MANILA, Philippines?How is Dingdong Dantes doing as Richard Gomez?s replacement on ?Family Feud?? We recently watched the show several times and have come up with these observations:

First, the good news: Dingdong is a real looker and eager to please, so it isn?t hard to warm up to him. However, as the host of a game show, he?s too low-key and ?obedient.?

Meaning, he does everything expected of him, but in a dutiful rather than dynamic fashion, so the show?s excitement level seldom peaks.

He?s also deficient when it comes to interacting with the show?s teams of contestants, so that?s another opportunity lost.

What seems to be the problem? Dingdong needs to understand more clearly that, aside from putting a show?s contestants through their paces, a program host establishes the character, tempo and ?unique selling proposition? of a game show, distinguishing it from similar programs on the tube.

For instance, compare ?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? when Christopher de Leon was its game master, and now that Vic Sotto is doing the honors. The game?s the same, but Vic has brought a wry wit to the program that the more formal and even stuffy Christopher couldn?t manage during his stint on the program.

Compare, too, Richard?s hosting to Dingdong?s style, and it?s Dingdong?s turn to come off as the relatively stuffy one. Richard really wasn?t all that great as a game master, but his friendlier and more jovial style helped make the show a lighter, brighter viewing treat, while Dingdong comes off as being too ?obedient? for his and the ?Family Feud? show?s own good.

To make the show truly his own, Dingdong has to realize that hosting is very different from acting, and make the necessary adjustments: When he acts, he plays a role. As game master, he has to be himself, or a cockier, sassier version thereof. Meaning, he has to look for and find his more dominant, flashier and more ?showman? side, as opposed to his acting persona.

For some people, that isn?t easy to manage, because it requires a big shift in attitude and psychological stance. And it looks like Dingdong is finding the adjustment especially difficult because he?s basically a nice but dry performer.

If he really wants to do better as a TV game master, he could take his cue from the instructive example of Howie Mandel, the stand-up comic who very effectively transformed himself into the host of the hit game show ?Deal or No Deal.?

At first, Mandel also had a hard time making the big shift, but he soon clicked with viewers because he learned to come through on the tube as a genuinely nice guy who was really concerned about helping contestants do well on the show.

That key personal connection made Mandel accessible not just to contestants but also to viewers, who liked the fact that he wasn?t performing.

Dingdong is used to acting, but he has to unlearn all that and instead focus on being empathetically, comfortably himself?and all the rest will follow.