Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

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Robert K S
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Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

Post by Robert K S »

Today was the final day of taping for Season 37. Jimmy McGuire of the Clue Crew has posted a farewell message for John Lauderdale, who has been stage manager of Jeopardy! for 35 years (and at Wheel of Fortune for just as long?). Those who have been contestants or attended tapings as audience members know John as the one who, among many other duties, arranges relative heights of the contestants with risers, and encourages applause at the breaks. If you hear a lone clap right at the beginning of a commercial break or a category run or a Daily Double solve, that's John Lauderdale.

He's easy to spot in the "We'll be back" moments between Double Jeopardy! and Final Jeopardy! I even enjoyed spotting him in some Season 3 games I entered into the Archive recently.

With John, Alex, Harry, Glenn, Maggie, Phil Wayne (wardrobe), director Kevin McCarthy, and others gone, it appears that announcer Johnny Gilbert is among the last of the old guard, apart from producers Lisa Broffman and Rocky Schmidt and some of the writers.
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Re: Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

Post by SwanShadow »

That's quite an amazing run. I was surprised recently to see John's name still in the closing credits, given that he was on the job way back in Season 4 when I first showed up. Here's wishing him a long, healthy, and happy retirement.
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Re: Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

Post by RandyG »

Best wishes to John in retirement (or wherever). Consummate professional and super guy, whether he was managing us contestants on stage or the time when I was standing on the audience line outside the studio and we had a very pleasant chat.
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Re: Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

Post by NoWhammies10 »

Robert K S wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 1:30 pm Jimmy McGuire of the Clue Crew has posted a farewell message for John Lauderdale, who has been stage manager of Jeopardy! for 35 years (and at Wheel of Fortune for just as long?).
Longer. MUCH longer. John Lauderdale was present at the tapings for Shopper's Bazaar, the proto-Wheel pilot in 1973.
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Robert K S
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Re: Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

Post by Robert K S »

He joined The Merv Griffin Show June 25, 1973, according to his fb. And although he has stage managed J! for only 35 years, he was on staff since day 1. Can't find a credits transcript showing his name from a S1 or S2 show, though.
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Re: Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

Post by davopardy »

Robert K S wrote: Tue May 04, 2021 6:29 pm He joined The Merv Griffin Show June 25, 1973, according to his fb. And although he has stage managed J! for only 35 years, he was on staff since day 1. Can't find a credits transcript showing his name from a S1 or S2 show, though.
Yeah once we find at least the majority of Seasons 1 and 2 episodes we might be able to go through and see if John was credited or not. I have my doubts though that he was even credited prior to the Start of Season 4.

This will be now Jeopardy's only 3rd Stage Manager they've had in nearly 37 years they've been on the air, this isn't counting the time's Jeopardy had him and Randy Berke serving as Stage Managers during roadshows when J! did tape their shows on the road.
"Jeopardy! was Created by Merv Griffin." -Johnny Gilbert (1996-2000)
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Robert K S
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Re: Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

Post by Robert K S »

davopardy wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 4:11 am This will be now Jeopardy's only 3rd Stage Manager they've had in nearly 37 years they've been on the air, this isn't counting the time's Jeopardy had him and Randy Berke serving as Stage Managers during roadshows when J! did tape their shows on the road.
According to the official credits webpage, Randy Berke is still on staff as Senior Production Supervisor.

Here is a credits transcript from a Season 4 game that lists Keith Richmond as the stage manager. Curiously, although we have the credits, this game is not in the Archive. Does anyone have a recording of the game?
dell3234 wrote: Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:41 pm Stage Manager
KEITH RICHMOND
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Re: Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

Post by MarkBarrett »

A fan of the show sent me this email:

Lauderdale joined J! In Sesson 3, Keith Richmond was Stage Manager for first 2 seasons and into early Season 3( 9/17/86 episode) was still Stage manager. Lauderdale was at Merv Griffin show prior to joining J!
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Robert K S
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Re: Stage manager John Lauderdale has retired

Post by Robert K S »

MarkBarrett wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 9:58 am Lauderdale joined J! In Sesson 3, Keith Richmond was Stage Manager for first 2 seasons and into early Season 3( 9/17/86 episode) was still Stage manager. Lauderdale was at Merv Griffin show prior to joining J!
It is either a curious coincidence or a mix-up on the part of the person who wrote you the e-mail that both the Season 3 date given in the e-mail and the Season 4 show credits, quoted in my post just above, in which Keith Richmond is still credited as stage manager, have the date of 9/17.

The person who transcribed the Season 4 credits transcribed the "(C)1987" in the credits.
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