Ken Ober, host of MTV's Remote Control dead at 52

[Young Drachma]

Ken Ober, ‘Remote Control’ Host, Is Dead - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com

Ken Ober, a brassy comedian best known as the host of the 1980s-era MTV game show “Remote Control,” died this weekend, Mark Measures, an agent at Abrams Artists who worked with him, said on Monday. Mr. Ober, who lived in Santa Monica, Calif., was 52. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Lee Kernis, a manager at Brillstein Entertainment Partners who represented Mr. Ober for more than 20 years, said that Mr. Ober was found dead on Sunday. He said that Mr. Ober was last heard from on Saturday night, when he spoke to a friend and complained of a headache and flu-like symptoms. Mr. Ober told the friend that he was going to take something and would see a doctor as soon as possible.

Mr. Ober, who was born in Brookline, Mass. and raised in Hartford, Conn., grew up idolizing game show hosts like Bob Barker and Bob Eubanks, and went on to host four game shows of his own, including a revived version of “Make Me Laugh” in 1997. But his breakthrough came a decade earlier when Mr. Ober, a contestant on the televised talent show “Star Search,” became the host of the MTV series “Remote Control” in 1987.

That show, which was the network’s first original series to focus on non-musical content, tested participants on their knowledge of television, music-video and pop-culture trivia. The show, which also provided a launching pad for the careers of comedians like Adam Sandler and Colin Quinn, drew much of its sarcastic, self-mocking spirit from the culturally obsessive Mr. Ober, who ran the program like a late-night talk show (or frat party) and gleefully teased players who gave wrong answers.

Van Toffler, the president of MTV Networks, said on Monday, “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.”

In recent years Mr. Ober also worked as a producer on comedy series like “Mind of Mencia” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine.”

Mr. Kernis said, “He was a terrific friend. I’m still shocked.”

Watch Ken Ober in a clip from “Remote Control” from 1989:

[lynchjm24]

Used to see him at the IHOP in West Hartford a few years back.

[Shkspr]

So, not Canadian then?

[Swaggs]

Wow.... makes me feel old to think that Remote Control was that long ago.

Kari Wuhrer was awesome back in the day.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Shkspr

So, not Canadian then?

should have known you'd beat me to that one...

[cuervo72]

Yikes.

Originally Posted by Swaggs

Kari Wuhrer was awesome back in the day.

yy. Though Marisol Massey was pretty cute too.

Originally Posted by Shkspr

So, not Canadian then?

Heh.

[Karlifornia]

Shkspr wins.

[Comey]

Originally Posted by lynchjm24

Used to see him at the IHOP in West Hartford a few years back.

Wow. I see a bunch of ESPN people at the Panera in Bishop's Corner (notably Mike Golic, since his kids go to Northwest, which is right near the elementary school where I work). I would have liked to meet Ken Ober.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by Swaggs

Wow.... makes me feel old to think that Remote Control was that long ago.

Kari Wuhrer was awesome back in the day.

Same here on both counts. Remote Control was surprising influential in terms of launching some careers. I always kind of felt like Ober was trying to host Remote Control doing a Letterman impersonation, but he made it work.

This will make me sound like Hell Atlantic, but if you were in high school or college during the Remote Control era and didn't want to do naughty things to Kari Whurer, there was something seriously wrong with you.

[Swaggs]

I always thought that Colin Quinn was really cool because of Remote Control. And then he kind of blew it with his stint on SNL -- he just seemed like a dinosaur compared to the other castmembers at the time (Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Jimmy Fallon, Jim Breuer).

Gotta admit -- I have had the Remote Control theme song in my head since seeing this thread.

[Schmidty]

Good Lord I'm old.

[CamEdwards]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

Good Lord I'm old.

You may be, but Ken Ober wasn't.

RIP, sort-of-funnyman.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

He was the only one from that show that didn't seem to have a bigger career afterward. Hell, even that kid Adam Sandler had a career. As for Kari Wuhher... Yes, naughty things come to mind to this day, and she is currently 42 years old.

RIP, Ken.

[Swaggs]

Adam Sandler -- THE STUD BOY!

[hhiipp]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

He was the only one from that show that didn't seem to have a bigger career afterward. Hell, even that kid Adam Sandler had a career. As for Kari Wuhher... Yes, naughty things come to mind to this day, and she is currently 42 years old.

RIP, Ken.

Just googled Kari Wuhher, wow.

[lynchjm24]

Heard a rumor today it was H1N1. Or maybe it's legitimate news. I've gotten lazy to the point I didn't even check.

[SteveMax58]

Dam...that brings back some memories.

I like the fact that one of the contestants could win some of the newest CDs from top artists such as Whitney Houston & Milli Vanilli.

[3ric]

I remember Remote Control, but not particularily Ken Ober - probably because I couldn't take my eyes of Alicia Coppola.

[Chubby]

i loved that show

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

Good Lord I'm old.

Yep. I told a guy I work with about Remote Control and he looked at me like I just took my dentures out to clean them.