Tony Barber
Encyclopedia
Anthony "Tony" Ferraro Barber (born 28 March 1940 in Oldham
, Lancashire
, England
) is an Australia
n game show
host and television personality.
in 1947 and was schooled by the Sisters of Mercy and the Christian Brothers
.
He then spent seven years in the Royal Australian Navy
before leaving the service and getting his teeth into his career as a cadet announcer at radio
station 6GE in Geraldton
in 1961. In his own words:
By the end of 1962, Barber was a leading Perth
radio
announcer as well as the star of a weekly floor show at
the Charles Hotel as well as another twice-weekly event at the Lido Coral Room where he performed impressions of Johnny Mathis
and Paul Anka
. Before leaving Western Australia
for New South Wales
he also starred in a number of plays with the Scarborough
players.
Having moved to Sydney, Tony continued to pursue his dreams at numerous Hotel talent quest
s, a regular role as resident compere
and vocalist at the Spellsons nitery in Pitt St. This was in addition to holding down a regular job as an advertising executive, where at one point he cast himself as the “Cambridge Whistler”, a central character in a 1960's cigarette
commercial
which brought him under national scrutiny. It was at this point that then head of the Seven Network
Bruce Gyngell
spotted Barber and was understood to have liked what he saw, and immediately suggested that he host a Grundy
show.
, his origins in television date back to the 1970s where he hosted the then popular Seven Network
game show
, Great Temptation. Presented with co-host Barbie Rogers, the show was successful enough for the network that both daytime and prime time editions of the show were screened. The show only faltered when in 1974, Seven decided to move the show from its 7pm timeslot to the later 8.30pm timeslot in an effort to drag viewers away from the then popular series Number 96
screening on 0-10 Network's
. Number 96 won the ratings battle and Great Temptation aired its last show in 1975. Barber then hosted the Australia
n version of Family Feud
from 1977 until 1979.
In 1980, The Grundy Organisation
under the advice of founder and producer Reg Grundy
decided to revive the Great Temptation format using the original international title, Sale of the Century
. Screened nationally on the Nine Network
, Barber hosted the show from 1980 to 1991. Barber's hostesses during his time as host were Victoria Nicholls
(1980–1982), Delvene Delaney
(1982–1986) and Alyce Platt
(1986–1991). Barber left the show in 1991; Platt left at the same time. Host Glenn Ridge
and co-host Jo Bailey
took over.
In 1993, Barber went on to host the short-lived Australian version of Jeopardy!
(Network Ten
). It has been said that its failure was partly due to placing it in the 5pm timeslot against high-rating news bulletins of the day.
After Jeopardy, he succeeded John Burgess
as host of Wheel of Fortune (Seven Network
) in July 1996 following the show's relocation from Adelaide to Sydney as part of an attempted revamp. He began his tenure amid much controversy and dealing with the fact that viewers did not appreciate that Burgess was not given a chance to say his goodbyes on air. While the show retained many of its well-known sounds, a new format along with new theme music, new graphics and a new set was made for the show. As a result the ratings quickly declined affecting ratings for Seven News and Today Tonight. As part of an attempt to try and win viewers back, the theme music that had been introduced the previous year was reinstated, the new set underwent minor changes and the former prize shop was reincarnated to an extent - contestants upon solving a puzzle were offered three prizes and one had to be selected. By the end of 1996, Barber was removed from the position of host by the Seven Network after the show was in a position where it was nearly cancelled. Alongside this, co-host Adriana Xenides
(who until this time had not missed an episode during the Wheel's tenure) as a result of the public backlash began to suffer from depression and what she called a physical breakdown in November 1996. She would remain on leave from the show until July 1997. Barber appeared at the beginning of the 1997 series premiere to hand the show over to Rob Elliott
. Former Perfect Match hostess Kerrie Friend would fill in for Xenides until July of that year.
During his time on TV, Tony estimates that he has hosted over 8,500 individual episodes of successful Grundy Games.
Currently he hosts a small competition on the Australian Cable TV network Foxtel
seven nights a week called TV1's Cash Trivia Challenge which he has been doing for the last few years.
On 14 March 2007, Barber returned to his roots making an appearance as Guest Host on Temptation alongside his former co-host Alyce Platt
during the Battle of the Network Shows series. Regular hosts of the show Ed Phillips
and Livinia Nixon
were appearing as contestants.
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
host and television personality.
Early life
Born in 1940, Tony claims he "owes much of his enthusiastic and driving personality to a loving Irish grandma and a whole street full of Aunties who kept the spirits high during the dark years of World War 2". He moved with his family to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1947 and was schooled by the Sisters of Mercy and the Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
.
He then spent seven years in the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
before leaving the service and getting his teeth into his career as a cadet announcer at radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station 6GE in Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
in 1961. In his own words:
“The sisters of so-called mercy taught me to sing & dance,the brothers taught me to bob & weave.The navy taught me to play rugby,”
By the end of 1962, Barber was a leading Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
announcer as well as the star of a weekly floor show at
the Charles Hotel as well as another twice-weekly event at the Lido Coral Room where he performed impressions of Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
and Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
. Before leaving Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
for New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
he also starred in a number of plays with the Scarborough
Scarborough, Western Australia
Scarborough is a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located approximately 14 km northwest of the city centre in the local government area of the City of Stirling...
players.
Having moved to Sydney, Tony continued to pursue his dreams at numerous Hotel talent quest
Talent Quest
Talent Quest is an organization which organizes a singing contest which is conducted in the United States. Singers perform songs with karaoke background music tracks, and are judged by vocal ability, stage presence, and presentation/appearance...
s, a regular role as resident compere
Compere
Compère can refer to:* Loyset Compère, a French composer of the Renaissance* Louis Fursy Henri Compere , a French general in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
and vocalist at the Spellsons nitery in Pitt St. This was in addition to holding down a regular job as an advertising executive, where at one point he cast himself as the “Cambridge Whistler”, a central character in a 1960's cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
commercial
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
which brought him under national scrutiny. It was at this point that then head of the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
Bruce Gyngell
Bruce Gyngell
Bruce Gyngell was a hugely influential Australian television executive, prominent for 50 years in both Australian and U.K. television. Although Gyngell began his career in radio, in the 1950s he stepped into the arena of early television broadcasting, helping to set up Channel 9, the first...
spotted Barber and was understood to have liked what he saw, and immediately suggested that he host a Grundy
Reg Grundy Organisation
The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973...
show.
Media career
While Barber is more noted for his role as host of Sale of the CenturySale of the Century (Australian game show)
$ale of the Century was an Australian game show that aired on the Nine Network from 14 July 1980 – 29 November 2001. Tony Barber hosted an early version of Sale of the Century under the title of Temptation from 1970–1976, and was also the initial host of Sale, replaced by Glenn Ridge in 1991...
, his origins in television date back to the 1970s where he hosted the then popular Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
, Great Temptation. Presented with co-host Barbie Rogers, the show was successful enough for the network that both daytime and prime time editions of the show were screened. The show only faltered when in 1974, Seven decided to move the show from its 7pm timeslot to the later 8.30pm timeslot in an effort to drag viewers away from the then popular series Number 96
Number 96 (TV series)
Number 96 was a popular Australian soap opera set in a Sydney apartment block. Don Cash and Bill Harmon produced the series for Network Ten, which requested a Coronation Street-type serial, and specifically one that explored adult subjects...
screening on 0-10 Network's
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
. Number 96 won the ratings battle and Great Temptation aired its last show in 1975. Barber then hosted the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n version of Family Feud
Family Feud (1977-1996 Australian game show)
For information on the most recent Australian version, see Bert's Family Feud.Family Feud was an Australian game show based on the American show of the same name. It ran on the Nine Network from 1977-1984, and on the Seven Network from 1989-1996....
from 1977 until 1979.
In 1980, The Grundy Organisation
Reg Grundy Organisation
The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973...
under the advice of founder and producer Reg Grundy
Reg Grundy
Reginald Roy "Reg" Grundy, AC, OBE is one of the most successful Australian entrepreneurs, and media and television moguls of his generation.He was the only child born to Roy Grundy and Lillian Lees...
decided to revive the Great Temptation format using the original international title, Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century is a television game show format that has been screened in several countries in various incarnations since 1969. The show found its biggest success in Australia, where it aired weeknights from 1980 to 2001...
. Screened nationally on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, Barber hosted the show from 1980 to 1991. Barber's hostesses during his time as host were Victoria Nicholls
Victoria Nicholls
Victoria Nicholls is an Australian actress and television personality. Nicholls is well remembered by viewers for appearing in the Australian version of the game show Sale of the Century as a hostess from 1980 to 1982...
(1980–1982), Delvene Delaney
Delvene Delaney
Delvene Delaney is an Australian actress and television presenter.The beauty pageant winner found fame on Australian television in the 1970s, initially as a weather presenter on Brisbane television...
(1982–1986) and Alyce Platt
Alyce Platt
Alyce Platt is an Australian actress known for her roles in television soap operas, and as a television presenter.Her acting roles include Amanda Morrell in Sons and Daughters from 1983–1985, a guest role in the short-lived serial Family and Friends in 1990, and the on-going part of Jen Handley in...
(1986–1991). Barber left the show in 1991; Platt left at the same time. Host Glenn Ridge
Glenn Ridge
Glenn Daryl Ridge is an Australian television presenter and owner and managing director of the Q Media Group, a production company which produces television specials and documentaries....
and co-host Jo Bailey
Jo Bailey
Joanne Louise Silvagni is an Australian model and television personality.She was educated at Tintern Girls Grammar School, outside of Melbourne, and Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne...
took over.
In 1993, Barber went on to host the short-lived Australian version of Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
(Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
). It has been said that its failure was partly due to placing it in the 5pm timeslot against high-rating news bulletins of the day.
After Jeopardy, he succeeded John Burgess
John Burgess
For other persons named John Burgess, see John Burgess .John William Burgess was a pioneering American political scientist...
as host of Wheel of Fortune (Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
) in July 1996 following the show's relocation from Adelaide to Sydney as part of an attempted revamp. He began his tenure amid much controversy and dealing with the fact that viewers did not appreciate that Burgess was not given a chance to say his goodbyes on air. While the show retained many of its well-known sounds, a new format along with new theme music, new graphics and a new set was made for the show. As a result the ratings quickly declined affecting ratings for Seven News and Today Tonight. As part of an attempt to try and win viewers back, the theme music that had been introduced the previous year was reinstated, the new set underwent minor changes and the former prize shop was reincarnated to an extent - contestants upon solving a puzzle were offered three prizes and one had to be selected. By the end of 1996, Barber was removed from the position of host by the Seven Network after the show was in a position where it was nearly cancelled. Alongside this, co-host Adriana Xenides
Adriana Xenides
Adriana Xenides was an Australian television personality. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to a Greek father and a Spanish mother,...
(who until this time had not missed an episode during the Wheel's tenure) as a result of the public backlash began to suffer from depression and what she called a physical breakdown in November 1996. She would remain on leave from the show until July 1997. Barber appeared at the beginning of the 1997 series premiere to hand the show over to Rob Elliott
Rob Elliott
Rob Elliott is a popular Australian radio announcer and television show host, best known for hosting Wheel of Fortune.-Television Career:...
. Former Perfect Match hostess Kerrie Friend would fill in for Xenides until July of that year.
During his time on TV, Tony estimates that he has hosted over 8,500 individual episodes of successful Grundy Games.
Currently he hosts a small competition on the Australian Cable TV network Foxtel
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
seven nights a week called TV1's Cash Trivia Challenge which he has been doing for the last few years.
On 14 March 2007, Barber returned to his roots making an appearance as Guest Host on Temptation alongside his former co-host Alyce Platt
Alyce Platt
Alyce Platt is an Australian actress known for her roles in television soap operas, and as a television presenter.Her acting roles include Amanda Morrell in Sons and Daughters from 1983–1985, a guest role in the short-lived serial Family and Friends in 1990, and the on-going part of Jen Handley in...
during the Battle of the Network Shows series. Regular hosts of the show Ed Phillips
Ed Phillips
Ed Phillips is an Australian Sydney-based television and radio presenter. He is probably best known for hosting the national game-show Temptation in the mid-2000's.-Career:...
and Livinia Nixon
Livinia Nixon
Livinia Nixon is an Australian television presenter and actress best known for her roles on the Nine Network as weather presenter on Nine News Melbourne and as co-host on the long running variety series Hey Hey It's Saturday....
were appearing as contestants.
Other Works
- In 2005, he also appeared on Good Morning AustraliaGood Morning AustraliaGood Morning Australia from Network Ten was the name of two different programs. This article is for Bert Newton's morning program, not to be confused with the breakfast news program of the same name....
during an InfomercialInfomercialInfomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
segment as a seller of Dick Wicks' Magnetic Underlay products. - Barber has released many records and cassettes over his career, including 'If you feel like Singing'.
- After being replaced as host of Sale of the Century by Glenn Ridge, Tony Barber appeared on the Australian version of The Late ShowThe Late Show (Australian TV series)The Late Show was a popular Australian comedy show, which ran for two seasons on ABC from 18 July 1992 to 30 October 1993.-Cast:The Late Show has its roots in the 1980s comedy group, The D-Generation...
and was on the 'spy' team that attempted to help Jane Kennedy to win on Sale of the Century's 1993 comedy special and failed. - Melbourne comedic rock duo Bamptonoid & Szabologist mention Barber in their 2008 demo 'Taking the piss'. Barber later sued for defamation.
Awards
- In 1973, Barber won the TV WEEKTV WeekTV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
Gold LogieGold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian TelevisionThe Gold Logie Award has been awarded annually to the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television at the TV Week Logie Awards since 1960...
.
See also
- Sale of the CenturySale of the CenturySale of the Century is a television game show format that has been screened in several countries in various incarnations since 1969. The show found its biggest success in Australia, where it aired weeknights from 1980 to 2001...
- Temptation (game show)
External links
Further reading
- Barber, Tony (2001) Who am I?, Random House. ISBN 978-1740510028