Jim Peck
Encyclopedia
James Edward "Jim" Peck (born on June 5, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
) is an American
television and radio personality based in Milwaukee and is perhaps best known for his time as a game show host.
to host three game shows (he also occasionally substituted for David Hartman
on Good Morning America
). His first hosting job came on the Ron Greenberg
-produced hard quiz The Big Showdown
, which ran on ABC from December 1974 through the following July. His next game show was the unusual Hot Seat
, also on ABC, but only for 15 weeks — from July 12 to October 22, 1976. This show centered around an oversized lie detector
that was used to measure a husband's or wife's responses to personal questions. Peck's last ABC game came in 1977 as Second Chance
(the forerunner of the '80s
game show Press Your Luck
). This show fared not much better than his previous effort; it lasted just four months.
classic word game You Don't Say!
(originally hosted by Tom Kennedy in its first two incarnations); it lasted just thirteen weeks. He later hosted the infamous Chuck Barris
game show Three's a Crowd
, which asked the question, "Who knows a man better, his wife or his secretary?" It was also short-lived, lasting from September 17, 1979 to February 1, 1980. He stayed away from hosting jobs for a while; his last game show hosting job being a substitute role for Jack Barry, and later Bill Cullen
, on the syndicated quiz The Joker's Wild
. Peck in fact was groomed by Barry and producer Ron Greenberg
to take over the series in 1984; however, Barry died suddenly of cardiac arrest in 1984, and Dan Enright
, who took over as CEO of Barry & Enright, chose Cullen to host (over Peck, who was not much favored to take over full-time).
, often whispering through the proceedings of the case.
One of Peck's last jobs before leaving national television was as host of the annual Drum Corps International (DCI) competitions, seen on PBS.
, as a fund-raiser; hosts I Remember (formerly called I Remember Milwaukee
), a series revolving around the history of Wisconsin's largest city on PBS
station WMVS
(Channel 10); and hosts the Saturday edition of Wisconsin's Morning News on WTMJ-AM
(620) http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=475807.
Jim recently resurfaced on national television doing commercials for the AARP
/Walgreens
discount card.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television and radio personality based in Milwaukee and is perhaps best known for his time as a game show host.
Early career
He got his start in the form of a contract with ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
to host three game shows (he also occasionally substituted for David Hartman
David Hartman (TV personality)
David Downs Hartman is an American journalist and media host who began his media career as an actor. He currently anchors and hosts documentary programs on cable TV's History and on PBS. Hartman is best known as the first host of ABC's Good Morning America, from 1975 to 1987. As an actor, he...
on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
). His first hosting job came on the Ron Greenberg
Ron Greenberg
Ron Greenberg is an American television game show producer who worked on numerous successful network and syndicated programs of that genre from the 1960s through the 1990s...
-produced hard quiz The Big Showdown
The Big Showdown
The Big Showdown is a game show that aired on the ABC television network from December 23, 1974 to July 4, 1975. Jim Peck, making his national television debut, was host with Dan Daniel, then a disc jockey on New York City's WHN radio, as announcer....
, which ran on ABC from December 1974 through the following July. His next game show was the unusual Hot Seat
Hot Seat (game show)
Hot Seat is an American game show which aired on ABC from July 12 to October 22, 1976. The series was created by Heatter-Quigley Productions, which at this point were best known for creating Gambit and The Hollywood Squares....
, also on ABC, but only for 15 weeks — from July 12 to October 22, 1976. This show centered around an oversized lie detector
Lie Detector
"Lie Detector" is a CD single by The Reverend Horton Heat. It was released in October 1998 on Sub Pop.-Personnel:*Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath - lead vocals, guitar*Jimbo Wallace - upright bass, vocals*Scott Churilla - drums, vocals...
that was used to measure a husband's or wife's responses to personal questions. Peck's last ABC game came in 1977 as Second Chance
Second Chance (game show)
Second Chance is an American game show that ran from March 7 to July 15, 1977 on ABC. Jim Peck hosted, with Jay Stewart and Jack Clark serving as announcers....
(the forerunner of the '80s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
game show Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck
Press Your Luck is an American television daytime game show created by Bill Carruthers and Jan McCormack. It premiered on September 19, 1983 on CBS and ended on September 26, 1986. In the show, contestants collected "spins" by answering trivia questions and then used the spins on an 18-space game...
). This show fared not much better than his previous effort; it lasted just four months.
Later career
After his contract with ABC expired, he was tapped to host a revival of the '60s1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
classic word game You Don't Say!
You Don't Say!
You Don't Say! is an American television game show that had three separate runs on television. The first version aired on NBC daytime from April 1, 1963 to September 26, 1969 with revivals on ABC in 1975 and in syndication from 1978-1979...
(originally hosted by Tom Kennedy in its first two incarnations); it lasted just thirteen weeks. He later hosted the infamous Chuck Barris
Chuck Barris
Charles Hirsch "Chuck" Barris is an American game show producer, film director and presenter best known for hosting The Gong Show and creating The Dating Game. Barris, a survivor of lung cancer, is also an author and claims to have worked for the CIA.-Early career:Barris was born in Oakland, New...
game show Three's a Crowd
Three's a Crowd (game show)
Three's a Crowd was an American game show originally packaged by Chuck Barris Productions. The first version aired in syndication from September 17, 1979 to February 1, 1980...
, which asked the question, "Who knows a man better, his wife or his secretary?" It was also short-lived, lasting from September 17, 1979 to February 1, 1980. He stayed away from hosting jobs for a while; his last game show hosting job being a substitute role for Jack Barry, and later Bill Cullen
Bill Cullen
William Lawrence Francis "Bill" Cullen was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades...
, on the syndicated quiz The Joker's Wild
The Joker's Wild
The Joker's Wild is an American television game show that aired at different times during the 1970s through the 1990s. Contestants answered questions based on categories that were determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a slot machine....
. Peck in fact was groomed by Barry and producer Ron Greenberg
Ron Greenberg
Ron Greenberg is an American television game show producer who worked on numerous successful network and syndicated programs of that genre from the 1960s through the 1990s...
to take over the series in 1984; however, Barry died suddenly of cardiac arrest in 1984, and Dan Enright
Dan Enright
Daniel "Dan" Enright was one of the most successful game show producers in American television. Enright worked with Jack Barry from the 1940s until Barry's death in 1984. They were partners in creating programs for radio and television...
, who took over as CEO of Barry & Enright, chose Cullen to host (over Peck, who was not much favored to take over full-time).
Other work
From 1985–1992, he played the courtroom reporter and announcer on the William B. Keene version of Divorce CourtDivorce Court
Divorce Court is a judge show about cases which only involve divorcing couples. Out of the shows currently airing in the court-themed genre, Divorce Court is the oldest...
, often whispering through the proceedings of the case.
One of Peck's last jobs before leaving national television was as host of the annual Drum Corps International (DCI) competitions, seen on PBS.
Current
He is now working in Public Relations for his alma mater, Marquette UniversityMarquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
, as a fund-raiser; hosts I Remember (formerly called I Remember Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
), a series revolving around the history of Wisconsin's largest city on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
station WMVS
WMVS
WMVS is a public television station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its signal covers most of southeastern Wisconsin, including the cities of Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan, and Waukesha....
(Channel 10); and hosts the Saturday edition of Wisconsin's Morning News on WTMJ-AM
WTMJ (AM)
WTMJ is a radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin broadcasting at 620 AM. It is a 50,000-watt station airing a format of news, talk and sports. WTMJ is owned by Journal Broadcast Group, which also owns the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and sister station WLWK-FM....
(620) http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=475807.
Jim recently resurfaced on national television doing commercials for the AARP
AARP
AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is the United States-based non-governmental organization and interest group, founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD, a retired educator from California, and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, it is "a...
/Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
discount card.