In the end, the Whammy always gets ya...

[cartman]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/14090601.htm

Former game show host Peter Tomarken killed in SoCal plane crash

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Peter Tomarken, host of the hit 1980s game show "Press Your Luck," and his wife were killed Monday when their small plane crashed in Santa Monica Bay shortly after takeoff on a volunteer medical transportation flight, authorities said. Searchers were looking for a third person reported aboard.

The bodies of Tomarken, 63, and wife Kathleen Abigail Tomarken, 41, were identified by the Los Angeles County coroner's office, said coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey.

Tomarken appeared in at least four other game shows in addition to "Press Your Luck," which was well known for contestants shouting the slogan "Big bucks, no whammies!"

The pilot was a volunteer for Angel Flight West, a nonprofit organization that provides free air transportation for needy medical patients, said organization spokesman Doug Griffith, who withheld the pilot's name. The plane was flying to San Diego to pick up a passenger who needed to get to UCLA Medical Center for treatment, he said.

The Beech A36 went down about 9:35 a.m. while apparently trying to return to Santa Monica Airport because of engine trouble, said FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer. The airport is about two miles inland from the ocean.

The plane, found in 19 feet of water 200 yards offshore, was registered to Tomarken, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

Rescue boats and divers converged on the scene, about a half-mile southwest of Santa Monica Pier. The aircraft, appearing largely intact, was later towed onto the beach.

Witness Luis Garr told KNBC-TV that the plane was silent as it "kind of landed into the water."

"I didn't hear any engine. It's a big splash, a huge splash, huge splash. Then it started going down. The wings were still floating so I was, `Get out! Get out!' because the door was still available to get out and nobody came out. So the plane kept going down, down, down. It was just the tail. A surfer started swimming toward the plane and he was the first one on the scene. The lifeguard showed up. ... It had gone down."

Tomarken's agent, Fred Wostbrock, said his client's first game show was "Hit Man!," which ran 13 weeks on NBC, followed by the four-year hit "Press Your Luck" on CBS.

"He was always a fun guy to be around, and he just loved the genre of game shows," Wostbrock said.

In 1987, Tomarken was on ABC with a show called "Bargain Hunters," and then went to the syndicated "Wipe-Out" in 1990. He returned to game shows in 2000 with the program "Paranoia."

[chinaski]

so lame, that was my favorite show when i was 11. no whammies, no whammies, no whammies, stop!

[st.cronin]

I thought this thread would have something to do with Krispy Kreme Burgers.

[kingfc22]

And the graphics at the bottom of the screen were priceless.

[chinaski]

cartman ate the whammy and now his colon has stopped.

[Raiders Army]

Man. He was highly entertaining. Unfortunately the past few months I have watched him on GSN during lunch and I noticed he really sucked on Press Your Luck. He would say, "Jim goes to 3 spins, Sam to 7, and Josie to 4" when Sam really had 2. He did this a lot. That being said, I guess he's joined Rod Roddy in the Game Show in the sky. RIP.

[Raiders Army]

He also hosted the Anything to Win show on the guy who took Press Your Luck for a lot of money because he figured out the pattern to the board. He looked waaaaay different than when he was on the show.

[kingfc22]

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by chinaski

so lame, that was my favorite show when i was 11. no whammies, no whammies, no whammies, stop!

Same.

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by Raiders Army

He also hosted the Anything to Win show on the guy who took Press Your Luck for a lot of money because he figured out the pattern to the board. He looked waaaaay different than when he was on the show.

hxxp://gscentral.net/larsen.htm

[Draft Dodger]

hmmm - wife was 22 years younger. Even game show hosts get to cash in on celebrity status, I guess.

[sterlingice]

One of my favorite game shows, too

SI

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by cartman

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/14090601.htm

Searchers were looking for a third person reported aboard.

Tammy Whamette?

[Raiders Army]

Maybe it was that hack Todd Newton. I thoroughly hate that guy.

[Ksyrup]

Saw this exchange on another site discussing his death:


Anytime you get in a plane You Bet Your Life. He probably knew he was in Jeopardy at some point.

Quit trying to Press Your Luck. We're losing our Concentration.

Poor guy. He was trying to be a High Roller, spun the Wheel of Fortune and came up bankrupt. Should have stayed home with his Remote Control.

Alright, Let's Make A Deal- you fucking assholes stop dropping game show names now.

Deal. (Or No Deal?)