hfan77 Along with Hollywood Squares, Match Game was one of the funniest game shows of the 1970s. The original version, which ran from 1962-69 was a more serious game with questions like "Name a cold drink" that would also turn up on the early revival episodes. But as the show evolved, the questions became more and more silly and that's one reason why the show became a hit.The other reason for the show's success was host Gene Rayburn, along with regulars Richard Dawson, Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly who created a zany atmosphere around the double entendre responses to the questions. Rayburn was very funny imitating a senior citizen when reading an Old Man Periwinkle question.Unfortunately, the show began to jump the shark when Dawson became the host of Family Feud and became even more difficult to deal with, especially after the addition of The Star Wheel in the Head to Head Match. He would be the only regular to depart. Also, a time change from afternoon to late morning cost the show most of its after school audience, though it would return to the afternoon but it was too late. The show ran its course in daytime, only to stay on for three more years in syndication.Fear not, the reruns are alive, well and funny on GSN.

I_Am_The_Taylrus SPOILERSAs you know if you read my comments, nobody does, by the way, I am a huge fan of game shows. Well, this little game show just happens to be my favorite. Come on, how could you not this? You know everyone has fun, this is anything but serious, everyone is probably a bit drunk, you can basically do anything but doing something bad or nasty, and come on, this is just plain fun! How could you not like some of the most famous game show moments of all time, including the 1977 School Riot, other mistakes, puns, and more. I can not name all the moments, that would take days. Gene Rayburn (RIP) is one of the greatest game show hosts of all time, along with Bob Barker from the Price is Right, and he was a panelist for a short while, by the way. Everyone knows, though, that the best and most prolific panelists are Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers, and Richard Dawson. On Head-To-Head Match you should always choose Richard. Most of the time he matches the contestant. Then he left in 1978 for time to do Family Feud, which is another great game-show. This show was the best game show until the Star Wheel came. That kind of ruined it. That made the contestants spin a wheel. When it landed on a certain celebrity, you had to try to match that celebrity.Here is how you play. There are six celebrities, called panelists, and they are two contestants. Gene Rayburn says something, with the word blank in the sentence. The panelists write down what they think is that blank. The contestant tries to match the panelist. There are two rounds. Whoever wins gets $100 and then plays Audiece Match. There is something like Rocky *blank* and the contestant calls on 3 panelists. They give what they think is that blank. The third answer is $100, second is $250, and the top is $500. If they get one of those they play Head-To-Head Match. Let's say that they won $500, they then play for $5000. They try to match the celebrity. If they do, they win the $5000. If they do not, they win the $500.Overall, this is one of the finest game shows ever. It is one of the funniest, one of the most famous, and one of the most iconic ever. This totally deserved to be number one of the Fifty Greatest Game Shows Of All Time. When I say that I mean it was number one, and it could not have been anything less. Yeah, it is that good. Trust me, if you absolutely love game shows, you have to watch this. Nothing is wrong with this, well, except for the Star Wheel. Anyway, I guess there is nothing else to say. This is an excellent game show. Everything has already been said about this game show. Well, I guess I can say just watch this and be entertained for one of the best thirty minute-long game shows ever.10/10Recommended Shows: Family Feud, The Price Is Right, and Wheel of Fortune.

mkaiser-1 Match Game started modestly enough with only Richard Dawson as the sole regular. Brett and Charles were added on by a happy accident. When Brett commented that Charles wasn't wearing any socks, someone thought it might be interesting to seat her next to Charles (she sat on Richard's right on her debut week) and another odd couple was born.At the start of the '78 shows, Richard Dawson was gradually becoming less enchanted with Match Game. He wanted out, but he had to wait for his contract to expire. Richard's behavior took a noticeable turn around April 1978, when he stopped smiling, spoke only to reveal his answers (in a low, monotone voice), wouldn't look at the camera, and overall looked bored and miserable. It didn't help when they added the Star Wheel, meaning that he'd participate less in the bonus game. When Gene noticed this very sudden change in behavior, he tried to co-erse him to smile. The audience shouted requests, and when Richard flatly refused, Gene resorted to nearly strangling him to the ground before finally getting a smile out of him. Unfortunately, this didn't help his behavior for the rest of the run. 6 weeks later, they finally let him go. Richard's last show was without fanfare, and there was no direct mention that it would be his last (other than his statement "Fare thee well" which he wrote on his card at the start of the show). Word has it Gene did mention Richard was leaving, but those comments were edited out. It may have been edited out either because they may have thought Richard would return, or they just felt Richard didn't deserve a "goodbye" after his erratic behavior.The following week, Bob Barker was the first to fill Richard's chair, and he noticed a card that Richard left behind that said "The sun never sets in England". Gene commented "He thought he was going to be here forever" Very little was mentioned of Richard after he left, but on the show's finale, when a contestant insisted on kissing Mc.Lean Stevenson, despite his having a cold, Betty White quips "May I suggest you pass that on to Richard Dawson?"

wachovia_138 Gene Rayburn IS Match Game, no question! My friend and I love Match Game, and we watch it all the time! It also has one of the coolest themes, with that crunchy "WAHH" guitar. To the person who said something about the weird audio/video splicings, that's the fault of Game Show Network. GSN often does "time compressing", i. e. they slightly cut up the shows.