Say "Bob Eubanks" and most people will think of The Newlywed Game
—and not much else. Perhaps therein lies the reason for the veteran game show host to pen his autobiography. Eubanks is a kind of Forrest Gump of American media, popping up to promote everything from early Beatles concerts to the legendary 1975 Ali-Frazier boxing match, the Thrilla in Manila. He tells it all, in numbing detail. By page 90, readers are only in 1962, learning about the quirks of old radio personalities. Only near book's end does Eubanks delve into his story's most intriguing portion: his television career. Eubanks's tone is light and conversational, typical of a TV emcee, and co-author Hansen has an easy touch with enigmatic personalities. Ironically, there's a vein of self-doubt and insecurity in the outwardly confident host: "I couldn't shake the feeling that my life's work could be capsulized as a guy who pushed young couples to answer suggestive questions about their personal lives for the price of a toaster." Yet Eubanks skips over other telling moments—such as his fraying marriage—in a couple of paragraphs. However much Eubanks might like to distance himself from The Newlywed Game
, it's what he'll be remembered for. At least with this book, his other lives are on the record, too. Photos not seen by PW
. (Oct.)
