With Bob Barker’s passing and Pat Sajak set to retire, the stage is set for Ryan Seacrest to lead the new generation of game show hosts when he takes over “Wheel of Fortune” in 2024.
The road to Seacrest’s rise is paved with icons who helped establish the game show genre on television and became pop culture mainstays before he ever set foot on the “American Idol” stage.
The legacies of Barker, Sajak, Alex Trebek, Regis Philbin, Dick Clark and more shaped hosting into an art form, along with Seacrest’s soon-to-be contemporary Drew Carey, who took over “The Price is Right” over 15 years ago.
Here’s a look back at the hosts who made their respective game shows an indelible part of the pop culture landscape.
DREW CAREY, ADAM SANDLER LEAD STARS PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE LATE BOB BARKER: ‘AMERICAN TREASURE’
Barker began his career in radio in 1956 when producer Ralph Edwards invited him to audition as the new host of “Truth or Consequences,” a game show in which audience members had to do wacky stunts.
After hosting “Truth or Consequences” for 18 years, he went to work on a resurrected version of “The Price is Right” in 1972. Barker helmed the show for the next 35 years and became a daytime television mainstay, signing off with his signature catchphrase reminding viewers to “have your pets spayed or neutered.”
Barker retired in 2007, and the reins were handed over to Drew Carey.
“I thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me into your home for more than 50 years,” the iconic host Barker said to the studio audience during his final episode.
In 2021, Barker reflected on his legacy with the show in an interview with People, at first joking, “I’m often asked what I loved most about my years with ‘Price,’ and the first thing that pops to mind is… the money, of course!”
“All kidding aside, there was much to love,” Barker continued. “I had the pleasure of working with a dedicated and talented cast and crew for 35 great years. Particularly close to my heart was the ability our vast popularity gave me to remind our entire audience daily about the importance of spaying and neutering your pets.”
Pat Sajak began hosting “Wheel of Fortune” in 1981, taking over the show from another game show legend, Chuck Woolery, after getting his start as a radio host and weather reporter.
Sajak, along with co-host Vanna White, have led the show for the past 40 years, and Sajak has become the longest-running host of any game show, surpassing Barker.
In addition to his work on “Wheel,” Sajak also hosted a short-lived late night talk show on CBS, “The Pat Sajak Show” from 1989 to 1990, and often filled in on “Live with Regis and Kelly” (before Seacrest took over full-time in 2017).
Earlier this year, Sajak announced his retirement after decades as host of “Wheel.”
“Well, the time has come,” he wrote in June. “I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last.”
He added, “It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all. (If nothing else, it’ll keep the clickbait sites busy!)”
Speculation ran rampant about who would replace him, with Seacrest being an early front-runner, and not long after, the 48-year-old was formally declared Sajak’s successor.
“I’m truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak,” Seacrest said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “I can say, along with the rest of America, that it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
Sajak later wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “I’m looking forward to my final season starting this fall, and then handing over the car keys to Ryan Seacrest in September of 2024.”
Alex Trebek wasn’t the first host of “Jeopardy!,” but he became synonymous with the game show after hosting the show for nearly 40 years, beginning in 1984.
Before that, Trebek began his career in broadcasting in his native Canada, working as a radio broadcaster covering sports for CBC Radio and CBC Television.
He began his American hosting career in 1973, when he was selected to host the game show “The Wizard of Odds.” After a handful of other series for various networks, Trebek took over hosting “Jeopardy” from Art Fleming.
The star imbued the show with a steady and knowledgeable voice, reminding contestants to answer in the form of a question, and helped popularize the trivia game show format.
Trebek remained with the show until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2020, passing away only days after taping his final episodes that year.
Replacing Trebek proved to be a difficult task, and after a series of celebrity hosts and a controversial move by then-executive producer Mike Richards to place himself as host, the show settled on former champion Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik to become rotating hosts.
Currently, Jennings is hosting the show solo as Bialik sits out due to the ongoing writers’ strike in Hollywood.
Regis Philbin was already a well-known daytime talk show host, having been on “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee” for years before he began hosting “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” in 1999.
Philbin helped make the series iconic with his energy and memorable delivery of “Is that your final answer?” turning the phrase into a pop culture legacy.
The host even set a fashion trend with his monochromatic shirt and suit combos on set, and put out a line of shirts and ties to match the look.
“You wait a lifetime for something like that and sometimes it never happens,” Philbin told The AP in 1999.
Though his tenure was short-lived, and many others have handled hosting the show, Philbin is still closely associated with “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” to this day.
JIMMY KIMMEL PAYS TRIBUTE TO REGIS PHILBIN AHEAD OF ‘WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?’ PREMIERE
Dick Clark hosted a variety of programs over his legendary career, including “American Bandstand,” his annual “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” specials, and The American Music Awards, as well as producing behind the scenes on a bevy of television shows.
In the game show genre, Clark begin hosting “The Object Is” in 1963 before becoming the first host of “The $10,000 Pyramid” in 1973.
He held the position as host for the next 15 years, on top of his other work, setting the mold for the similarly busy Seacrest, who at one point was hosting “American Idol,” “Live with Kelly and Ryan” and “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” as well as producing shows for E! behind the scenes, like “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”
Seacrest considered Clark a mentor, and even helped with hosting duties on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” after Clark suffered a stroke in 2004, and eventually took over full-time in 2012 after Clark passed away.
Reflecting on his mentorship, Seacrest told The Hollywood Reporter Clark advised him to “look beyond the camera.”
“He passed this advice on to me, and I haven’t looked back. I love being a radio and TV host. But I also love being part of the business in a meaningful way, as it gives you more choices,” Seacrest told the outlet. “Being a producer has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. And I will never forget being a producer alongside Dick – that was a dream come true.”
LARRY KING: ‘THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER DICK CLARK’
Monty Hall was not only the host of the long-running game show “Let’s Make a Deal,” but he was also the show’s co-creator with Stefan Hatos.
The show debuted in 1963, and featured people dressed in wild costumes and trying to swap for better prizes behind doors or curtains.
Hall helped make the question “Do you want Door No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3?” become a popular catchphrase, as well as the chance of winning “a brand-new car!” a matter of urgency.
Contestants were often excitable, something Hall handled with ease.
“I’m a people person,” he said on the PBS documentary series “Pioneers of Television.” “And so I don’t care if they jump on me, and I don’t care if they yell and they fainted — those are my people.”
Hall passed away in 2017 at the age of 96.
The show had several iterations over the years with different hosts, most recently Wayne Brady, who has been the host since its re-launch in 2009.
WAYNE BRADY ON RELAUNCH OF ‘LET’S MAKE A DEAL:’ ‘IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT’
Richard Dawson made a name for himself first as a star of the 1960s comedy “Hogan’s Heroes” before becoming the first and one of the most memorable hosts of “Family Feud,” which is currently helmed by Steve Harvey.
During his tenure on the show, which had its initial run from 1976 to 1985, Dawson was quick-witted and infamous for kissing every female contestant that competed.
STEVE HARVEY SHUTS DOWN CLAIM HIS WIFE CHEATED ON HIM
Executive producer Howard Felsher once estimated that Dawson had kissed “somewhere in the vicinity of 20,000.”
“I kissed them for luck and love, that’s all,” Dawson said at the time.
The British-born star was also able to use his game show host persona in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film “The Running Man,” playing the host of a deadly TV show set in a dystopian future.
Dawson passed away in 2012 at age 79.
Drew Carey and Seacrest are set to be contemporaries when the latter takes over “Wheel of Fortune” hosting duties from Sajak next year.
Carey knows something about taking over an iconic legacy as the current host of “The Price is Right.”
The late Barker retired back in 2007 and left big shoes for the comedian to fill when he was selected as the full-time replacement.
Before Carey was invited to host, he was semiretired from television after a successful nine-year run with his ABC sitcom, “The Drew Carey Show.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Carey was understandably reluctant to take over for the icon, telling CBS News he initially turned down the offer.
“If you think I’m going to sit at ‘The Price Is Right’ so everybody can take potshots at me, forget it,” he said at the time.
However, after speaking with friends and advisers, the comedian agreed to take the job and has been hosting the show ever since, and even maintained Barker’s famous “Have your pets spayed or neutered” sign-off.
“It’s a tradition,” Carey told CBS News in 2007. “It’s been here all this time. I don’t want to get rid of that.”
