TV legend Jack Narz passed this morning at the age of 85 after suffering two massive strokes in the last three weeks. Narz was a fixture of early television, primarily as a game show host but also as an announcer and actor. His career went back to the first episode of the Superman TV series (the George Reeves one) where he served as narrator, and to the early science-fiction TV series, Space Patrol. He achieved greater fame as the on-camera announcer of the early situation comedy, Life with Elizabeth (1952) starring Betty White.
But it was the game shows for which he was best known, starting with Dotto in 1958. Dotto was an enormously popular series, broadcast in daytime and nighttime versions, up until the revelation that it was rigged. The famed Quiz Show Scandals pretty much started with this disclosure and Dotto was hastily axed. But the outrage did not touch Narz, who soon rebounded as the host of Top Dollar, followed shortly by Video Village and Seven Keys. Among the others shows he hosted were Concentration and Now You See It. He also worked as an announcer, panelist and/or producer on a dozen more shows, mostly for the Goodson-Todman company. (It was apparently a family thing. His brother, Tom Kennedy, also hosted a pretty impressive list of game shows over the years.)
Narz was extremely active in charitable causes over the years. I met him maybe a half-dozen times and he was a delightful source of anecdotes and information on television. He knew everyone. He'd worked with everyone. He seemed to get along well with everyone. A lot of folks will be very sad to hear that we've lost him.
Back in April of '07, Jack was a guest on Stu's Show, that great Internet radio show I'm forever plugging on this site. Item before last, I told you to listen in today when Stu Shostak interviews Tom Hatten and Jimmy Weldon at 4 PM Pacific. Now, I'll suggest you TiVo or tape the final Presidential Debate this evening and remain tuned to Shokus Internet Radio. Right after he interviews Hatten and Weldon live, Stu is going to replay his two-hour conversation with Jack Narz. One of the folks you'll hear calling in to praise Mr. Narz is me. (And if you want to watch Obama and McCain duke it out live, then you can hear the Narz interview tomorrow night in the same time slot — 6 PM 'til 8 PM Pacific.)