J. D. Roth

Infobox Person


image_size = 150px
name = J. D. Roth
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birth_date = Birth date and age|1968|04|20,
birth_place = Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey, USA
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = television personality, actor, game show , voice-over performer, television producer, narrator
spouse =
parents =
children =

J. D. Roth (born April 20, 1968, in Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey) is a two-time Emmy Award-nominated American television personality, actor, a former popular children's game show , a voice-over performer on many television programs, and a television producer of reality shows. Roth is currently the announcer and co-creator of the adult reality show "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. He also hosts ABC's fall 2008 series "Opportunity Knocks".

His previous hosting jobs include the Fox adult reality game show "Unan1mous", the children's reality show "Endurance" on NBC and the Discovery Kids Channel, and the children's game show "Fun House" which aired both in syndication and on Fox.

Roth is also the CEO of 3Ball Productions, a television production company based in Manhattan Beach, California.cite web | title=J. D. Roth Biography | work=3B Productions website | url=http://www.3ballproductions.com/bios.html | accessdate=October 10 | accessyear=2007]

Roth and his wife Christine are the parents of two children, Cooper and Duncan.

Early life

Raised in the Philadelphia suburb of city-state|Cherry Hill Township|New Jersey, Roth first acquired an interest in acting when he was ten, and has been working on commercials and being in-front and behind the camera ever since. In a 1996 interview, he said that he worked 22 commercials in his first year of acting. At age 11, he booked himself an audition for a children's show at a New York nightclub, winning a spot along with others including future stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Rick Schroeder, and Ricki Lake.cite web | date=1996-08-21 | author=Ellen Gray | title=The new `Jonny Quest' is full of ideas for children's programming | url=http://www.newstimes.com/archive/aug2196/tvf.htm | publisher=Knight-Ridder Media | archivedate=1997-04-30 | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19970430170024/http://www.newstimes.com/archive/aug2196/tvf.htm| accessdate=15 June | accessyear=2007]

After being a finalist on "Star Search", he made numerous guest appearances on "Charles in Charge", "As the World Turns", "The Equalizer", and "Tales from the Darkside". After graduating from Cherry Hill High School East in 1986, and before producing reality television, Roth's first television exposure was hosting the kids' game show "Fun House", which was the most popular children's show in the U.S. at the time. During its three-year-run, he also traveled across the country hosting a live version for children.

Television productions

In 1991, after his "Fun House" stint, he went on to host the magazine video game series, "GamePro TV". The following year, he started his own production company, Slam Dunk Productions. He initially produced and hosted the short-lived children's game show "Double Up" on NBC. He emceed several other game shows, including the first season of "Masters Of The Maze" for Family, and two of the six seasons of "Zooventure", a children's game show taped at the San Diego Zoo and aired on Animal Planet. "Zooventure" aired in seven countries. Roth also produced a game show version of the word game "Mad Libs" for the Disney Channel with veteran television personality Dick Clark, who worked with Roth behind-the-scenes. He remarked that children would sometimes write in asking what grade he was in because of his youthful voice. In 1996, he took on the titular role of "The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest", having been a childhood fan of the classic series. He found the show educational, a quality he admired whose absence he criticized in other shows billed as such. While hosting "Zooventure", he hosted his first adult game show, "Sex Wars", in syndication.

"Moolah Beach"

In 2001, he formed 3Ball Productions, along with Todd A. Nelson. Roth produced and hosted his first children's reality show, "Moolah Beach", as a 30-minute weekly show for Fox as part of its Fox Kids lineup. It was later shown on ABC Family as an extended 60-minute show in the summer/fall of 2001 for 13 episodes. After ABC chose not to continue the series, Roth took the show concept to NBC and Discovery Kids as "Endurance".

"Endurance"

A spinoff entitled "Endurance" began on NBC and the Discovery Channel in 2002. Renewed in 2007 for a sixth season, "Endurance" has been much more successful. Roth, who serves as creator, host and executive producer for this show, was nominated in 2006 for two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series. In 2007, "Endurance" was nominated for a Daytime Emmy as Outstanding Children's Series. The show was cancelled after its 6th season.

"Opportunity Knocks"

On September 23, 2008 ABC premiered "Opportunity Knocks", a new gameshow hosted by Roth.

Other productions

While not working on "Endurance", Roth serves as narrator on NBC's weight loss reality show, "The Biggest Loser", (with Caroline Rhea and, later, Alison Sweeney), which he also co-created and produces. He also produces reality shows "Breaking Bonaduce", with former child star, Danny Bonaduce on VH1 and "Beauty and the Geek" on the CW Network, alongside Ashton Kutcher (of "That '70s Show" fame).

He also hosted and co-created "Unan1mous", which premiered March 22,2006. Unlike "Endurance", this show was not a ratings winner and was not renewed.

Other credits include:
* "Walt Disney World Inside Out" alongside Brianne Leary & George Foreman (1995)

In September, 2006, the Dutch company Eyeworks Group announced that it had acquired a 50-percent ownership of 3Ball Productions.

References

External links

*
* [http://www.3ballproductions.com 3Ball Productions] – official website
* [http://www.eyeworks.tv Eyeworks Group] – official website
* [http://www.hollywoodfutures.org/videos/producers.htm An interview of J. D. Roth conducted by Streaming Futures]