Hearing about Ray's downward spiral really got me emotional. I can't even begin to imagine what those closest to him were feeling seeing him so depressed. Also TBH, I think that Ray's remark about wanting the Bullseye board to land on him might have been a warning sign about how he was feeling, and might have even been a small cry for help.
It was definitely a cry for help. It becomes complicated when a guy like Ray cries for help because it's hard to tell when it's genuine or when it's just a throwaway comedic line.
When Ray hung himself in 96. There was a student in high school that did the same thing on the same day, because his girlfriend broke up with him. His name was Jamie . Rest easy Ray and Jamie. 🙏🏾🙏🏾💐💐
I met Ray Combs at a event in Cincinnati the Webn fireworks/River fest he had just became host of family feud.he was a kind sweet funny man.i got to talk to him for 5-10 minutes he was guest hosting for the t.v broadcast for the fireworks.. I asked him for his autograph which he was so kind to give me.r.ip Mr Combs...
I think anyone who does try to compare them directly is doing both of them a disservice because they occupied two completely different lanes. They were both funny and had sharp comedic timing but the similarities ended there. Richard was the suave, debonair Englishman who was a ladies' man. Ray was the Midwesterner who was married with a family.
I've always compared Dawson to Ray as an apples to oranges. They were just different types of host. Richard was a British gentleman and ray was the funny next door neighbor type of host. Both were unique and bright and fun and funny and charming and brought something special to the show
I was more of a Louie Anderson girl myself (no offense to Mr. Dawson and the memory of Mr. Combs whom were great in their own ways), but to each their own
Initially, Ray Combs was buried without a tombstone. Following Carson's generous contribution, he finally received one "as if he and colleagues would want it". He along with his parents and one of his brothers are together again in peace and yes, so is Johnny Carson, too.
Ray Combs was my favorite host growing up. Seeing just how fucked over he was nearly brought me to tears. Can't wait for the rest of this series, hope you make more videos in general.
If Ray hung in just a little bit longer, maybe he could’ve picked up another game show gig. I always wondered what if he’d hosted the night time version of the Price Is Right? I think he would’ve done a marvelous job.
He was certainly more animated, more feisty than Richard Dawson. To be frank, it's really difficult for me to pick which host I like better. Dawson was very good at what he did, which may explain why Family Feud ran for 9 seasons with him as the host
39:29 Gene Wood’s voice starts to crack a little bit. It’s obvious he cared for him a great deal. RIP Ray Combs. My personal favorite host. A victim of bad timing and upper management (Jonathan has expressed that one of his biggest regrets is firing Ray.)
@@DorvellTStewart Finally, when he realize the problem was not the host itself, it was all too late and it wasn't until 2010 the program become more exciting
It even sucks more that the 1990s was the time that many game shows were dying, with only The Price Is Right, Wheel Of Fortune, and Jeopardy! being the exceptions and still running strong to this day. It wasn't until about 1998 or 1999 that game shows started to regain their popularity again, thanks to the disappearance of many talk shows at the time.
I grew up with both Richard Dawson and Ray Combs on Family Feud. I remember when Ray used to bring his children on stage at the end of the show. I really felt bad for him when word got out he was being fired from his job. Network TV is a brutal business. Just look at how Richard Dawson was treated by Match Game when they brought the wheel on. He was pissed off and left the show. When Match game was canceled that sent Gene Rayburn into depression. Ray I know you are in a much better place but the world could use your comedy. RIP both Ray and Richard
The cancellation of MG ('7x/PM), along with Mark Goodson toying with the MG format with adding the Hollywood Squares element in the very failed MG/HS Hour, made Gene Rayburn very bitter in his attitude, and you can see it in the Richard S. Kline-produced version of "Break The Bank". When Mark Goodson Productions (now owned by FreeMantle) looked at bringing back a stand-alone Match Game (ultimately becoming the short-lived MG '90), they also looked at bringing back Rayburn as host, but those TV tabloid news mag programs mentioned Rayburn's age (he was in his 70s at that time), and as such, considerations to bring him back was dropped and eventually, Ross Shafer was tapped to host MG '90 that aired on ABC (which, of course, included a toyed around format as well; the MG '90 pilot was in essence the same as the Syndicated MG format with three questions + Star Wheel with Bert Convoy as host, which unfortunately he had to bow out of due to a brain tumor that sadly took his life, yet watching the pilot and keeping the old Syndicated format, would have given MG '90 a chance to last more than one season).
@@rwboa22 I always wondered if Rayburn was ever diagnosed with PTSD following the cancellation of MG - HS Hour since his final 15 years of his life were the saddest according to his family members.
Ray's mental health spiral reminds me of my own, one i was very lucky to escape from. Please if you are in that same situation, you are not alone, there are pepole who love and care for you, there are pepole who can help you, dont give into despair no matter how dark things are, they will get better. Take care of yourselves.
I remember when he showed up on the stand-up scene in the early 80's at the Improv and the Store. He was a very nice guy, and didn't struggle trying to find his stage persona like others because he kept his act extremely simple and likeable. We were jealous of him because we were trying to be real and organic, bringing our "baggage" on-stage and trying and make it funny, and he rose to the top with what we considered "fluff." Ironically, his turmoil as a person was even worse than the so-called "agnst" we brought on-stage. Watching his life in this episode it is very sad and tragic. Rest in Peace Ray.
It always seems like the people who act the goofiest or silliest outwardly often have the most internal pain. Chris Farley and Robin Williams were other prime examples of this.
Combs was a great host, and he really, REALLY loved his work, hosting Feud, and enjoyed being with people. I remember the show Family Challenge on the Family Channel he did for 1 season before his suicide. Tragic, tragic, tragic. :(
@@jenniferfields1084 his firing from Family Feud, plus the car accident, made everything go to hell in a hand basket for Ray Combs. Just the firing in itself was the catalyst for Ray's descent into mental health darkness and may have triggered symptoms consistent with bipolar disorder; the mania fueling his generosity to others.
I have to say your videos are very well done, informative and entertaining! I never really bothered to watch the Family Feud Challenge pilot until I saw your video which triggered my curiosity. I immediately checked it out after watching this. The second half of the show really emanated the vibes of the Japanese adaptation of Family Feud (Called “We Asked 100 People” which did very well-ran continuously from 1979-1992). The main game in Japan worked the same way for points out of 100. The winning family would get the points which would go into a bank at ¥500/point, with the last (5th) question being worth double points. Later in the run, the amount was increased to ¥700, then ¥1000. There wasn’t a Fast Money, instead they played something similar to the “second Bullseye” the FFC Pilot had. It was called “Travel Chance” and each family member was asked a different question and they had to get the most popular answers hidden inside Solari-flap panels-lo and behold on a drop-down prop covering the main game board. The scores they accrued amounted to how many people of the family would get a trip to Hawaii. If they collectively 120 points or more, then all 5 members win the trip. (100 points for 4 people, 80 points for 3, 70 points for 2, 60 points for 1, and 59 points or lower meant a bust). Interesting enough, the only Japanese influence that eventually made it (briefly) into the actual Combs version were the handheld “strike paddles” around ‘92. The Japanese version had used them to show visually to the audience that the family member didn’t give an answer on the survey. Luckily, that didn’t last very long here.
Ray Combs was the second best host of Family Feud. During his run the design of the set looked very good. Sadly the show always kind of struggled when it was on between 88-94. Towards the end of it's run they added bulls eye and some other stuff that took away from the show. I feel so bad for Ray Combs and he is remembered by many people in a positive way.
If you ask me, I think Mark Goodson’s death was the beginning of the end of Ray Combs as he began to feel the strong resentment among the show’s staff and was fired within the next year.
Ray Combs' sister said that in the True Hollywood Story about Family Feud. Mark Goodson was very loyal to Ray. But, that loyalty didn't come from a lot of his staff. After Mark Goodson's death, the staff had weren't loyal to Ray made it very difficult for him.
It's clear the effort you put into these, great mix of narration, clips and text explainations - makes it very pleasant to watch! Looking forward to part 3!
This is so sad on so many levels. Combs being blamed because the show did not live up to its original incarnation, amid endless tinkering with the game's format. And Dawson returning to failure as well; looking so ill, like a shadow of his former self. And Combs, another comedian and genial on-air host, whose life ended in depression and suicide. You just never know what another person is going through.
Richard Dawson was the Greatest Family Feud Host of All Time! He was also brilliant on The Match Game. Ray Combs was Great too. Lost interest in the show after Ray. So sad how things ended for Him. I wish He was still with us,Ray was a Tremendous entertainer.
That is so adorable the reason Dawson didn't do the kissing women for his comeback...his little girl insisted those kisses belong only to her and mommy :)
I loved Ray Combs on Family Feud when I was a kid. I missed him when he was fired from Family Feud although I didn't know he was fired at the time. For a long time I wondered what had happened to him. Never liked Dawson so I didn't watch Family Feud for much longer. Last year I made the mistake of looking up Ray Combs on wiki to see what happened to him. Sad story. He deserved better. I wish Family Feud with Ray Combs had better ratings or he had got a good Late Night Show. Marc Summers on Nickelodeon's kid game shows and Ray Combs were my favorite hosts as a kid.
Hey Lynn, sounds like you're roughly the same age as me lol 😆. The Richard Dawson era was a bit before my time but I remember I would watch Ray Combs after school let out and yes I remember Marc Summers on Double Dare! Both VERY fun shows to watch and yes I agree what happened with Ray was truly sad. And he was only 40?? Wow I feel old....
I can remember both Dawson and Ray hosting the show. When Dawson was on I could take it or leave it but I never missed a Ray Combs episode when on summer vacation or Christmas break. I thought he was great and very funny and enjoyable to watch. I’ve been where Ray was at that point in his life and it’s not easy and I myself wanted out. I hit rock bottom hard. But I didn’t give up and bounced back thanks to my Dad. I so wish I could have been the one watching Ray on that terrible morning. I’m not saying that he wouldn’t have killed him self but he wouldn’t have done it that morning. I work in a hospital and suicide watch and prevention is one of my responsibilities. I would have loved to talk to him and hopefully help in anyway possible. He deserved so much better.
The first video I saw of yours was the Sajak video; stumbled upon this one vía Facebook. You do an excellent job and your voice is perfectly suited for this type of project. Once again, very well done.
OT: I was saddened by Ray’s death. I enjoyed him as the host of FF. Richard Dawson will always be my favorite. I’m surprised a movie or docu-series about Ray Combs’ life hasn’t been done. A made-for-tv movie was made of the late Freddie Prinze shortly after his death.
Thank you for the Family Feud Ray Combs era video :) You should do a video of The Story of the Nighttime Price is Right the Dennis James era from 1972-77 in the future. FYI: You should mention in the video about the Cliff Hangers Incident from 1976 when Dennis said "There Goes Fritz!" after the Contestant lost the game and Dennis failed to realized that it was the name of Janice's husband whose name was also Fritz who had disappeared back in 1975 which resulted in sending Janice backstage crying for rest of the episode.
The whole Fritz situation is a tragedy. Poor Janice. I can’t imagine. (Also, the odds that Dennis James just picked the name “Fritz” for the mountain climber, not knowing the situation is something straight out of a TV show. I could see this being from The Office.)
@@omaid482 It is and I feel sorry for Janice. Dennis was unaware of Janice's tragedy at the time before and after the contestant lost the game. Frtiz vanished while mountain climbing in 1975 and the Cliff Hangers game first appeared in 1976 on the Daytime show first in Season 4 and the then nighttime version 2nd in Season 5. I have a very feeling that episode 157N of the nighttime show in 1976 was the "There Goes Fritz" episode but not very sure. It was rumored that Dennis was let go because he upset Janice so much after the "There Goes Frtiz" incident. The real reason was his contract was not renewed and Bob Barker took over the nighttime show until the 1980 Series finale episode.
@@jeremycrispo1993 I watched the E! True Hollywood Story on The Price is Right, and the story is burned into my mind. It’s a super crazy story, and I can’t help but still feel heartbreak for Janice. Obviously, Dennis didn’t know. It’s just unfortunate.
@@jeremycrispo1993 From what I recall, I think Mark Goodson (or it may have been someone at CBS, but I know there was a push) wanted to make Dennis James the host when TPIR debuted in 1972, but they went with Bob.
Genuinely, Ray Combs is my favorite Family Feud host. I think Family Feud is the show with probably the best run of hosts (at least, when you look at shows that had as many host changes), but whenever GSN would run a streak of random Family Feud episodes from the pre-Harvey era his always stood out to me. The perfect mix of humor, heart, and kinda cracked out energy.
This was the version of Family Feud I remember watching when I was a kid and the first time I watched it Ray Combs was my favorite host those were the good old days of my youth.
Another exceptional video. Fascinating stuff, I had no idea the show was doing so poorly during these years. The late 80's through 90's was definitely all about the talk show though. Everyone had a talk show at some point. Once you had Hard Copy and Entertainment Tonight packaged together and Jeopardy and Wheel appearing together in many markets, it didn't leave much room in the 7 - 8 slots. I think a show definitely had to work harder. Being a big fan of soaps from the 60's - 90's I think they were seen as far more important to the Daytime execs as well (until they weren't) and game shows were dwindling in daytime through the 80's and 90's as well. Anyway, thanks again, also you have a great voice for this too. Can't wait for the next part.
In Detroit, then a Top 10 market, I knew it was doing poorly. By 1992-93, The Family Feud Challenge aired on a low rated independent (WADL) at 10AM because the CBS affiliate passed on it. The syndicated show aired on the other low rated independent (WGPR) at 11PM. The Dawson revival aired on the Fox to be UPN affiliate at (I think) noon or 12:30, so his name did get it a better slot.
Richard still lives on in another small way. He once wrote "el doggo" for an answer on Match Game. We use "doggo" as an alternative term for dogs today. I like to think he inspired that term.
By watching the first revival of Family Feud as a kid when the show ended in 1994, I got to feel sorry for Ray Combs. I didn’t know that after this he fell on hard times after the studio would go on a different direction, but not the case with Richard Dawson because the guy is just not in his prime anymore. I’m a huge Ray Combs fan and he was a very good and underrated host of the first revival of the Feud. And seeing the guy took his own life is very sad. He could’ve been so much more, but his heart just couldn’t handle the pressure. He will be dearly missed.
The thing that's makes this so sad is that ray got screwed over big time. The general consensus is that he was being made the scapegoat for the show's low ratings. It was the change in the show's format (in particular the addition of the bullseye round) that was the real culprit. Ray didn't have anything to do with that. This led to a downward spiral for ray that ultimately resulted in his suicide.
Ray was the host when I first started watching Family Feud. I was young and not even aware of Richard Dawson's hosting time. When Richard took over again, I was confused and wondered why "this old guy" was on the show now.
As always, this video is phenomenal ~ easy to follow, full of interesting information, and tastefully executed on the sensitive topics. Well done! I am looking forward to Part 3!
I loved Ray Combs. Born in 82’ so he was the host of my generation. He was also a big wrestling fan. He worked two WWF PPV’s and I wish he would’ve worked with them after the Feud. Depression is a tough beast that takes many greats. Ray was one of them.
Ray was like Tom Kennedy, a host that lived up to his famous predecessor. Combs and Dawson will always be tied for first with me for Feud Hosts. BIG drop off when you get to the 1999-date version. And of course, the classic hosts didn't need penis questions as crutches.
You must've been talking about Kennedy's predecessor being Allen Ludden (or possibly Barker when he hosted the night TPiR). Either way, Tom held his own and although started to see his hosting jobs dwindle in the 80's still had a fine career that spanned through the 60s & 70s and still get some decent exposure during the mid-80s hosting Body Language; a season of syndicated TPiR & Wordplay. He then got with the ever formidable Carol Burnett in '87 to start their own production company but that didnt get off the ground.
So at the end of the day, Jonathan Goodson was the reason for Ray Combs' downfall. Your father would be so proud of you Johnny boy. Your legacy will be forever known as "The Man thought ended Ray Combs"
NBC's "Millionaire clone" was _Twenty-One,_ which was hosted by Maury Povich... I honestly don't think that Ray would have been a good fit for _Twenty-One_ given the show's serious nature & controversial history.
@@Kuchiri I didn't see the 'mid' part... Regarding the _Deal or No Deal_ era of shows, I could see Ray hosting _Identity_ more than the others of that era.
Yeah, Ray Combs was my favorite FF host by far. The internet wasn’t around, so I really had no idea the show was struggling, or at least, not pulling the same weight as it did 15 years prior with less competition. I just watched it every day I could, and so did pretty much everyone I know. Of course, I’m also originally from Ohio, and you just don’t see his type of midwestern humor much in mainstream entertainment media. Such a sad story. I wish there were more classic Combs-era episodes more widely available; seems like it’s always either Dawson or Harvey.
It’s sad to see what happened to Ray Combs. If he hung in there and got the right kind of help, he could have resurrected his career and got back on his feet.
Dude, I hope in future videos you will talk about the new Price is Right 1994 with Doug Davidson because that show was also a victim of being canceled too quickly because of the OJ Simpson trial. Not only that but it's also one of my favorite versions of the nighttime Price is Right.
It wasn’t just the O.J. trial the killed the nighttime Price is Right and Richard Dawson’s return to Family Feud, but the continuing network affiliation switches (in the wake of Fox snagging the NFL away from CBS) and the launches of UPN and The WB; as a matter of fact…1994-95 was a *_bad_* year for syndication, as there were many one and dones that season: Last Call (no relation to the Carson Daly or CNBC shows), Susan Powter, Marilu Henner, Jon Stewart (who replaced Arsenio Hall), and three Aaron Spelling shows!
When the show came back in 1988, I think my mother's opinion probably was the same as most people, "I don't like it without Richard Dawson." To have someone so highly identifed with a show not being there was a big obstacle they never really overcame. The changes to the show in 1994 when Dawson finally returned, were just too much. The changing TV landscape that you document very well was certainly a huge factor in it as well. I was working overnights in 1990 and in my city the syndicated Feud was on at something like three am. My supervisor during my TV programming internship at the time told me this was also a defensive move. They'd take a show like that and bury it to keep otehr stations from being able to carry it. Then if it showed momentum elsewhere, they could move it to a better time slot.
Jonathan Goodson ain't *$#!%,* man... His firing Ray was, *essentially,* the reason why he committed suicide. I mean, sure, there were other, extremely unfortunate events in Ray's life that culminated in his death, but Jonathan *totally* set the wheels in motion when you think about it. The way I see it, that piece of $#!%'s got blood on his hands; real talk. 😡 #RIPRayCombs
You have a point there. TBH I think even Jonathan recognized this. In the E! True Hollywood Story episode about Family Feud, he said that he felt terrible when he heard that Ray had killed himself, and even admitted that the decision to fire Ray did rest with him.
Ray Combs was so funny when I was watching Game Show clips 2 years ago and he never failed to make me laugh 😆 like he was amazing. I feel bad for him at this point but his legacy would be a good one.
Actually from the E True Hollywood story, the producers wanted Joe Nameth to be host around 1981 when Richard Dawson was still host because Dawson contract was up for negotiations also the show was still a massive hit and Dawson was at the top of his game and was holding off on signing it and then at the last minute he did.
Awesome job putting this all together - you really did your research! Now I personally didn't remember Ray Combs as the host when that version of the Feud was on - in fact, the first version of the Feud I remember watching was Richard Dawson's short-lived hour-long syndication revival. However as you pointed out, the end of Ray's life was very tragic. With all this talk about mental health nowadays, I really wish he got the help and support he needed then before taking his own life. Oh well, I hope he's now having a better time up there along with Dawson, Mark Goodson, and everyone else you acknowledged at the end. (BTW Louie Anderson also passed away three months after this video was published and nearly a couple years prior to this writing, but save him for the next part!)
Richard Dawson didn't sound British, not on feud and not prior to that either. I just watched a ton of clips from him in the 70's and he sounds like he's from the US. I'm so confused as to why people keep mentioning his accent 😅
Dude, I have no idea how your videos appeared on my feed (perhaps my being a huge game show fan did it) but you are batting 1.000. Job well done, just masterful work. Subscribed.
I love your videos so much! I get extremely excited every time one comes out. This one was such a sad one at the end, I appreciate you telling stories like this. Thank you.
Connor, I asked you this on the Dawson Video: Could you possibly make a video about Craig Ferguson for “Celebrity Name Game”? That was a great game show and I think it needs more recognition now than ever before.
I am old enough to remember both Dawson and Combs. The latter years of Dawson became insufferable. He'd blather on with the families for so long and waste so much time. Then he'd rush the families along in the last rounds to get to fast money in time. His ego was bloated and the show suffered for it. Ray was a breath of fresh air. As a kid, I never was aware how it was doing in the ratings. As far as I knew, it was a smash success. I always found Ray much more personable and made watching Family Feud fun again.
Dawson was a personality; Combs was a host... When Dawson returned he looked like WC Fields... It was a mistake getting rid of Ray, but the accident would have done so anyhow...
That's a good point since medication has side effects more so for some people than others. Rays being fired from the show had little to do with it imho
As a young child, I used to love watching Ray Combs’s Family Feud at my grandparents house. When Richard Dawson came back, I had no idea he’d hosted the show before (I was only 6) and I thought Ray Combs wasn’t hosting because he was recovering from his car accident! When Ray died, my parents made sure not to tell me that it was suicide so I assumed that he was in another car accident and didn’t make it this time. I didn’t learn the truth until I was much older and saw his episode of E True Hollywood stories!
Us kids in HIGH SCHOOL were teary eyed hearing what happened to that poor man. I remember my friend jen being like *sniff sniff* the man from fsmily feud killed himself....suicide was a big topic of debate in our school. We had kids going to psych units, taking prozac(when it was the only psych med out there )cutting and then someone we watched at night while we did homework or ate dinner just offd themselves.
I used to love it when they had a giant sized contestant on the show and Ray would make size jokes, I recall there was a man named Tom in 1991 who was the head of his family who stood over 7 feet tall and was big. Ray would stand next to him and say something like: "The truth is I am 6'6" and Tom is 9' tall." Ray looked quite tiny next to Tom. It was the size jokes that made his version of Family Feud memorable.
I loved Ray Combs. He was a great host. I did really enjoy Richard Dawson during the original run. When he came back, it was not the same. The other versions since then really never worked for me.
I remember that first championship family on the Ray Combs. Every member was WELL over six feet tall (even the women/woman). Poor 5’7” Ray looked like a child next to them.
The hosting change was mishandled there, Connor. If I was Ray after Mark Goodson died. I would've resigned as host at the end of 92-93 as a show of respect to the person who advocated for me. And as a last act, I would've also warned the staff and Jonathan about bringing back Dawson and left a list of hosts who I think would be good.
In addition... you neglected to mention that with Dawson's return in 1994, the #1 thing missing from him... that's right, no longer kissing the ladies.
Another thing that was absent during the Combs tenure was that "three buzzer" sound when the hoist was about to ask the team "on defense" a chance to steal.
Months after WNBC dropped the show in 1989, they picked it back up. From that point, it had been back and forth between the 7:30 slot and late at night. The show moved to WWOR channel 9 in February 92, where it remained until the end of Dawson's return season.
Your videos are very well-done. As someone who has been obsessed with TV since childhood (esp. game shows and soap operas), I usually already know most or all of the behind-the-scenes stories told in videos like this - not true for your videos. You have obviously have done extensive research, so kudos to you for an excellent product. I prefer the Dawson version to the Combs version, though the kissing creeped me out and I got tired of Richard trying to promote his sons' band on the show. Combs' standup schtick was obvious and overdone, though his sad end was so horribly tragic result of one bad break after another.
Knowing how Rays life fell apart following Feud reminds me all too much of my own father, with the lone exception that he hasn’t attempted suicide -both found themselves involved in life altering accidents that saw them hooked on pain killers (my dad, after a few unfortunate legal issues, has thankfully been clean for 5 years) -their marriages, along with their finances, were struggling -both men were always willing to help those in need
I actually liked how Ray Combs' turn as the host, and it was tragic hearing about what happened. Also, the whole "problematic behavior" thing with Dawson's behavior.. people much worse than what he did are "protected" when they should be rotting in a cell.. or a hole...
At least as far as Dawson is concerned, the producers had the wherewithal to ask female contestants if they were OK with being kissed by him and those who weren't, of which there were very few, had their wishes/boundaries respected. In my mind, that far out ways The "problematic" nature of the whole schtick.
