Quotes

I honestly didn't think the show was going to last much longer when I started in 1981. I thought a year would be lucky, 13 weeks more likely before it was back to forecasting the weather.

Working with Merv (Griffin) can be quite the experience. I remember once going out to lunch and the waiter asked, "May I take your order?" Merv then pulls out his notebook and says, "Great idea!" He writes what the waiter said down and turns to me saying, "This will be a great puzzle for the show." He is one of the brightest and smartest men I have ever met.

[on the death of Dan Miller]: Dan was an extraordinarily caring and talented man. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life.

It's a stressful place to live. It's nice to leave L.A. for a few months and live somewhere more down to earth and easy going. It's also close to my wife's side of the family, and that's important to her.

Being a conservative in Hollywood is like walking into a shooting range with a bullseye attached to your body. There are more of us than you would believe, but if you want to keep working, you feel like you have to keep quiet.

[on relaxing with margaritas between tapings of Wheel of Fortune (1975)]: Vanna and I would have two or three or six and then have trouble recognizing the alphabet.

[on the death of Richard Dawson]: He was able to inject his unique brand of humor into shows like Family Feud (1976). He could be funny and biting, mischievous and playful, but he always respected the game and treated his players with kindness.

When a politician begins a sentence with "What the American people want..." It's time to change the channel.