Back in the early 90s, I was like 12 or something, my older sister took me to see MTV's Remote Control game show done live, on tour, at Trinity College in Hartford, or was it Saint Joseph, or I think it was University of Hartford. Anyway, it was one of my favorite tv shows back then, and I saw them all in person, Adam, Ken, Leary ( I can't remember if he was around) and of course Kari Wuh, wuh wuh, Wuhrer. She always made me get a case of the stutters. Then I heard about the host dying, today, exactly three months after his death. Strange that.
Starting in 1987, Ober hosted five seasons of "Remote Control," which, along with "Club MTV" and "The Week In Rock," was MTV's first foray into series television. A quiz show that tested contestants' pop-culture knowledge, the set bore a strong resemblance to a suburban home's basement. Standing behind a makeshift lectern and next to a giant television screen that helped guide the show, Ober would ask questions about celebrities, movies, TV shows and music videos. Participants sat on colorful La-Z-Boy chairs with food and drinks on trays in front of them as they tried to answer the questions and avoid elimination. The show helped launch the careers of Adam Sandler, Denis Leary and Colin Quinn, who made various appearances on the show, acting out sketches that functioned as quiz questions.
"Ken Ober was one of the sharpest, quickest, sweetest guys I ever met," Sandler said in a statement to MTV News. "He was always a great friend and I will miss him very much."
Leary said in a statement: "Kenny Ober was and always will be the quickest wit in the room. He was fall-down funny from the moment he was born — a smart, fast and hilarious human being who made many of us, including myself, laugh until we cried. As the star and host of 'Remote Control,' he was a welcoming ringmaster who helped to kickstart the careers of numerous talents, including Adam Sandler, Colin Quinn and myself. He will be remembered always by each of his friends not only for his massive talent but for his true, deep and enduring friendship."
MTV Networks President Van Toffler said on Monday (November 16): "Ken was a great guy. His personality really brought 'Remote Control' to life, as well as a new style of programming for MTV. We were really flying by the seat of of our pants then, and Ken was the reason it worked."
below a couple clips
