570 replies to this topic

[BuffAlum]

My favorite thing about the Match Game, and a number of other 1970s celebrity game shows, is that a number of the celebrities SMOKED during the show. I know this was perfectly common and acceptable during the 1970s (as my then-developing lungs will attest), but in the current context it's just unimaginable and quite funny.

[boomersmommy]

My favorite thing about the Match Game, and a number of other 1970s celebrity game shows, is that a number of the celebrities SMOKED during the show. I know this was perfectly common and acceptable during the 1970s (as my then-developing lungs will attest), but in the current context it's just unimaginable and quite funny.

A lot of them (Richard and Charles come to mind) were also enjoying cocktails at the time. I love the smoking, drinking, and sexual innunedo of this show. Of course, when I watched it back in the old days, I was too young to appreciate the utter coolness of it.

[farinacus]

I love the smoking, drinking, and sexual innunedo of this show.

Same here, but while there isn't much at all that I would find personally offensive on TV, one thing I do find a bit uncomfortable to watch is the way Gene and the others would mock contestants who had accents (Asian, Southern, etc.). I don't have a problem with the old Loony Tunes exaggerating accents and features, but to do it right to one's face is a bit much.

[mbridgii]

Match Game is definitely not-PC. It's only occasionally that I'm disgusted by it.

The thing I like about "Match Game" is that, as easy as it would be to give one of the off-color answers, they never did. I don't know whether everyone was scared into not answering that way, but it created the need for double entendre that made the show great.

[dchmello]

hey, I even like Brett Sommers (probably because she was also Lady Elaine in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood).

Brett may have looked like Lady Elaine, but Mr. Rogers did the voices of all of the puppets in the Land of Make Believe.

Wow, since I don't get GSN, this thread is bringing up a lot of memories of how I got a real "education" watching Match Game as a kid.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned how Gene walked around with that microphone that was so long he must have been compensating for his short little [BLANK]!

[Mr. Hairy]

Occasionally you would have contestants who didn't quite grasp the concept of "double entendre". For example, on one ep Gene asked "I knew my husband was angry at me when he stubbed out his cigar in my BLANK!"

The contestant answered "nightgown"...

[pianodan]

This is too funny. Want to be on a faux Match Game with celebrity impersonators? Come to Greenwich Village!

"Match GAYme Live" - their website
and a posting by which I learned of its existence

[Kaboom]

My favorite thing about the show is how Richard insists on putting a period after all of his answers.

hee! And I like when Charles Nelson Reilly illustrates his answers. I don't know why, it just makes me laugh. :-)

[wghedges]

A lot of them (Richard and Charles come to mind) were also enjoying cocktails at the time.

Hee! A full week's worth of episodes was filmed in one day, and the "celebrities" drank the whole time. By the last episode filmed, they were pretty well smashed. That's why Friday's episodes were usually the funniest. ;-)

My favorites are Bill Daily, Charles, and Fannie. Seriously, Bill makes me laugh until I cry.

Edited by wghedges, Jan 21, 2004 @ 12:22 PM.

[farinacus]

My favorite thing about the show is how Richard insists on putting a period after all of his answers. 

hee! And I like when Charles Nelson Reilly illustrates his answers. I don't know why, it just makes me laugh. :-)

And even though they were continually told that spelling didn't count, it was amazing how bad these people butchered the English language. Wasn't it Fannie Flagg who seemed to misspell just about every single answer? (I didn't misspell "misspell", did I?)

Edited by farinacus, Jan 21, 2004 @ 2:39 PM.

[farinacus]

The chicks in the lower left-- the HotGirl chair-- are appalling spellers.

Maybe so, but who ever looked at their cards? :)

[Kaboom]

The chicks in the lower left-- the HotGirl chair-- are appalling spellers.

I thought I was hallucinating yesterday when I saw Joan Collins in that chair. Joan Collins! I had never seen her on MG before. She was fun although some of her answers were meh.

Worst panelists ever? Radar. Orson Bean.

I can't think of his name, but I think the actor was on one of those detective shows at the time, and sits where Nipsey usually sits (Brett's right). Whoever he is, he is just awful.

[farinacus]

I can't think of his name, but I think the actor was on one of those detective shows at the time, and sits where Nipsey usually sits (Brett's right). Whoever he is, he is just awful.

I wonder if they generally had dunderheads as the lone male non-regular in the first chair on purpose. A few good ones come to mind (Bart Braverman, Gopher, Nipsey Russell), but for every one of them there were too many Buck Owens or Scoey Mitchells. I bet Richard insisted on it so he wouldn't be upstaged.

When Joey Bishop was on, did it look like he was actually getting upset at the audience (as opposed to acting) when they booed him?

[caltrask55]

Aw, I like Orson Bean.

Another one of my favorites was Dick Gautier. He always cracked me up. He and his wife (now ex I believe) Barbara Stuart used to be on together and they were great. According to his website, he still seems like a funny, funny guy. Case in point from his biography page:

Okay - you found it. This is the section dedicated to my ego, that once grotesquely inflated thing which deflates slightly with each passing day.

and

Welcome to my web site. Glad you could make it. You can't say I don't have a lot of weird and eclectic stuff to look at. Somebody called it a browser's paradise. Not me. I didn't say that. I'd never say anything to glorify myself. Actors never do that.

heh.

I'm seriously thinking of emailing him. Does that make me crazy?

Edited by caltrask55, Jan 22, 2004 @ 6:43 PM.

[caltrask55]

He was a big character actor in the 70's and the 80's. He was always on Love Boat, Murder She Wrote, Matlock and shows like that. He was on Match Game quite a bit as well as Tattletales.

And yes, he was in the upper left seat while his wife sat in the Hot Chick seat (though I don't think she really was one).

Edited by caltrask55, Jan 22, 2004 @ 10:41 PM.

[farinacus]

All-time queen of the Hot Chicks:

Debralee Scott

I was like seven the first time I saw Debralee Scott on Match Game. I barely even knew what sex was. And I still wanted to do her.

I would substitute Elaine Joyce and say the exact same thing.

[caltrask55]

No. That was the show "Mr. Merlin". Elaine Joyce was married to Bobby Van until he passed away in 1980. She didn't hook up with J.D. Salinger until around 1982 or late 1981. She is now married to Neil Simon.

I know way too much about Elaine Joyce. *hangs head*

[Qwho]

Wasn't it Dick Gautier who used "fag" in one of his matches. I remember some fuss about it and GSN edited the episode if I'm recalling correctly.

I really hated Joey Bishop. He'd give his answer, but would never show the card and Gene had to always ask him for it.

Mary Ann Mobley was oblivious to how much of a box of hair she was.

[caltrask55]

You are correct.

[ThatTree]

appalling spellers

Surprisingly to me, consistently the worst spelling on MG was by bestselling author Fannie Flagg. My heart goes out to her copy editors... girlfriend is funny as all get-out and can wear a fried-egg sweatshirt like nobody's biz, but spelling? Impaired.

[daniel82]

With apologies to David Letterman.....
The #1 phrase you never want to hear as a contestant on "Match Game" is

"You must match Patti Deutsch in order to stay in the game."

Okay, I've expressed my Patti love before, but if I were on stage and her non-sequitir (at best!) answers made me lose my chance at the big money, I'd be really pissed.

Richard put periods behind his answers and Charles drew pictures, but my personal favorite "affectation" was Brett's tendency to write answers that took three or four cards to spell out, and listed every possible answer that could come up.

Dick Gauthier was Robin Hood in "When Things Were Rotten," and I loved the way Brett pretended to have the hots for him. At least I hope she was pretending.

Bob Barker was really cool, and I loved when Allen Ludden would stop by; if Betty was there, it was even better.

My favorite "babe" (fourth seat) was actually Kate Jackson (circa the Rookies years). Her answers sucked, but she was so beautiful without having to resort to Louisa Moritz-style stupidity or Elaine Joyce-style feigned stupidity.

And yes, I hope Fannie dictated Fried Green Tomatoes, because her spelling was simply appalling. Those shirts of hers belong in the Museum of TV and Radio, though.

[farinacus]

The #1 phrase you never want to hear as a contestant on "Match Game" is

"You must match Patti Deutsch in order to stay in the game."

#1a would be "You must match Joyce Boulifant in order to stay in the game."