Wink Martindale

A staple of television game shows since the 1960s, Wink Martindale's mellifluous voice, toothy grin and abundant hair made him an ideal game show host for such well-loved programs as "Gambit" (CBS, 1972-76), "Tic-Tac-Dough" (NBC/CBS/syndicated, 1956-59, 1978-1986, 1990-91) and a dozen more - 15 in all, which made him the second game show host with the most programs to his name after Bill Cullen. Martindale started his career in radio, where he quickly moved from his native Tennessee to Los Angeles; there, he dominated the rock-n-roll market during the mid-1960s before trying his hand at television. His initial efforts failed to attract an audience until he hosted the popular "Gambit." A revival of "Tic-Tac-Dough" in the late '70s proved even more successful, and Martindale began producing his own game shows in the 1980s and 1990s. Martindale left hosting in the late '90s to work as a commercial pitchman, but returned to the format in 2008 as a guest host for the Game Show Network. Eternally polished and professional, Martindale epitomized game show hosts for over four decades.