Let's Make a Deal, Wayne Brady
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Let's Make a Deal, Wayne Brady
Jonathan Storm, Inquirer Television Critic
CBS dressed its cute, young pages up in bizarre costumes and trotted out Monty Hall to announce the daytime return of Let's Make a Deal Oct. 5. For this, they killed The Guiding Light after 57 years?
Wayne Brady will replace everybody's favorite dealmaker, Monty (and Bob Hilton and Billy Bush, but who cares about them?).
"Everybody loves free money," Brady told the critics, never exactly clarifying whether he was talking about the contestants or himself, since hosting a TV game show, provided you have the talent to begin with (which Brady does), is about the easiest job in the world.
"Wayne Brady? I thought I was hiring Wayne Newton," said Monty, who is a super sprightly 87 years old, not so recognizable with his white hair, but unmistakable when that voice comes out of his mouth.
"Not yet," said Brady, who has a long-running Las Vegas act.
Somebody asked Brady about the history of African American game-show hosts. "You would probably know better than anybody," the critic said.
"Yes, at the meetings where African Americans meet," Brady said, the laughter interrupting the rest of his response.
An improv prov, Brady joins fellow Whose Line Is It Anyway? cast member Drew Carey, who's now hosting The Price Is Right, in the CBS game-show pantheon.
One compassionate critic (me) asked if the pages would get bonus money for such demeaning attire. Not in a million years, but they did get an instant invite to the big CBS Corp. stars' party last night (everybody from Criminal Minds Joe Montegna to Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, who stars on the CW's upcoming Melrose Place remake was scheduled to attend), and that seemed to please them way more than a few extra bucks.
