MAR 9 WHO IS THE BEST GAME SHOW HOST?

MAR 9  WHO IS THE BEST GAME SHOW HOST?

This week, famed game show host Alex Trebek saddened Americans with his sudden announcement. The beloved host of Jeopardy! has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. While it's not a shocking diagnosis for a 79 year-old man, it produced a shocking amount of support and sympathy online. Katie Couric suggested a specialist while Cher tweeted her love. Why such a huge outpouring? Perhaps journalist Jeffrey Toobin summarized it best: "When you arrive in a hotel room in a new city, turning on Jeopardy! is always a grounding experience."

To honor this well-loved...your horribly under-appreciated...genre, here are our top five Game Show Hosts:

#5 Alex Trebek Jeopardy! 1984 - present. Back in the 1980's, when Game Shows were still really popular, Merv Griffin decided to revive his favorite creation. He tapped Alex for the hosting position. He was a vet, having previously hosted unsuccessful shows like The Wizard of Odds, High Rollers and the woeful Double Dare. However, Merv felt Jeopardy! was the perfect vehicle for the quick-witted banter of Trebek. Today, it's one of the few remaining Game Shows on TV.

#4 Gene Rayburn. Match Game. 1962 - 1982. Lanky, goofy and endearing, Gene knew he was the perfect person to become a host. The only problem was his difficult-to-say Croatian last name: Jeljenic. So one day, Gene closed his eyes, opened the phone book and...Boom! He placed his finger randomly on Rayburn. It worked and Gene worked his way up through local Chicago TV shows. His big break came with Match Game. The racy show was so successful, it was moved from daytime to prime time. Match Game PM peaked at #3 in the 1975 - 1976 Nielsen rankings.

#3. Richard Dawson. Family Feud. 1976 - 1985. In addition to Gene, the celebrity panel made Match Game popular. And no one was more risqué than Richard Dawson. The sharp-tongued Brit always knew the answers as well. Bill Goodson knew he would be the perfect fit for his newest game show creation: Family Feud. He was right, as Feud would soon beat Match Game in the rankings. As host, Dawson gained notoriety for kissing each and every female contestant who appeared. The Kissing Bandit explained: "It something my mum did for luck and love.."

#2. Regis Philbin. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? 1999 - 2004. Although its life span is short compared to others on the list, Regis achieved the highest rankings of any prime-time Game Show. Millionaire became a national sensation, topping the Nielsen's. What made it intriguing was the unique aspect of the host coaching the contest through the thought process to arrive at a conclusion. "Is that your final answer?" This came naturally for Regis, nicknamed The Hardest Working Man on TV. He actually holds the Guinness Book record for the most time spent in front of a TV camera: 16,343 hours.

#1. Bob Barker, The Price Is Right. 1972 - 2007. No one can dispute the fact the Bob Barker is the  King of Game Show Hosts! For kids in America, the best part of a sick-day meant that you got to watch Bob at 10 o'clock in the morning. Normally, you'd be in school and you couldn't ever see it. C'mon...Everyone loves it when Bob enthusiastically says: "Let's see what's behind door #2..." Not to mention the thrilling Showcase Showdown! Even the other Game Show hosts knew Bob was king. In 1992, he was the first to stop dying his hair...leaving it grey. Soon thereafter, Alex and Regis let their natural colors show too.