reportedly theScreen Actors Guild's minimum pay for a day's work at the time) and a "Golden Gong" trophy. In the show's opening monologue, Barris would describe the amount as "five hundred and sixteen big ones, and thirty-two little ones". The syndicated series' top prize was originally $712.05 (the first episode was $996.83) and later increased to $716.32.In the event of a tie, three different tiebreakers were used at various times during the show's run. Originally the studio audience determined the winner by applause, but this was later changed to a decision by the producers, and later by the celebrity judges. On a few, rare occasions, both winning acts each received a check and a trophy. No prize was awarded if all of the acts on a particular episode were gonged, which occurred at least twice. Runners-up received various prizes;Maureen Orth, on her February 24, 1977, appearance, reported receiving aclothes ironvalued at $33.95 for her second-place finish.
The original program's regular judges includedJamie Farr,Jaye P. Morgan,Arte Johnson,Patty Andrews,Steve Garvey,Anson Williams,Rex Reed,Pat McCormick,Rip Taylor,Phyllis Diller,Charlie Brill,Mitzi McCallandWayland Flowers. Throughout the program's run, several other celebrities occasionally appeared as judges includingDavid Letterman,Steve Martin,Mort Sahl,Pat Paulsen,Chuck Woolery,Allen LuddenandSandy Duncan.
When Barris announced the final score,little personactorJerry Maren(a formerMunchkin) ran onstage in top hat and tails, throwing confetti while balloons dropped from overhead.
The dailyGong Showalso gave out a "Worst Act of the Week" award (later changed to the "Most Outrageous Act of the Week"), selected by the producers and each week's judges. The winner of this award was announced following the trophy presentation on the Friday show, and the performer received a dirtytube sockand a check for $516.32.
The two biggestGong Show-related showbiz successes wereAndrea McArdleandCheryl Lynn. Twelve-year-old McArdle appeared on an early episode in 1976, shortly before she won the leading role in the hitBroadway musicalAnnie. Following Lynn'sGong Showappearance in 1976, she received a recording contract withColumbia Recordsand recorded theTop 40discohit "Got To Be Real", released in 1978.
Among the other true talents that appeared on the show were country singerBoxcar Willie; actorKevin Peter Hallwho later appeared as the originalPredatorin the 1987 film and as Harry inHarry and the Hendersons; comics and actorsPaul ReubensandJohn Paragon(best known asPee Wee HermanandJambi the Genie);Joey D'Auria("Dr. Flameo", laterWGN's secondBozo the Clown); impressionist/comicMichael Winslow; novelty rock bandGreen Jellÿ;and an unknown band calledThe Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingowhich evolved intoOingo Boingo, led by future film and television score composerDanny Elfman. In 1979,Cripsfounder and executed murdererStanley Tookie Williamsappeared on the show as a bodybuilder. Future Academy Award-nominated actressMare Winninghamsang theBeatlessong "Here, There, and Everywhere" on the program in 1976. FutureSuper Bowl XXXVwinning head coachBrian Billickalso made an appearance, performing a routine known as the "spider monkey". DancerDanny Lockin, who had played Barnaby in the filmHello Dolly!, was murdered hours after winning the show taped August 21, 1977.Television personality, actress and entrepreneur,Rhonda Shearappeared on the program in 1979. JournalistMaureen Orth, then writing forNewsweek, won second-place on a 1977 show, appearing as "The World's Oldest Cheerleader."
An establishedgame showproducer (The Dating Game,The Newlywed Game), Barris was originally creator and co-producer ofThe Gong Showand had no intention of  hosting the show himself. He was an emergency replacement for original hostJohn Barbour, who had objected to the show's satirical concept and tried to adopt more of a traditional amateur-hour format.
Barbour would eventually serve as producer and co-host of the hit NBCReality TVseries,Real People(1979–84) 
Barris initially appeared somewhat ill at ease as host, but before long he was working so loosely on camera that many viewers assumed that he was intoxicated from alcohol or other drugs. In a later interview with theArchive of American Television, Barris recounted that he was never drunk and forbade the use of drugs by anyone in his production company.
Producer Chris Bearde, formerly ofRowan and Martin's Laugh-InandThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, clashed with Barris over the program's content, favoring more scripted comedy over chaotic nonsense. (Bearde's "new talent" segments onLaugh-Inhad featured oddball performers, the most celebrated beingTiny Tim.) After a violent argument between Barris and Bearde over the future direction of the show came to blows and resulted the throwing of chairs and other objects, Bearde resigned, leaving Barris fully in charge ofThe Gong Show.
Milton DeLuggwas a popular musician and bandleader during the 1940s and 1950s. He got theGong Showjob by default; as the longtime music director of NBC, he was responsible for any network project that required special music (like the annual telecasts of theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade). Although DeLugg had previously arranged the theme forThe Newlywed Game, Barris initially regarded him as "an anachronism"; however, Barris was soon pleased to discover that DeLugg was very much attuned to the facetious tone of the show and he appeared alongside Barris in recurring comedy skits as various characters including bad-joke teller, "Naso Literatus" and the aged philosopher, "Old Drool".
Veteran composerJoey Carboneprovided musical arrangements for the late 1980s revival with his own lineup of studio musicians, known as "The Gong Show Guys".
Johnny Jacobs, who had worked for Barris for many years, was the main announcer from 1976 to 1980. When Jacobs was sidelined with an extended illness,Jack Clarksubstituted from October 3 through December 23, 1977.Charlie O'Donnellserved as announcer for the late 1980s revival.
Hostesses included Siv Åberg (aSwedish-born model and actress  who appeared on Barris's syndicatedNew Treasure Hunt), actressMarlena Clark, porn starCarol Connorsand Barris's teenage daughter, Della.
NBC first broadcast the show at 12:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m.CentralandPacific). This was the network's least important time slot, as programs running at that time had to share the half-hour with a five-minute NBC newscast anchored byEdwin Newman. As a result, the first six-plus months ofThe Gong Showfeatured approximately twenty minutes of program content in a twenty-five-minute episode.
Many NBC affiliates in some larger markets opted not to run network programming during the noon hour at all, preferring to broadcast local news and talk shows instead. ThusGongmade its debut mainly on medium-market and smaller stations or on large-market rival stations that had picked up the program from the NBC affiliate that had rejected it. For example, inBoston, then-NBC affiliateWBZ-TVdid not run the series, allowing local UHF independent outletWSBK-TVto broadcast it.
Gong'stime slot was given to a new soap opera,Lovers and Friends, on January 3, 1977, and the show replaced the cancelledAnother WorldspinoffSomersetat 4:00 p.m. The time change allowedGongto expand to a full half-hour.
NBC broadcast a one-hour prime-timeGong Showspecial on April 26, 1977, featuring in-studio special guestsTony Randall,Alice CooperandHarry Jamesand His Orchestra. The winning act on this special was The Bait Brothers, and the panelists were Jaye P. Morgan, Jamie Farr and Arte Johnson.
DuringTheGong Show's run, Barris became well known for his clashes with the network censors, intentionally bringing in risque acts as a diversion to allow some of the less racy acts to slip by. In 1977, one of these bait acts, called "Have You Got a Nickel?", made it onto the show. The act consisted of two teenage girls, both wearing shorts, sitting cross-legged on the stage floor and silently eatingpopsiclesin a manner that suggested they were performingfellatioon the frozen treats. The nature of their act led to the two girls being referred to as the "Popsicle Twins".
While the girls were able to complete their act without being gonged, they were given low scores by two of the judges.Phyllis Dillergave them a zero, whileJamie Farrfollowed with a marginally better 2.Jaye P. Morganawarded them a 10, quipping, "Do you know that's the way I started (in show business)?" and proceeded to eat one of the girls' popsicles.
The girls' act was approved by the NBC censors, who apparently did not see anything wrong with it during the rehearsals. However, after the episode was shown in the Eastern Time Zone, NBC cut the act from the later tape delay broadcast for western time zones.KNBC, alerted to the content, was able to preempt it.The act was not cut from all the tapes, and the "Popsicle Twins" incident has been seen in reruns and retrospectives. Barris said in a 2001 interview withSalonthat this particular act began making him reconsider his career.
Despite its popularity and respectable ratings for a non-soap-opera midday show, NBC cancelledThe Gong Show, with its final episode broadcast on July 21, 1978. At the time, there was much speculation as to the network's true motivations for dumping the popular show. Barris has commented that he heard that NBC's official reason was because of both "lower than expected ratings" and a desire by the network to "re-tailor the morning shows to fit the standard morning demographics" (the move coincided with the arrival of new NBC presidentFred Silverman, who was well known for such programming overhauls and was reported to have dislikedThe Gong Show).America Alive!, a magazine-style variety program hosted byArt Linkletter's sonJack, replacedGong.
Following the cancellation, many critics and industry analysts – includingGene ShalitandRona Barrett– reported having heard comments from within the NBC programming department from "sources preferring anonymity" that the true reason behind the cancellation was Barris's refusal to tone down the increasingly risqué nature of the show. According to the sources, after the "Popsicle Twins" incidentand an episode in which Jaye P. Morgan spontaneously exposed her breasts on air during aGene Gene the Dancing Machinesegment, Barris had been given an ultimatum by the network'sStandards and Practicesdepartment to deliver less racy shows for his audience, which included many younger viewers, or NBC would cancel the program.
NBC allowed Barris to continue the show for the rest of his contract, and Barris made no perceptible change in preparation for the finale. In the finale, staff member Larry Gotterer appeared as "Fenwick Gotterer" to host the show after Barris started the show doing a "Chuckie's Fables" sketch. The rest of the final episode tried to explain the life of the show and its cancellation. Barris managed to have the last word on the show's demise, appearing as a contestant. Playing in a country music band called "The Hollywood Cowboys" with the house band's rhythm section, Barris sang a slightly modified version ofJohnny Paycheck's "Take This Job and Shove It", giving NBCthe fingerduring the song to accentuate his point. NBC censored the gesture, with the word "OOPS!" superimposed over a still shot of the set. Barris was gonged by Jamie Farr, who quipped, "Because that little fella's been saying that I've been long of nose, I'm also long of gong, fella."
The group "Lobster Repair" (who performedHarry Belafonte's song "Day-O") won the final $516.32 and trophy of the NBC era. Gotterer presented the award as Barris had been escorted off the set by NBC security.
Immediately after taping the final NBC episode, Barris was evicted from NBC's Burbank studios andThe Gong Showset was moved to the studios ofGolden West Broadcasters(nowSunset Bronson Studios) in Hollywood. Production of the syndicated nighttime/weekend version ofThe Gong Showcontinued there for two years, following its daytime counterpart's cancellation. The entire syndicated run from September 1976 to September 1980 was distributed by Firestone Program Services. While the series eventually met its demise in syndication as it had on NBC, according to Barris, the problem did not lie with any outrageous acts, but instead the controversy and public outcry over another series he had produced.
In September 1979, Barris launched the game showThree's a Crowd, which was a spin-off ofThe Newlywed Game. Instead of recently married couples trying to match answers, the wives and secretaries of married men would compete to show who knew the men better. Religious activists and feminist groups protested againstThree's a Crowdand its ratings eventually forced the show's cancellation during the middle of the season.
In Barris's autobiographyThe Game Show King, he wrote that "the public backlash fromThree's a Crowdnot only caused the program to be canceled, but it took three other TV shows of mine with it. I went to my house in Malibu and stayed there for a year."Gongwas one of those shows to be canceled, and Barris never hosted another series. The trauma from theThree's a Crowd'sbacklash was so severe, in the last several weeks of theGong Show, Barris reportedly had "a small nervous breakdown" on-air, because he was "bored to death" with broadcasting.His next two series, revivals of the 1960s game showCamouflage(the replacement forThree's a Crowd) and his 1973–77 seriesTreasure Hunt(toward which Barris had little or no input, according to hostGeoff Edwards), both failed to find audiences and Barris went further into his self-imposed exile from television. Barris would not have another hit series until the 1985 syndication revival ofThe Newlywed Game.
Reruns of the NBC shows began in syndication in Fall 1979. The NBC and syndicated episodes were rerun on theUSA NetworkandGame Show Network, although by the time GSN picked up the series, many episodes could not be broadcast because of musical performance clearance issues. No episodes from the first syndicated season (hosted byGary Owens) were rerun.
A syndicated weekday revival ofThe Gong Show, hosted by San Francisco disc jockeyDon Bleu, ran during the 1988–89 season from September 12, 1988, to May 26, 1989, with reruns airing through September 15. Each winner was paid $701.
The last show of the Don Bleu's revival is dedicated for a long-week tribute to France.
Extreme Gong, a later incarnation ofThe Gong Showon theGame Show Networkhad viewers vote on its acts by telephone. It was hosted byGeorge Grayand ran from October 5, 1998, to August 31, 1999,with reruns continuing to air up until Fall of 2000. Winners received $317.69. This version was well known for two known incidents: one episode featuring "Cody the Talking Dog" for which he tried to say things like "I love you" and "ice cream" but did not succeed in talking, and another featuring aVillage Peopleparody asThe Village Little Peoplewhere they sang a cover of "YMCA". Orange County comedy punk bandthe Radioactive Chicken Heads(then called Joe & the Chicken Heads) made their national television debut onExtreme Gong, though they were gonged midway through their performance. Near the end of the show's run, an hour-long "Tournament of Talent" special was aired in August 1999, with twelve previous winning acts (chosen by viewers via a phone-in poll) competing for a payoff of $10,000.
Comedy Centraldebuted a new incarnation calledThe Gong Show with Dave Attell, which lasted for eight weeks in the summer of 2008.The show's format was similar to the original, but its scoring was based on a scale of 0 to 500, and winning acts received $600. The $600 was shown as paid in cash on the spot, rather than being paid by check as in earlier versions, but in reality (because of contestant eligibility regulations by Sony) was paid as a check from Sony Pictures. In place of a typical trophy, winners were awarded a belt in the style of boxing championship belts.
A live stage version ofThe Gong Showtook place at B.B. King's Blues Club, in theTimes Squaredistrict ofNew York Cityon August 12, 2010.It was produced byThe Radio Chick, and is the Sony authorized stage production. This production went into development in 2011–12 and now runs regularly in New York City, with engagements in other U.S. cities.
On October 3, 2016, ABC and Sony Pictures announced a 10-episode summer 2017 revival ofThe Gong Showexecutive produced byWill Arnett.
The broadcast of the 2017 revival premiered on ABC on June 22, 2017,hosted by previously unknown "British comedian" Tommy Maitland. Maitland was, in fact, a character portrayed byMike Myers, although neither ABC nor Myers confirmed this and ABC officially credited Maitland as host and executive producer.Maitland's catchphrase was "Who's a cheeky monkey?"He also periodically used Barris's "back with more stuff" catchphrase to lead into commercials.
Celebrity guest judges for the 2017 revival included Arnett,Zach Galifianakis,Alison Brie,Andy Samberg,Elizabeth Banks,Tracee Ellis Ross,Joel McHale,Megan Fox,Courteney Cox,Dana Carvey,Will Forte,Jack Black,Jennifer Aniston,Ken Jeong,Fred Armisen,Maya RudolphandAnthony Anderson.Among the more notable acts featured on the revival arethe Radioactive Chicken Heads, making their second appearance on aGong Showincarnation sinceExtreme Gongin 1998. The first season of this version also features a regular segment featuring a staff performer leading the audience in a sing-along of thenovelty song"Shaving Cream", reminiscent of the recurring gag acts on the earlier version.
The winner of each show received a gong trophy and an oversized check in the amount of US$2,000.17, later increased by a penny the following year.The final episode of the first season featured a memorial to Barris, who died prior to the series' premiere in 2017.
On January 8, 2018, ABC announced that the revival would be picked up for a second season, officially confirmed Myers as the portrayer of Maitland and crediting Myers as an executive producer by name.The second (and final) season premiered on June 21, 2018.Celebrity guest judges for season 2 includedJimmy Kimmel,Jason Sudeikis,Brad Paisley,Dana Carvey,Alyson Hannigan,Ken Jeong,Kristen Schaal, andRob Riggle.However, the series was not renewed for a third season and was quietly cancelled.
In 1980,The Gong Show Moviewas released byUniversal Picturesto scathing reviews and was quickly withdrawn from theatrical release. Advertising proclaimed it as "The Gong ShowThat Got Gonged by the Censor". It was seen periodically on cable TV, but was not released on home videountil March 29, 2016, when the film, which achievedcultstatuswas released onBlu-raybyShout! Factory.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, a film directed byGeorge Clooneyand written byCharlie Kaufman, was based on the semi-fictional autobiography of the same name by Chuck Barris. Part of the film chronicles the making ofThe Gong Show, and features several clips from the original series.
Following the success of the print and screen versions ofConfessions, GSN produced a documentary calledThe Chuck Barris Story: My Life on the Edge, which included rare footage from the Gary Owens pilot.
At the height of theGong Show's popularity, NBC gave Barris a prime-time variety hour,The Chuck Barris Rah Rah Show. This was played somewhat more seriously than theGong Show, withJaye P. Morgansinging straight pop songs as in her nightclub and recording days, and bygone headliners likeSlim Gaillardreprising their old hits for a studio audience. Other spinoffs includeThe $1.98 Beauty Showhosted byRip TaylorandThe Gong Show Movie.