Who was the original host of "Family Feud"?

Richard Dawson landed the hosting gig largely because he had already perfected his charming, slightly flirtatious persona as a regular panelist on "Match Game." Producers watched him work his magic with contestants and celebrity guests for years, and when they needed someone who could make ordinary families feel comfortable on national television, Dawson was their guy. He brought his signature move from "Match Game" right over to "Family Feud" and started kissing every female contestant who stepped up to the podium. The kissing thing became such a trademark that when he briefly left the show and returned in 1994, his first episode back was literally titled "The Return of the Kissing Bandit." Dawson's background as a serious actor on "Hogan's Heroes" probably never prepared him for becoming America's most affectionate game show host, but he managed to turn what could have been creepy into something that felt genuinely warm and welcoming.