Merv Griffin by Lester Cohen/WireImage.com
Merv Griffin was the anti-Trump. No matter how many riches he amassed through creating the formidably successful game-show phenom of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, this band singer turned talk-show host turned entertainment mogul turned hotel/real-estate magnate never projected an air of arrogance or entitlement. Publicly affable to the end, Griffin (who died Sunday at 82) was one of those rare talents whose success only a grinch would begrudge — in part because the ubiquitous shows he's best known for continue to provide so much pleasure on a nightly basis. That lilting, nagging Jeopardy theme? He wrote it. That alone is enough to ensure him a place in the annals of TV history.
But he also had a long, profitable run as a talk-show host, primarily in syndication. He was never the coolest or funniest (that would be Johnny Carson), he was never the most trenchant (that would be Dick Cavett), but he was an effortless entertainer who put the audience at ease even as he occasionally sneaked topical content into his celebrity chats. With Arthur Treacher at his side and Mrs. Miller in the audience, there was a comfort level with Merv Griffin’s talk show that kept the show viable through the '70s and '80s.
He’ll be best remembered, though, for being the brains behind two of the most enduring and lucrative game shows in TV history. The simplicity of Jeopardy! (answers in the form of questions) and Wheel of Fortune (fill-in-the-blanks hangman with a touch of kitschy glamour) is what makes them work so well. And paired together, as they usually are, they’re a perfect fit — the brainteasing Jeopardy! makes you sit forward and think, while Wheel lets you sit back and relax with a more laid-back word game. Never one to rest on his laurels, even in his final year Griffin was continuing to play the TV game, developing Crosswords, a syndicated game show based on (what else) crossword puzzles, which is set to premiere next month.
Wouldn’t it be a satisfying final chapter to Griffin's TV legacy if Crosswords were also a hit?
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