The program premiered on Jon CBS's daytime lineup, and a syndicated version was launched on September 19. In 1988, game-show producers Mark Goodson and Howard Felsher gave Combs a seven-year contract to host a new version of Family Feud. In 1987, he appeared as a celebrity panelist on the John Davidson version of Hollywood Squares, and had a small role in the comedy film Overboard starring Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. Around this time, he also guest-starred on an episode of The Golden Girls.
In 1985, he appeared on an episode of The Facts of Life as a background character. Johnny Carson heard the audience's laughter and then invited Combs to perform on The Tonight Show in October 1986 the audience gave him a standing ovation. He became so popular that other sitcoms changed their production schedules just so they could have him warm up their audiences. He did well in a competition with more than 200 other young comedians, and began doing audience warm-ups for sitcoms such as The Golden Girls and Amen. In 1982, convinced that he was better than others he saw appear on The Tonight Show, Combs left his job as an Indianapolis furniture salesman, and moved with his family to Los Angeles. In 1979, Combs sent a letter to David Letterman, asking for advice Letterman encouraged him to continue in comedy. Combs began performing comedy at Cincinnati's Red Dog Saloon, where he developed his best-known shtick of audience sing-alongs of sitcom theme songs.