1976: Families Start Feuding

From 1965 to 1970, Richard Dawson played Newkirk on the CBS sitcom, Hogan’s Heroes. After that he appeared as a panelist regular on the network’s game show, Match Game. During this time, he had an unofficial agreement with one of the show’s creators, Mark Goodson, that when the next Goodson-Todman game was created, Dawson would receive an invitation to audition to host the show. A little while later Dawson read in a trade publication that a new game show called Family Feud was in the works and it would be hosted by William Shatner. Angered by this, Dawson sent his agent to Goodson’s office to ask him to reconsider or Dawson would not be the same likeable and funny guy fans appreciated when appearing on Match Game. Goodson gave in, Dawson auditioned and got the job. The first episode of the guessing game show that pitted one family against another, appeared on ABC on this day in 1976. Dawson hosted the show through 1985 when ABC cancelled it. Ray Combs jumped in the saddle when the show was revived for CBS from 1988-1994.

Dawson did a repeat performance for the syndicated show from 1994-1995. Family Feud was off the air for four years before another syndicated version of the show appeared with Louie Anderson as host from 1999-2002 followed by Richard Karn from 2002-2006 and John O’Hurley from 2006-2010. Hurley has stated that he left the show when the producers insisted on adding rude humor to the show’s questions. Steve Harvey has done the honors for both the syndicated show and the the “celebrity” edition that airs on ABC, since 2010.