Photography courtesy of the Hub Network.
Long before he became Mr. Game Show, he was “Rick Idol,” a St. Louis radio host. Todd Newton (toddnewtononline.com) wouldn’t stay here long, though. E! Entertainment Television made him a red-carpet interviewer and host in 1996, and in ’99, he began a remarkable run as a game-show host, giving away cash and “fabulous prizes” on Hollywood Showdown, Instant Millionaire, Made in the USA, The Price Is Right Live!, and Whammy!: The All New Press Your Luck. His pride and joy is the Hub Network’s Family Game Night, on which he begins his fifth season as host this month. “Game shows are the truest form of reality TV,” Newton says. “There’s nothing more real than standing next to a contestant that, if he or she wins, will be able to pay off a mortgage or take a vacation. To see them win is the rawest, truest form of happiness.”
Do you remember when you first began to appreciate game shows? My grandmother lived on South Spring Avenue off Grand, and we would watch Bob Barker and The Price is Right. I remember at age 12 or so I recognized these guys were having a great time on television with average folks. When I hosted my first game show in ’99, Hollywood Showdown, I immediately felt at home.
Have you taken pages from Bob Barker’s book? He’s a great mentor, but I take a little of Bob, a little Richard Dawson, a little Johnny Carson, and my own style.
You were a red-carpet celebrity interviewer and host on E! from 1996 to 2007. What are some of the more memorable moments from those years? The great thing about being on E! was they plucked me right out of St. Louis. Going out to Hollywood was quite a culture shock. I was on the radio in a studio right off Hampton Avenue on Friday, and on the next Monday, I was sitting right outside a Hollywood sound stage. It was an incredible 12-year run. I did all the red-carpet award shows and hosted the news. One funny thing that happened is that Dustin Hoffman and I used to make Super Bowl bets. Every year we would bet $10. His assistants would hold the money. Win or lose, I never saw it again.
On Family Game Night, you play games based on classic board games. Do you remember playing them as a kid? Not only did I play those games as a kid, but I play them now as a parent with my children. Connect Four, Operation, Monopoly, Yahtzee—these are the games that allow us to come together as families. The show actually combines my two great passions, being a parent and being a game show host.
What can we expect from the new season of Family Game Night? More of what you love on the program. We’ll have Barrel of Monkeys and the Jenga tower, for instance. And of course all of our contestants are chosen at random from our studio audience. That keeps the energy and excitement really high.
Have you played all these games yourself? The best part about hosting is I get to play during all the rehearsals. I’ve tested all the games. My strongest is the Boptagon. I’ve gotten pretty good at that over four years.
The photos of you on your website reveal a lot of tattoos. Someone told me once I’m the most painted game show host on television. They’ve become a map of my journey. It’s nice to look down at an arm and see something that reminds me of the places I’ve been—New York, Japan, Italy, etc. I’ve been collecting them over the past 10 or 12 years. The majority have to do with my children and family. It’s a nice little concealed collection.
What game show would you most like to compete on? The Price is Right. It’s so many different games in one. It’s Plinko and In the Bag and Cliffhangers and the big wheel and the showcase. I also loved Press Your Luck, and I was very lucky to host the revival in ’02. I was a contestant on Hollywood Squares and The Dating Game, too.
What do you do when you’re not giving away money next to a giant Battleship game board? I host the touring version of The Price is Right, The Price is Right Live! That’s about 150 dates a year. I’m also the national spokesperson for the Best Friends Animal Society’s Save Them All campaign to turn cities into no-kill-shelter cities. Our big event is coming up September 27, “Strut Your Mutt.” St. Louis is one of the cities where you can attend. And I’ll be making a full-time return to St. Louis radio before the end of the year. I can’t tell you any more right now about that one.
