Richard Dawson

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This article is about the actor Richard Dawson. For the cricketer, please see Richard Dawson (cricketer)

Richard Dawson, a panelist on Match Game, seen here in 1977 during the infamous "School Riot" episode.

Richard Dawson (born November 20, 1932) is a British-born American actor, comedian, game show panelist and host. He is best known for his role as Cpl. Peter Newkirk on the World War II situation comedy Hogan's Heroes and was the original host of the Family Feud game show from 1976-1985 on ABC and again in 1994. Dawson also appeared as a panelist on Gene Rayburn's revamped 1970s version of Match Game on CBS.

[edit] Early life to 1973

Dawson was born in Gosport, England as Colin Emm. At the age of 14, he ran away from home to join the Merchant Marines, where he pursued a boxing career. Having married British sex symbol Diana Dors, Dawson moved to Los Angeles, California, where he gained fame in the hit show Hogan's Heroes as Cpl. Peter Newkirk. The war-related sitcom was one of the highest-rated shows on television during its six-year run from 1965 to 1971. Dawson and Dors eventually divorced, and Dawson gained custody of both their children, Gary and Mark. Immediately following the cancellation of Heroes, Dawson performed as a regular on the popular NBC variety show Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In from 1972 to 1973, and would also be a regular on The New Dick Van Dyke Show from 1973 to 1974. Dawson also appeared as a panelist on the 1972-73 syndicated revival of I've Got a Secret.

[edit] 1973-1985

After Laugh-In left the airwaves in 1973, game show pioneer Mark Goodson signed Dawson to appear as a regular on Match Game '73. Dawson proved to be a solid and funny gameplayer and was the frequent choice of contestants for the "Head-to-Head Match" portion of the show's bonus round, in which the contestant and Dawson had to obtain an exact match to the requested prompt.

In 1975, Dawson was hired by Goodson to emcee an upcoming project entitled Family Feud which debuted in the summer of 1976 on ABC's daytime schedule. Unlike his flop in 1974 with Masquerade Party, Family Feud became a breakout hit (particularly the syndicated nighttime version), eventually surpassing the ratings of Match Game in late 1977. In 1978 he left Match Game but won a Daytime Emmy Award for Best Game Show Host for his work on Family Feud. After Dawson became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1984, he showed his passport and photo during the introduction of an episode of Family Feud. He continued hosting the Feud until it was cancelled in 1985 and returned to the show in 1994-95, replacing Ray Combs.

In 1976, Dawson was featured as a panelist on the revival of I've Got a Secret.

[edit] 1985-present

Dawson co-starred in the movie The Running Man in 1987, playing evil, egotistical, dark-sided game-show host Damon Killian. He hosted an unsold pilot for a revival of the classic game show You Bet Your Life in 1988. In 1994, Dawson returned to Family Feud for one season. He was considered for the current version of Family Feud, but elected not to host.

Dawson currently resides in Beverly Hills, California, with his wife since 1991, Gretchen (Johnson) Dawson, whom he met when she was a contestant on Family Feud in 1981. They have a daughter, Shannon Nicole Dawson (born in 1982), and three grandchildren: Lindsay Dors Dawson, Tyler Emm Dawson, and Emma Rose Dawson.

[edit] Friendship with Bill Bixby

Dawson had been friends with Bill Bixby since 1968, appearing on an episode of The Dating Game. Four years later, Bixby appeared with Dawson in a pilot of a game show that hasn't been aired, "Cop-Out," and two game shows such as: Password and Masquerade Party, where Bixby was the panelist and Dawson served as host.

[edit] External links

• Richard Dawson at the Internet Movie Database
• The Richard Dawson Experience, a fan site