HSN cancels Style Report

HSN has cancelled Style Report with Diana Perkovic about thirteen days before Christmas. Diana Perkovic, the regular host, was a good host of the show with Amy Morrison and Colleen Lopez filling in for her on occasion.

Someday, HSN would revive Style Report with a different host instead of Diana.

Bill Rafferty dies of congestive heart failure at 68

Earlier in my summer vacation, there was a death in the game show family when original Family Feud host Richard Dawson died in June at 79 years old. Now we have another death in the game show family as Bill Rafferty died today of congestive heart failure at 68 years old. Rafferty hosted Every Second Counts, which lasted one season from 1984 to '85, the syndicated 1986 series of Card Sharks, and the 1987 revival of Blockbusters. Rich Jeffries, who announced on the '87 revival of Blockbusters with Rafferty as host, died of pulmonary fibrosis at the end of March at 73 years old.

Richard Dawson dies of esophageal cancer at 79

I was trying my best in my senior year of high school, but if I'm failing, I'm currently taking a break from high school, and summer vacation is upon the other teenagers who go to my high school. As my summer vacation continues, there's yet another death in the game show family this year, as game show fans may have learned that Richard Dawson had died of esophageal cancer today at 79 years old. Dawson's real name was Colin Emm, and he was born in November 1932. Dawson hosted the original Family Feud on ABC daytime from 1976 to 1985 and in syndication from 1977 to 1985. 

Bob Stewart dies at 91 just weeks after Dick Clark

Dude, is this for real? I feel like I'm in some weird, never-ending sad movie. Just a couple of weeks ago, it was Dick Clark. And now, I just found out that Bob Stewart, the creator of Pyramid and like a bunch of other classic game shows, died. He was 91 years old. Ninety-one! That's insane.

I'm sitting here, trying to get through my last month of senior year at Hudson High—you know, home of the Cobras, rocking the red and gold—and it's like every time I turn on the news, another legend from the game show world is gone. It's a total gut punch, honestly. Especially right after Dick Clark. It feels like the universe is trying to tell me something, and it's not good.

For me, this is a legit big deal. I've always been super into old game shows. It's my thing, you know? With my hydrocephalus and the VP shunt and everything, it's just this world that makes sense to me. It's structured and fun, and there are rules, and people win. And Bob Stewart was the guy who literally created that world for so many people. He wasn't just some producer. He was a legit genius.

Think about it: he created The Price Is Right! The original one with Bill Cullen, not even the Bob Barker version. He came up with that. And he created To Tell the Truth and Password. Those are some of the most iconic, legit shows of all time. But for me, it was always about Pyramid. The $10,000 Pyramid, the $20,000 Pyramid... it's just the best game show ever. The way it's set up, with the celebrities and the clues, it's just so brilliant and simple at the same time. He was the one who came up with that. He created that magic.

It's just crazy to me that a guy who created so much fun and excitement is gone. I mean, he was 91, so I know he had a full life. But it's just so soon after Dick Clark. It feels like we're losing all of the legends all at once. It's like the end of an era. The last month of high school is already a mess. I'm stressing about my final exams, I have like a million essays to write, and I'm just trying to get to graduation without completely losing it.

Senior year has been a grind, for real. I've been dealing with a lot, and sometimes I feel like I'm just getting by. So I'd turn on GSN, and it'd be like my escape. I could just zone out and watch these amazing shows that Bob Stewart created. It's like a comfort thing, you know? It's a world where things make sense.

I've been thinking about this a lot since Dick Clark died. It's like, these guys were so influential, and they literally shaped television and pop culture for decades. And now they're gone. It's a reminder that even the people who seem like they'll be around forever, won't. It's so sad, but also, I don't know, it makes me appreciate what they did even more.

I think I'm gonna go watch some old episodes of Pyramid. The ones with Bill Cullen and the crazy celebrity teams. It just feels right. It's a way to remember him and all the amazing things he did. It's not just a bunch of old shows. It's a legacy. A legit legacy. Rest in peace, Bob Stewart. Thanks for all the laughs and all the words.

Dick Clark dies of a heart attack at 82

I'm totally in shock right now. Like, I just heard on the news that Dick Clark died. He was 82. Eighty-two! It's kind of crazy to think about, because he was always just… there. He was that one celebrity who seemed like he would live forever. I'm just sitting here, trying to get through my last month of senior year at Hudson High, home of the Cobras, and now this. It's so weird. It feels like a piece of history is gone.

I know most of my friends probably don't get it. They're all like, "who's Dick Clark?" and I'm like, "dude, he's only the guy who hosted American Bandstand and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve!" But for me, it's more than that. He was a legit part of so many things I grew up watching. I mean, my parents watched him, and my grandparents watched him. He was on TV for like, a million years. It just feels like a whole era is over.

It's funny, because even though I'm a huge game show fan, Dick Clark was a legit part of that world, too. He produced so many great ones. Like, Pyramid. The $10,000 Pyramid, the $20,000 Pyramid, the $25,000 Pyramid... I've watched so many versions of that show, and he was the one who made it happen. He was a genius at coming up with simple, fun games that people would get addicted to. He had such a chill presence on TV, even when he was just producing.

And then there's The $100,000 Pyramid! I've seen so many clips of that show. He was always so good with the contestants, making them feel at ease. He wasn't just some boring host reading cue cards. He actually seemed like he cared. He made it seem like it was so easy to win. I know that's part of the fun of game shows, but he was just so good at it.

It's just crazy to think about how all this is happening while I'm trying to finish up high school. I'm so over it, honestly. Senior year has been a total grind. With all my hydrocephalus stuff, and the VP shunt, and just trying to keep up with everything, it's been a lot. I just want to get to graduation. I'm so done with the school drama and all the group projects. I just want to be done.

And then this happens. It's a total reminder of how much time has passed. Like, my parents were teenagers when Dick Clark was hosting American Bandstand. And he just kept going. He was on TV even after he had his stroke. He was so legit. He was so determined to keep going. I always admired that. It's like, no matter what happened, he was going to be there for New Year's Eve, counting us down.

I feel like a lot of people just don't appreciate how big of a deal he was. He literally shaped music and pop culture for decades. He gave so many artists their first break. He was the guy who told everyone it was okay to dance on TV. He was the voice of the baby boomer generation, and then the next generation, and the next. He was just always there.

I don't know, maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but it's a huge deal to me. It's like a part of my childhood is gone, even though I didn't grow up with him in the same way my parents did. He was just always there, in the background, a part of the soundtrack of our lives.

I think I'm gonna go watch some old episodes of Pyramid. Maybe it'll make me feel a little better. Or maybe I'll just be even more sad. Either way, it's better than doing this stupid chemistry homework right now. Rest in peace, Dick Clark. Thanks for everything. You were the real deal.

Rich Jeffries dies of pulmonary fibrosis at 73

I'm totally floored right now. Like, I just found out that Rich Jeffries, an old-school game show announcer, died today. He was 73, which is a good run, I guess, but it's still so sad. It just feels… weird. I'm sitting here, trying to get through my senior year at Hudson High—you know, home of the Cobras, rocking the red and gold—and then I get this news. It’s a total reality check, honestly.

I know most of the people I go to school with probably have no clue who he even is. They’re all about prom, what college they're going to, and just counting down the days until graduation. I’m right there with them, don’t get me wrong. I’m so ready to be done with senior year, with all the drama and the crazy deadlines. But for me, this is different. It’s like a little piece of my world just got a lot quieter.

It's hard to explain to people who don't get it, but because of my hydrocephalus and all the stuff that comes with having a VP shunt and being on the spectrum, I've always been super into things that were a little outside the mainstream. Old game shows were my thing. They were like this whole other world I could escape to, and Rich Jeffries was everywhere in that world. He wasn’t a huge star like Johnny Olson or Gene Wood, but he was one of those reliable, go-to guys who just made everything sound legit.

I remember watching him on Password Plus. He filled in for Gene Wood a couple of times, I think for three weeks in January of '81 and then again that spring. His voice was just so clean and professional, but still had that game show flair. He could be on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, then you’d hear him on The Price Is Right as a fill-in. It was like he was part of the crew, even if he wasn't the main guy.

And don’t even get me started on Super Password. He was the first announcer on that show. I always thought that was so cool. He only did it for the first nine weeks before Gene Wood took over, but I've seen those early episodes. His voice was just perfect for it, building up the tension and the excitement. It’s a shame he wasn’t on it for longer, but those first few weeks are a legit piece of game show history. He even filled in for Bob Hilton on Blockbusters for the last two weeks of its run in ’82. He was just that guy who was always there when they needed him.

It’s just so crazy to think about all of this while I'm also dealing with my own life. Like, I’m supposed to be freaking out about my final exams and trying to figure out what to do after I graduate. I’ve been working on my senior project forever, and I just want to finish strong. The whole senior-itis thing is a real struggle. I just want to be done with high school. It's been a long road, especially with all the doctor appointments and stuff. Sometimes I just feel like I'm trying to get to the end of the semester without falling apart.

And then this news hits me. It's like a reminder that even though my life feels like it's going at a million miles an hour, things are still ending. Rich Jeffries was born in '38, which is legit forever ago. He was a voice that I’ve heard so many times, and now that voice is gone. It's just so sad and unexpected.

Maybe I'm being super dramatic, but for me, this is a big deal. It’s a connection to a whole other time and place that has always made sense to me. A place where a voice could make you feel excited about a contestant winning a car, or just about playing a game. He was a part of that.

I think I'm gonna go and watch some more clips of him. Maybe it'll help me feel a little better, or maybe it'll just make me feel more nostalgic. Either way, it's a better use of my time than doing this stupid English paper right now. Rest in peace, Rich Jeffries. Thanks for all the memories and for being a part of the soundtrack of my life. You were a legend.