My Opinion on The Richard Bey Show

No other daytime talk show has ever come close to The Richard Bey Show (TRBS)  in originality.  TRBS was the pioneer in so many genres of talk shows that can still be seen today.  People often say that it was a 'Pre-Jerry Springer' show and Jerry stole everything from Richard Bey.  That is true to a degree, but it was much more.  There was more to TRBS than met the eye at first glance.  One might even assumption that it was the anti-talk show talk show.  Some of you may ask, "But how is this?  I thought that it was the intent of TRBS to be as sleazy and trashy as possible!"  Go look at those old tapes you still have lying around ... check out the video clips and sound clips on this website ... talk to Richard Bey about what the show was REALLY like.  You'll find that TRBS was really a satirical look on the talk shows of that time period and a show that did not take itself too seriously.  The sound effects, the costumes, the crazy guests, the wacky games, and that host that had you doubled over from laughing so hard while at the same time you were deeply impressed with his wit and intelligence .... all put together added up to one great entertainment package.  That's what the show was ... pure entertainment.  It kept you on your toes because you didn't know what to expect next, yet you were saying "UH DUHHH" the same moment the sound effect went off after a guest made a dumb comment.

So do you still think Richard Bey was the precursor to Jerry Springer??  Think about this ... do you ever remember guests fighting so much that security guards had to separate them?  Do you even remember security guards?  You don't because they didn't exist.  If there was even the slightest altercation, Richard would step in himself and separate the guests.  Sure ... there was fighting on the show, but it usually involved either pies or gigantic boxing gloves ... and who can forget The Wheel of Torture (said just as Pat Sajac says "Wheel of Fortune!").  The methods of conflict resolution on TRBS did not involve chairs flying across the set or people punching each others lights out.  The worst it ever got was a spin on The Wheel of Torture, with nasty food and other items poured over the body.  Jerry Springer took one element (conflict) of TRBS and went a step further with it.  The fighting was all Jerry had.  On the other hand, Richard had games, contests, and other wacky ways of hearing about other peoples' problems then attempting to solve them.

Ever watch the show Fear Factor?  Guess who the first talk show host had guests put their hands into a box of worms ... or drink some nasty concoction ... or do something that genuinely scared the heck out of them ... of course, it was Richard Bey.  Now, think of the other talk shows currently on that are using sound effects, people dressed up in costumes, people participating in crazy games ... and think of other shows that are on television that have some of those elements in there.  Whether you want to admit it or not, The Richard Bey Show had a profound effect on American culture.  He has been mentioned on Jay Leno, Married With Children, Dennis Miller Live, and numerous other shows and right now, there's a little bit of The Richard Bey Show in all the talk shows and reality television shows.

Although the show is no longer in production and the reruns are currently not being aired, The Richard Bey Show holds a special place in Americana.  The memories that everyone had of the show have been nothing but great.  Thank you, Richard, for your contribution to the entertainment and enjoyment of Americans for years.