John Barbour, 1933 – 2026

Comic, TV writer and producer John Barbour, 93, died on May 10. Born in Canada, he started his career as a stand-up comic eventually hosting radio shows in L.A. and Chicago. As an actor, he had small roles in Sanford and Son, The Governor and JJ, Get Smart, Ironside, The Odd Couple, and Laugh-In. He produced and directed two JFK assassination documentaries and a documentary on Ernie Kovacs, as well as hosting the pilot for The Gong Show, which he found beneath him, forcing Chuck Barris to take over. He also created and cohosted the 1970s show Real People, helping to unleash the wave of reality TV which now overwhelms us. Barbour recalled his professional relationship with Bob Hope: “I saw a Bob Hope special and it was absolutely dreadful. I was on NBC and I said, ‘At sixty-five I have to retire because, like those who work in factories, it's compulsory. Well, they should have the same law for comedians - or ex-comedians - like Bob Hope.’ The phone rings and this voice says, ‘Hey, pal! What I ever do to you?’ It was Bob Hope. I said, ‘You bored me, that's what.’” Hope was impressed, telling him, “When I was in vaudeville, I thought it would last forever. And it didn't. When I was doing radio I thought it would last forever. And it didn't. But you know what lasts forever? The land they build the vaudeville stage on. The land they build the radio station on. Whenever I negotiated my contract with NBC, I didn't ask for more money. I made them buy land. That land you're sitting on is the land I made them buy."