Reg Grundy started in radio as a sportscaster and segued into hosting game shows on both radio and TV, eventually becoming a producer (often illegally copying the formats of American series after visits to the U.S. where he copied down the formats he liked while watching TV in his hotel room). When the American producers started cracking down, he legally licensed the formats and brought to Australia among many others "Family Feud," "Wheel of Fortune" and "Match Game" (titled "Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks," it was a grand comeback for the irreverent late-night host called the "King of TV" who had been fired by the Nine Network for statements made on the air, although Grundy had to promise to what was then known as the 0/10 Network that the show would be taped instead of live). In 1980, Mr. Grundy bought all rights to the U.S. format "Sale of the Century" and extensively revamped the show for a run of over two decades in Australia, seven years on NBC daytime in the U.S. and successful runs in many other countries. He also produced scripted shows, mostly soaps, including the controversial-for-its-time "Prisoner: Cell Block H" (which had a briefly successful run in U.S. syndication in 1980) and the 31-year-old "Neighbours," a smash in Australia and the UK but never a hit here (boasting among its alumna Kylie Minogue, Russell Crowe, the Hemsworth brothers and Margot Robbie without a bubble bath):
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36222958 In 1995, Mr. Grundy sold his company, which by then had branches in the U.S., UK, France and Germany, to the forerunner of the current FremantleMedia, which continues to produce "Neighbours," "Feud" and a big-budget premium channel reboot of "Prisoner" called "Wentworth" (which is seen in the U.S. on Netflix). He died in his retirement home in Bermuda with his wife of 45 years (who he first met when she auditioned for the panel of his version of "I've Got a Secret"). -- -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
