Well, it isn't exactly new.
Actually...it's older than I am.
Here. I'll give you a clue:
_____ Game
If you filled in the blank with 'Match,' then a little bell has just sounded, indicating that you've given the correct answer, and one of us is going to end up kissing Richard Dawson on the mouth. That's how things work on Match Game.Now, there have been several incarnations of Match Game. The original version began airing in 1962 as a live, black and white broadcast from New York City. It went off the air in '69 but was revived in a bright (and I mean bright) full-color format in 1973, recorded "live on tape" in Hollywood. The '70s run of the show is typically the era that most people remember when they think of Match Game. The show experienced brief resurrections in 1990 and 1998, but those versions never quite off the ground.
But Match Game's glory days couldn't be beat. Gene Rayburn was the show's original host in the 1960s, and he returned with the show in '73. Rayburn had a goofy lovability, and though he sometimes went over the top, he never stole the comic thunder from the panelists, who were the real stars of the show. Every episode opened with Gene--typically wearing a business suit with ginormous lapels (ah, the '70s!)--walking across the orange set to retrieve his microphone, which was the size of a yard stick.
Let's explore that set for a minute. Covering the floor and stairs of Match Game's stage was bright orange shag carpeting. And, as if that wasn't enough orange for America, the walls were also orange. But the best part was the giant spinning disc on which the two contestants came whirling around at the opening of every show. When a game was over, the winner would join Gene at the Super Match board--which was manually operated (by, I assume, a dwarf)--and the losing contestant would whirl backstage on the giant spinning disc, waving gaily at the panelists and audience, proclaiming what a wonderful time they've had. Of course, before the Spin of Shame, Gene always assured the loser they would receive a wonderful parting gift, which, in those days, was probably a year's supply of Rice-A-Roni or a gross of Ogilvie Home Perm solution. Who wouldn't be gleeful after learning of gifts like these?
But be warned. If your eyes are even remotely sensitive to light, you may want to wear protective lenses before viewing Match Game. All that bright orange is enough to make your retinas detach.
Just disregard the whole set because, if--like me--thinly-veiled dirty jokes, dry humor, and endless double entendres are your thing, then Match Game is a good match for you.
The panelists were the highlight of every show. Each week featured different stars,
but there were always a few that remained consistent. The regulars were Richard Dawson, he of Family Feud fame, who would smoke cigarettes, kiss on anything with a vagina, and flirt so openly and hungrily that you have to wonder if he didn't have a Fleshlight under that desk. But I give Richard a lot of credit; he ruled at Match Game! That guy could match practically any contestant, no matter how odd an answer may be (and there were some doozies).Another regular panelist was Charles Nelson Reilly. Today, Reilly is mostly known from his appearances on Match Game, but in
actuality, he was really quite an accomplished actor, having an extensive theater resume and a Tony Award. There's no denying, however, that pipe-smoking Reilly's greatest role may have been portraying himself on Match Game. Campy and unapologetically flamboyant, he was one of the first out gay men on television. To be fair, he never said it outright on the show, but it was constantly hinted at and lovingly joked about; it was something he did not hide. I, of course, respect him for that, but I also respect the fact that the guy was friggin' hilarious. The funniest Charles moments came when he would reply to a question in his butch persona, named Chuck--whose voice was much deeper than Reilly's natural voice--and talk about "pickin' up chicks." Comedy gold, I tell ya.The other regular was my personal favorite, the amazing Brett Somers. Now, to be fair, Match Game was pretty much Brett's
claim to fame. She occasionally acted but was mostly known for being the wife of Jack The Odd Couple Klugman. They separated in 1974 but remained married until Somers's death in 2007; Klugman was the butt of many of Brett's jokes on the show. Despite the fact few probably considered her a star, Brett was fantastic. She seemed to have a different wig for every taping, she often wore dark, oversized glasses, and there were constant jokes about her being an alcoholic. She had a razor-sharp wit and a deadpan delivery, and the show's funniest moments were the hilarious sparring matches between she and Charles.Over the years, there were many guest stars and several semi-regular panelists. Among the semi-regulars were Bert Convy, Nipsey Russell, Kaye Stevens, the hysterically funny Marcia Wallace, the dingy Joyce Bulifant, and the undisputed queen of game shows, Betty White. But my semi-regular of choice was the wonderful Fannie Flagg. Flagg was an actress and singer, but her biggest success came after Match Game, when she became an accomplished novelist. She wrote Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop
Cafe (and the script for the movie) and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for the novel and an Oscar for the film. She's written several more novels, and I've read all her work. Her books are laugh-out-loud funny and incredibly poignant, offering truly authentic slice-of-life, small town stories with humor and heart.Flagg gave what is, in my opinion, the best--and funniest--response in Match Game history. Here's the fill-in-the-blank: "Frank said, 'I grew up in a really rough neighborhood. It was so rough that instead of dribbling a basketball, we dribbled a ________.'" The other panelists gave their answers, and then they got to Fannie, whose answer was: "Nun." I still laugh about that answer. I love you, Fannie--and not just for that amazing fried-egg sweatshirt!
So if you're ever finding yourself in front of the television around 11:30 a.m. EST, I highly recommend tuning into the Game Show Network for two back-to-back episodes of Match Game. They are just a lot of fun to watch and harken back to a bygone era in American television. An era when you could smoke and drink cocktails on TV, when you couldn't say dirty words outright but could say everything but, when a collection of now almost-forgotten stars had the opportunity to shine brightly.
But never as brightly as the orange shag carpet.
