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This is an unusual book chronicling many of television's firsts … the first host of a TV variety show; the first host of a network game show; the first host of an infomercial; the first TV wrestling commentator; the first TV boxing commentator; the first reporter to cover a political convention for TV; the first person to host an Easter parade on network television; the first person t \o appear on a videotaped commercial; the host of the first major annual telethon; the first man to put Dick Van Dyke, Jonathan Winters, and The Carpenters on television; the first host hired for The New Price is Right.
The unusual part is that this book is about one man: Dennis James. When it came to being first, he was number one. A portion of every book sold benefits United Cerebral Palsy. Dennis hosted the United Cerebral Palsy telethons for more than forty years, and UCP is honored to continue Dennis' legacy.
ADAM NEDEFF has worked behind the scenes on game shows including Wheel of Fortune,The Price is Right, Idiotest, Emogenius, and Funny You Should Ask. When he's not working on game shows, he's writing about them, with previous titles including This Day in Game Show History, Quizmaster: The Life and Times and Fun and Games of Bill Cullen, The Matchless Gene Rayburn, and It's More Than Password: The Life (and Wife) of Allen Ludden. He is originally from Vienna, WV.
