Wink Martindale, the legendary television host credited with being the king of game show television, died at the age of 91 on Tuesday, April 15. He leaves behind a legacy that will never be forgotten, one that has become a pillar of television programming even today. Martindale remains one of the greatest stars in television history, at a time when TV was just beginning to be understood. The early is not always the best, but he proves that often, a fresh idea and take can pave the way for the rest of the industry.
Wink Martindale Leaves Behind a Historic Legacy
After an incredible and inspiring 74-year career, Wink Martindale passed away on Tuesday. He leaves behind a legacy that spans multiple generations and is truly the foundation of what television has become today. In an interview with ABC in 2014, Wink explained how he got his unique name, a name that has become synonymous with game show television. “When I was a kid in Jackson, Tennessee, one of my playmates, Jimmy McCord, couldn’t say ‘Winston,’ which is my given name. He had a speech impediment, and it came out sounding like ‘Winky,’ So Winston turned into Winky, and then I got into the business, and Wink it was! It served me well.”
Wink Martindale started as a rock and roll DJ on the radio, getting his first radio gig at the age of just 17. In 1954, Wink made his mark on the industry by getting a fellow radio host to contact Elvis Presley to do his first-ever on-air radio interview with him on his show. This historic moment jump-started his career, and he took off from there.
Wink Martindale was also a recording artist for a time. In 1959, his album soared to the top of the charts. At one time, Wink wrote, “I could easily have thought, ’Wow, this is easy! I come out here, go on radio and TV, make a record, and everybody wants to buy it! Even if I entertained such thoughts, they soon dissipated. I learned in due time that what had happened to me was far from the ordinary.”
It was not until 1964 that Wink’s career changed to what we remember him for today.
Wink Martindale Redefined the Game Show Genre
Wink Martindale made his first appearance on broadcast television in 1964, for NBC’s game show, “What’s This Song?” His two-year run there earned him the nickname “Win” Martindale, because “Wink” sounded too juvenile to the producers. He went on to host several more shows through the early 1980s, including “Dream Girl ’67” and “How’s Your Mother-in-Law?” both on ABC, and a revival show, “Gambit”.
Gambit, specifically, was in a tough spot. It launched at the same time as “The Price is Right” with Bob Barker and “The Joker’s Wild” with Jack Barry. Wink told a little more in his memoir Winking at Life, “From the day it hit the air, ‘Gambit’ spelled winner, and it taught me a basic tenet of any truly successful game show: KISS! Keep It Simple Stupid. Like playing Old Maids as a kid, everybody knows how to play 21, i.e., blackjack.” For a while, it was the winner, beating out the other two shows. But in 1975, Wheel of Fortune entered the arena and knocked Gambit off the air.
Wink Martindale may best be known for hosting the CBS show, Tic-Tac-Dough. The game aired on CBS from 1978-1985, and it was this show that truly allowed Martindale to blow up. As AP News explains, the show set a new record that captivated audiences. “He presided over the 88-game winning streak of Navy Lt. Thom McKee, who earned over $300,000 in cash and prizes that included eight cars, three sailboats, and 16 vacation trips. At the time, McKee’s winnings were a record for a game show contestant.” In total, Wink awarded contestants prizes valued in total over $7 million. As he says, he loved changing people’s lives.
Wink Martindale began his own television production company in the 1980’s. In total, he either hosted or produced a total of 21 different game shows in his career, an astonishing number. He joked in a 1996 interview with the New York Daily News, “That’s a lot of shows. It either means everybody wants me to do their show or I can’t hold a job.” Trivial Pursuit, Debt, and The Last Word are among the game shows in his catelog.
Wink explained why his games were so successful. “People at home gravitate to games that they know. They can sit there, and they say to themselves, ‘Man, I could have gotten that; I can play that game.’ And when you get that from a home viewer or a person in the audience, you’ve got them captured.”
Wink Martindale earned his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. In 2007, he became one of the first members inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. He continued making appearances on various shows right up to the 2020s. All told, he became one of the most successful and decorated Game Show hosts of all time, and truly established the game show genre as a force in American Entertainment.
Final Thoughts
Wink Martindale died on Tuesday, April 15, at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California. He died surrounded by his friends and loved ones. He had been in a year-long battle with lymphoma. Wink is survived by his wife, Sandra; his daughters, Lisa, Lyn, and Laura; his sister, Geraldine; and his “honorary son,” Eric. In all, Martindale will be remembered for his massive contributions to both radio and television media, and he rightfully stands on top the peak of the gaming world.
