Dawson's Peak

Let's say goodbye to Richard Dawson.  Born in England, he was a comedian first noticed by a lot of Americans for a guest shot on The Dick Van Dyke Show, but it was as Corporal Newkirk on Hogan's Heroes where he became well known.



He was later a regular on Rowan And Martin's Laugh-In (where he often imitated Groucho Marx) and The New Dick Van Dyke Show.  But it wasn't until he started doing game shows that he found his true calling.

For years he was everyone's favorite panelist on Match Game.



He got tired of playing second banana and jumped at the chance to host his own show, Family Feud.

Dawson, and the show, became huge.  Known for his sly wit and casual demeanor, he was sort of the Dean Martin of game show hosts.  He was also notorious for his familiarity with the lady contestants, kissing each one.

Family Feud fascinates me as few other game shows do, since the point is not to be smart, but to be average--something which seems beyond certain contestants, especially when they're under time pressure.  And Dawson was the perfect host--without being cruel, he was excellent as a stand-in for the audience, expressing incredulity at the bizarre answers.