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TV Inside-Out - Flukes, Flakes, Feuds and Felonies: The backstage blunders, bloopers and blasphemy of celebrities in search of success
THE BOOK THAT INSIDERS ARE ENJOYING.
TV INSIDE-OUT
READ EXCERPTS FROM THEIR INTRODUCTIONS
HOSTS...
Bob Eubanks: On The Newlywed Game I asked a woman, “What’s the one thing your husband wouldn’t want you to talk about?” She spilled the beans that her husband and cousin were going to kill their uncle for the insurance money! Then, the husband told the same story! They matched and got the points!! Randy’s TV INSIDE-OUT documents some of the most unpredictable and shocking moments that played out in front of and behind live TV cameras.
Wink Martindale: On my first radio job I played a Pabst Beer commercial transcription at 78 RPM instead of 33-1/3 RPM. With the microphone open I yelled, “God dammit! What the shit’s gonna’ happen next?!” I thought I’d just ended my career in broadcasting. When the phone rang with a complaint I played dumb and said, “I’ll notify the announcer!” In TV INSIDE-OUT Randy has captured the business as it really is, warts and all!
Marc Summers: NBC turned me down to play on their Scrabble “favorite game show hosts week.” But on the next phone call I heard “I have good news and bad news, which would you like to hear first?” I guess I picked correctly. My next stop was my first network gig: sub-hosting that Scrabble game show hosts week! Those of us who have been in the TV biz for years have a boatload of these stories. Somehow, Randy West knows a ton of them!
George Gray: I’ve known Randy West for long enough that it would make me sound really old, and I’ve even had the pleasure of working with him on multiple occasions over the years. Now he’s written a behind-the-scenes book about the industry, TV INSIDE-OUT. Just remember, if you read anything about me in it, he probably made it up—unless it makes me look good, then he’s totally telling the truth!
COMEDIANS...
Bill Kirchenbauer: Stepping in front of the cameras as a comedian is wildly unpredictable. Who could guess John Davidson would suddenly decide to heckle me by reading my jokes from my personal cue cards to the audience? How about Tonight Show guest host Bill Cosby repeatedly telling the audience that I was mispronouncing my own name? I got the last laugh calling him “Mr. cos-BEE!” If you have a weak heart, don’t read Randy’s TV INSIDE-OUT!
ACTORS...
David Ruprecht: We all knew Cloris Leachman was as eccentric as she was talented, but everybody backstage was absolutely shocked to see her perform an unthinkable act. It bears out everything that insiders say in TV INSIDE OUT about some of the strange people in the business. I can’t believe Randy convinced me to tell this story. Even though it’s true, everyone still loves and respects Cloris.
Jim MacKrell: I loved the stars I worked with and the crews that made it all possible. Now I have something more to love about TV, Randy West's TV INSIDE-OUT. I laughed; I cried; I loved the stories about those I admired, and those that didn't ring up my all-time list of faves. I can't recommend this book enough. Randy understands, honors and appreciates the love affair America has with television.
TV INSIDE-OUT
READ EXCERPTS FROM THEIR INTRODUCTIONS
HOSTS...
Bob Eubanks: On The Newlywed Game I asked a woman, “What’s the one thing your husband wouldn’t want you to talk about?” She spilled the beans that her husband and cousin were going to kill their uncle for the insurance money! Then, the husband told the same story! They matched and got the points!! Randy’s TV INSIDE-OUT documents some of the most unpredictable and shocking moments that played out in front of and behind live TV cameras.
Wink Martindale: On my first radio job I played a Pabst Beer commercial transcription at 78 RPM instead of 33-1/3 RPM. With the microphone open I yelled, “God dammit! What the shit’s gonna’ happen next?!” I thought I’d just ended my career in broadcasting. When the phone rang with a complaint I played dumb and said, “I’ll notify the announcer!” In TV INSIDE-OUT Randy has captured the business as it really is, warts and all!
Marc Summers: NBC turned me down to play on their Scrabble “favorite game show hosts week.” But on the next phone call I heard “I have good news and bad news, which would you like to hear first?” I guess I picked correctly. My next stop was my first network gig: sub-hosting that Scrabble game show hosts week! Those of us who have been in the TV biz for years have a boatload of these stories. Somehow, Randy West knows a ton of them!
George Gray: I’ve known Randy West for long enough that it would make me sound really old, and I’ve even had the pleasure of working with him on multiple occasions over the years. Now he’s written a behind-the-scenes book about the industry, TV INSIDE-OUT. Just remember, if you read anything about me in it, he probably made it up—unless it makes me look good, then he’s totally telling the truth!
COMEDIANS...
Bill Kirchenbauer: Stepping in front of the cameras as a comedian is wildly unpredictable. Who could guess John Davidson would suddenly decide to heckle me by reading my jokes from my personal cue cards to the audience? How about Tonight Show guest host Bill Cosby repeatedly telling the audience that I was mispronouncing my own name? I got the last laugh calling him “Mr. cos-BEE!” If you have a weak heart, don’t read Randy’s TV INSIDE-OUT!
ACTORS...
David Ruprecht: We all knew Cloris Leachman was as eccentric as she was talented, but everybody backstage was absolutely shocked to see her perform an unthinkable act. It bears out everything that insiders say in TV INSIDE OUT about some of the strange people in the business. I can’t believe Randy convinced me to tell this story. Even though it’s true, everyone still loves and respects Cloris.
Jim MacKrell: I loved the stars I worked with and the crews that made it all possible. Now I have something more to love about TV, Randy West's TV INSIDE-OUT. I laughed; I cried; I loved the stories about those I admired, and those that didn't ring up my all-time list of faves. I can't recommend this book enough. Randy understands, honors and appreciates the love affair America has with television.
468 pages, Paperback
Published June 22, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 18, 2025
“TV game show announcer” isn’t really a full-time career choice now, as it was in the past. But Randy West has managed to make a living out of it with the less-than-marquee assignments that are available today.
He’s also a master huckster, active on social media, where he plugs this book relentlessly. So I finally borrowed a copy to see what stories he dug up.
He essentially uses his decades of proximity to celebrity to dish dirt, sharing scandalous and titillating behind-the-scenes stories about famous folks that he learned along the way. I’m not an expert on scandalous and titillating behind-the-scenes stories about famous folks, but I have to say I’ve heard most of it before - most of the stories he relates are not things he witnessed or unearthed himself, but things that were already out there, that he may have asked someone about in order to give a slight first-person spin to what are otherwise secondarily-sourced stories.
The only stories that were completely new to me were a detailed description of how Press Your Luck host Peter Tomarken’s off-camera outbursts and irritability cost him jobs, and how the hammy Gene Wood damaged his chances of getting the permanent announcing job on The Price is Right by being a little too eager to get himself on camera.
But you have to be a pretty big fan of the genre to know or care about these game show second-stringers. The average reader who happens to pick up this book might not care, but they also might not know the other more well-known stories West relates. So maybe the amount of “new” material in this collection of Hollywood gossip simply depends upon the prior knowledge of the reader.
I should add, though, that the book is not necessarily well-written and well-polished - it reads like a chatty, sometimes repetitious, stream-of-consciousness that could have used another pass or two through the editing process. There appears to be no rhyme or reason as to when chapter breaks occur, sometimes in the middle of a particular anecdote, nor is it clear what the focus of a particular chapter is, as the chapters are simply numbered and not titled or organized by theme.
But this is not a work of literature. For what it is, and for what most readers expect to get out of it, I suppose it does the job. Like most of the shows West has worked on, the book may be entertaining in the moment, but its impact and value are fleeting.
He’s also a master huckster, active on social media, where he plugs this book relentlessly. So I finally borrowed a copy to see what stories he dug up.
He essentially uses his decades of proximity to celebrity to dish dirt, sharing scandalous and titillating behind-the-scenes stories about famous folks that he learned along the way. I’m not an expert on scandalous and titillating behind-the-scenes stories about famous folks, but I have to say I’ve heard most of it before - most of the stories he relates are not things he witnessed or unearthed himself, but things that were already out there, that he may have asked someone about in order to give a slight first-person spin to what are otherwise secondarily-sourced stories.
The only stories that were completely new to me were a detailed description of how Press Your Luck host Peter Tomarken’s off-camera outbursts and irritability cost him jobs, and how the hammy Gene Wood damaged his chances of getting the permanent announcing job on The Price is Right by being a little too eager to get himself on camera.
But you have to be a pretty big fan of the genre to know or care about these game show second-stringers. The average reader who happens to pick up this book might not care, but they also might not know the other more well-known stories West relates. So maybe the amount of “new” material in this collection of Hollywood gossip simply depends upon the prior knowledge of the reader.
I should add, though, that the book is not necessarily well-written and well-polished - it reads like a chatty, sometimes repetitious, stream-of-consciousness that could have used another pass or two through the editing process. There appears to be no rhyme or reason as to when chapter breaks occur, sometimes in the middle of a particular anecdote, nor is it clear what the focus of a particular chapter is, as the chapters are simply numbered and not titled or organized by theme.
But this is not a work of literature. For what it is, and for what most readers expect to get out of it, I suppose it does the job. Like most of the shows West has worked on, the book may be entertaining in the moment, but its impact and value are fleeting.
March 13, 2023
Just finished reading last night Randy West's very entertaining tome, "TV Inside-Out - Flukes, Flakes, Feuds and Felonies: The backstage blunders, bloopers and blasphemy of celebrities in search of success" (BearManor Media, 2022). Randy West has spent his entire adult life working in the entertainment industry, first on radio and then, after being mentored by the famous Johnny Olson (the original "Price Is Right" "COME ON DOOWWWWN" announcer), began his long career in 1988 as a game show announcer, audience warm-up personality, and voice performer.
West has worked with or at least interacted with many of the television and motion picture celebrities, and has had the ear of even more actors, writers, producers, directors, and other figures who have worked in television going all the way back to the 1950s who could share with West stories that West himself could not have personally witnessed himself.
After a lengthy introduction in which West expounds upon the nature of being a celebrity and how some people react to the pressures of fame and success (and stresses to continue to succeed) differently than others, West begins telling his stories of television game show hosts and producers, actors who off screen couldn't stand each other, morning show and late night show hosts, news announcers, talk show hosts, etc. How deals were agreed upon and then broken. Personality clashes. Hosts who were warm and friendly--accept when the cameras weren't rolling. Friendships and professional partnerships that splintered apart over sometimes real, sometimes only perceived, betrayals. Tales of personal life travails that derailed successful television careers. And, likewise, stories of others who overcame great obstacles.
I read this book very slowly over several months, just a chapter or two at a time (sometimes even only part of a chapter) as West's style of jumping from one anecdote to another encouraged me to read it this way. His chapters are short and most of them discuss two of three different celebrity tales or stories from different television shows, although a few chapters do focus on one particular celebrity like Johnny Carson and Betty White.
I learned of this book by Randy West's appearing on Ed Robertson's "TV Confidential" radio show/podcast and immediately asked my local public library to get a copy, which they did. I recommend if for anyone who loves reading about old tv shows and celebrities "behind the scenes" stories (although it's not just "classic TV" figures and events West shares about, he also includes tales of celebrities, as well, right up to the year this book came out). Many of the stories are ones that have been told before, but that's okay. There are most likely just as many if not more that most readers have not heard before. And it's a book that some can read as I did, the entire thing, cover to cover, while others jump around in, reading about only the celebrities or genres of television that they personally are interested in.
I gave "TV Inside-Out" four out of five stars on GoodReads.
West has worked with or at least interacted with many of the television and motion picture celebrities, and has had the ear of even more actors, writers, producers, directors, and other figures who have worked in television going all the way back to the 1950s who could share with West stories that West himself could not have personally witnessed himself.
After a lengthy introduction in which West expounds upon the nature of being a celebrity and how some people react to the pressures of fame and success (and stresses to continue to succeed) differently than others, West begins telling his stories of television game show hosts and producers, actors who off screen couldn't stand each other, morning show and late night show hosts, news announcers, talk show hosts, etc. How deals were agreed upon and then broken. Personality clashes. Hosts who were warm and friendly--accept when the cameras weren't rolling. Friendships and professional partnerships that splintered apart over sometimes real, sometimes only perceived, betrayals. Tales of personal life travails that derailed successful television careers. And, likewise, stories of others who overcame great obstacles.
I read this book very slowly over several months, just a chapter or two at a time (sometimes even only part of a chapter) as West's style of jumping from one anecdote to another encouraged me to read it this way. His chapters are short and most of them discuss two of three different celebrity tales or stories from different television shows, although a few chapters do focus on one particular celebrity like Johnny Carson and Betty White.
I learned of this book by Randy West's appearing on Ed Robertson's "TV Confidential" radio show/podcast and immediately asked my local public library to get a copy, which they did. I recommend if for anyone who loves reading about old tv shows and celebrities "behind the scenes" stories (although it's not just "classic TV" figures and events West shares about, he also includes tales of celebrities, as well, right up to the year this book came out). Many of the stories are ones that have been told before, but that's okay. There are most likely just as many if not more that most readers have not heard before. And it's a book that some can read as I did, the entire thing, cover to cover, while others jump around in, reading about only the celebrities or genres of television that they personally are interested in.
I gave "TV Inside-Out" four out of five stars on GoodReads.
September 2, 2025
TV Inside Out is such an entertaining and eye-opening read Randy West takes you straight behind the curtain of television and shares stories that are funny, shocking, and sometimes downright unbelievable. What I really loved is how the book doesn’t just focus on the “polished” side of TV we all see, but instead shows the unpredictable moments, the slip-ups, and the real personalities of the people who worked in front of and behind the cameras.
The mix of game show hosts, comedians, and actors sharing their experiences makes the book feel personal and authentic, like you’re sitting in on a conversation full of wild TV memories. It’s both nostalgic and revealing, and if you love television history or just enjoy juicy behind-the-scenes stories, this is definitely worth reading.
The mix of game show hosts, comedians, and actors sharing their experiences makes the book feel personal and authentic, like you’re sitting in on a conversation full of wild TV memories. It’s both nostalgic and revealing, and if you love television history or just enjoy juicy behind-the-scenes stories, this is definitely worth reading.
January 9, 2026
This was so long and disjointed, It could have been half the pages and gotten the point across. A lot of this is speculation and just comes across as mean. It is also victim shamed Jean Kean for speaking up after Ed Sullivan's death about him sexually assaulting her. According to West, his opinion of which he really should have kept to himself, Sullivan worked with numerous women over the years who had no problem with him. Seriously? What a disgusting take on rape. This one was not worth my time even as a fast reader.
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May 6, 2023The lowdown
This books gives the reader the lowdown on television game shows and talk shows for the most part. It is filled with all kinds of stories about the fortunate and unfortunate tv performers. Sadly, it's not very well-written, but that's a minor point.
This books gives the reader the lowdown on television game shows and talk shows for the most part. It is filled with all kinds of stories about the fortunate and unfortunate tv performers. Sadly, it's not very well-written, but that's a minor point.
July 5, 2026
Sometimes Frustrating
This is a good, informative and interesting book that is sometimes difficult and frustrating to read as the author will go off on a tangent and either not return or take so long to return that the original thread is lost.
This is a good, informative and interesting book that is sometimes difficult and frustrating to read as the author will go off on a tangent and either not return or take so long to return that the original thread is lost.
March 6, 2023
So many great stories from someone who was always there like a show biz Forrest Gump
April 23, 2024
Good gossip, too long
I Lea eres aome.new gossip from seeing this,.but the bok.meds drifting badly. It could be half its 600 pages and still not moss amything.
I Lea eres aome.new gossip from seeing this,.but the bok.meds drifting badly. It could be half its 600 pages and still not moss amything.
April 26, 2024
Behind the scenes
I enjoyed this book. There were some sad chapters in this book, including the suicide of Ray Combs, former host of Family Feud. Well written.
I enjoyed this book. There were some sad chapters in this book, including the suicide of Ray Combs, former host of Family Feud. Well written.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews