Johnny Olson - Early Announcing Work

Early Announcing Work

Olson's first TV announcing job was on the final year of the original Name That Tune in 1958; in that year Olson also announced the Merv Griffin-hosted Play Your Hunch, which lasted until 1963 and began his long association with Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, five years earlier. In the late 1960s, he was also a substitute announcer on the ABC version of Supermarket Sweep.

Beginning in 1960, Olson announced the CBS prime-time panel game To Tell the Truth (on which he greeted each team of challengers with the question, "What is your name, please?"). The following year, he added duties on sister show What's My Line?, and in 1962 began announcing in the original Match Game (hosted by Gene Rayburn) in daytime on NBC until that series ended in 1969.

Olson was also announcer for The Jackie Gleason Show from 1962 until its cancellation in 1970. The first few seasons of the variety show were recorded in New York City (as Olson would say at the beginning of each show, "the entertainment capital of the world"), while the last few seasons were produced in Miami Beach, Florida (replaced by "the sun and fun capital of the world").

Olson continued to announce What's My Line? and To Tell the Truth after both shows moved from CBS to syndication in the late 1960s. His involvement with both of them ended when he was designated announcer of the 1972 revivals of The Price Is Right and I've Got a Secret, both of which were taped in Hollywood, and left New York for the west coast.