ABC bringing back Match Game

[TLEberle]

So the presentation wasn't bad, but the question writing was atrocious. Match Game is a format that is kinda dependent on good writing to set up the comedy.

I know that I'm first in line as slavish to the game, but when you can win based on whether you get questions that lead to a single answer or your opponent gets one that can go three ways, I look askance. And for a top prize of $25,000, I would like for there to at least be some sort of game there. The thing of it is what else do you do? If the game takes a back seat to the jokes, that's how it is. For as much fooling about as there was it didn't feel like they could wedge a third round in there.

I forget what question it was now, but there was a round one question where Tituss Burgess shamelessly cribbed from Martin Short's playbook by not answering the question and making a callback reference instead.

/and she bungled the potato question anyway.
//it was silly fun and there's nothing on at 10p to conflict.

[BrandonFG]

So the presentation wasn't bad, but the question writing was atrocious. Match Game is a format that is kinda dependent on good writing to set up the comedy.

I think that was my main legit gripe with the show. You either had a gimme question (The limerick ending in "hickey"), or something that could go in a hundred directions (The one about what you call a group of Baldwin Brothers. I like that they were trying to go for something that sounds like "gaggle". It just fell way flat.). What bugged me more was that you'd have one of each in either round, as opposed to the two gimmes being "catchup" opportunities in round two.

I really enjoyed the episodes, and look forward to next week's, but yeah, more consistency with the writing (or a much narrower field) wouldn't hurt at all. All in all, I give it an 8.

[whewfan]

I'll have to admit, I didn't really have a good answer to the Uranus question (the best I thought of was "Full Moon", because of the space scenario, and it's also a play on words of the general area of "Uranus") or the Baldwin brothers question (I couldn't think of anything). I happen to like the range of possible answers for those questions. As for the hickey question, one panelist blurted out another possibility, "Pricky", and I thought of two more, "Licky" and "Quickie." but yeah, it was otherwise a gimme question.

Next week's shows will be better, trust me! I was there!

[TimK2003]

Last night was a travel day for me and my wife, but we did manage to arrive at our hotel before the final Pyramid winners circle. 

Overall the show was very good and much of the editing (especially during the writing sessions) was far better than the Rayburn years.

My pet peeves: 

Yes, the question writing and round placement of the general/gimme questions  needs the most work.

Kudos for using original cues front the Rayburn AND Shaffer eras, but you don't have to use them after every little thing.  Case in point: In the first Super Match, they played the original theme/head to head match cue when the contestants answer was revealed.  With the civilian/celeb congrats going on, the music made it sound like they won it all -- yet it was only the Super Match for the base stakes.

I think it was rather "rude" to not spin the contestants around during the show opening.  Makes it feel the show is not about the contestants, and in the previous incarnations, spinning the contestants in did not distract from anything.

My only other suggestion is bump up the SFX volumes.  The classic bells and buzzers were hard to hear at times.

Overall, the set is an awesome for the 21st century.  And like Pyramid,  the sets looks sturdy and fancy enough to survive a regular daily or weekly run (hint hint).

[Kniwt]

No music credit to Score Productions?

[Clay Zambo]

I think it was rather "rude" to not spin the contestants around during the show opening.  Makes it feel the show is not about the contestants, and in the previous incarnations, spinning the contestants in did not distract from anything.

Respectfully disagree. Doing it the way they did gave the contestants their own special "entrance."

Also, it called attention to the turntable, and ate up another few seconds of airtime. Since there isn't *enough* time to play 3 rounds (and the possibility of a tiebreaker after), doing it this way worked quite well for me.

[SRIV94]

Would Ira have matched lube and lotion?

[Chief-O]

Would Ira have matched lube and lotion?

I actually made a quip on Facebook about it. It seems the former is probably a little too contemporary of a term.....so, I doubt it. The current braintrust, on the other hand, is probably a lot more "on top" of those kinds of terms and slangs.

[Matt Ottinger]

Google the words 'lotion' and 'lube' together.  It's fun!

[Jimmy Owen]

So the presentation wasn't bad, but the question writing was atrocious. Match Game is a format that is kinda dependent on good writing to set up the comedy.

I want to like it, but between that and the overcaffeinated contestants, I have concerns. Admittedly it's also following the utter brilliance that was Pyramid.

Call DeBartolo.

[Dbacksfan12]

Would Ira have matched lube and lotion?

I guess it depends on how nitpicky you want to be, but seeing how Ira judged in the past, I think he would argue that lube is part of a much broader family of products.

[Johnissoevil]

I think it was rather "rude" to not spin the contestants around during the show opening.  Makes it feel the show is not about the contestants, and in the previous incarnations, spinning the contestants in did not distract from anything.

I don't see how this even remotely equals rudeness, but to each his own.

[Otm Shank]

I think that was my main legit gripe with the show. You either had a gimme question (The limerick ending in "hickey"), or something that could go in a hundred directions (The one about what you call a group of Baldwin Brothers. I like that they were trying to go for something that sounds like "gaggle". It just fell way flat.). What bugged me more was that you'd have one of each in either round, as opposed to the two gimmes being "catchup" opportunities in round two.

This might be a feature and not a bug.

If there is a definitive-answer question (which is still up to the contestant to give that answer), it can serve to avoid a 6-6 tie, since the other contestant will have a question not geared towards a sweep. It is just chalked up to the randomness of the selections.

In the straddled-game era, ties are just part of the format (and chews up time that is not dispensing prize money). In this half-hour constraint, ties are the enemy, as Pyramid showed with their instant-reveal tiebreaker. There will still be ties on Match Game, but it seems the goal is to avoid a 6-6.

Regarding the decision to bring the contestants out for their own introduction, this provides flexibility to change the order of games in post-production. I'm sure the celebrities were briefed to not reference anything from the first half hour in order to do that.

[jjman920]

I honestly think that this is one of the best game show sets I've ever seen. It looks so contemporary while capturing the spirit of the 70s version. As if, the 70s version never went off the air, but just kept updating the sets every 6 or 7 years and this is the current one.

I know that I'm first in line as slavish to the game, but when you can win based on whether you get questions that lead to a single answer or your opponent gets one that can go three ways, I look askance.

It always felt crappy on the 70s version too, and you'd feel bad because it really came down to the contestant choosing the right question.

Would Ira have matched lube and lotion?

I doubt he would, but as I stated last night while watching this, "in a pinch one is exchangeable for the other."

I'll have to admit, I didn't really have a good answer to the Uranus question (the best I thought of was "Full Moon", because of the space scenario, and it's also a play on words of the general area of "Uranus")

I felt this was tough because while the show was a hit and currently lives in syndication land, it just wasn't something I'd call universally loved enough to be used as a question to get a definitive response ("Jack"or, maybe, "Will") and people understand the joke. And "universally loved" is a hard category to get in. Nothing can truly be "universally" loved as I'm sure there is someone out there who hasn't seen something. But on the recognizable chart, Will & Grace is going to quite a few steps down from I Love Lucy or The Flintstones.

[brianhenke]

Last night was a travel day for me and my wife, but we did manage to arrive at our hotel before the final Pyramid winners circle. 

Overall the show was very good and much of the editing (especially during the writing sessions) was far better than the Rayburn years.

My pet peeves: 

Yes, the question writing and round placement of the general/gimme questions  needs the most work.

Kudos for using original cues front the Rayburn AND Shaffer eras, but you don't have to use them after every little thing.  Case in point: In the first Super Match, they played the original theme/head to head match cue when the contestants answer was revealed.  With the civilian/celeb congrats going on, the music made it sound like they won it all -- yet it was only the Super Match for the base stakes.

I think it was rather "rude" to not spin the contestants around during the show opening.  Makes it feel the show is not about the contestants, and in the previous incarnations, spinning the contestants in did not distract from anything.

My only other suggestion is bump up the SFX volumes.  The classic bells and buzzers were hard to hear at times.

Overall, the set is an awesome for the 21st century.  And like Pyramid,  the sets looks sturdy and fancy enough to survive a regular daily or weekly run (hint hint).

 I totally agree with your views. I wish the theme and the cues were turned up a notch, though.

 Brian