John Barbour dies: Creator, co-host of ‘Real People’ was 93

John Barbour, the creator, producer and co-host of the reality television show “Real People” from 1979 to 1985, died on Sunday, his family said. He was 93.

His death was announced by family members, who said that the Emmy Award winner died from natural causes at his Las Vegas home, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

According to Deadline, “Real People” was a pioneer in promoting the popularity of reality TV. The one-hour show featured Barbour and other co-hosts, which would include Sarah Purcell, Byron Allen, Skip Stephenson, Mark Russell, Peter Billingsley and Fred Willard.

The show, filmed before a studio audience, featured profiles of non-celebrities who had interesting occupations or hobbies -- or who were simply interesting, unusual or odd -- and was a ratings winner for NBC, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The show and its flexible format would become the template for future series, such as “That’s Incredible!” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” Deadline reported.

Born in Toronto on April 24, 1933, Barbour dropped out of high school when he was 15 and moved to the United States during the 1950s, Deadline reported.

He began his entertainment career as a standup comic and appeared on programs such as “The Dean Martin Show” and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” according to the entertainment news website.

Barbour also served as an opening act in Las Vegas for Robert Goulet and Bobby Darin, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He would release a pair of comedy albums -- “It’s Tough To Be White” (1965) and “I Met A Man I Didn’t Like” (1978).

Barbour was the pilot host for "The Gong Show" in 1976 before Chuck Barris took over, the entertainment website reported. He made guest appearances on television shows such as “Get Smart,” “The Odd Couple,” “Ironside,” “Sanford and Son,” “Breaking Bad” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

In 1970, Barbour became the host of KABC’s “AM Los Angeles” and won the first of five Emmy Awards. His other four came as a “critic-at-large” for Los Angeles television station KNBC.

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