JULY 2, 1973
Match Game 73, an update of the old 1962-69 NBC Daytime favorite The Match Game from the deranged minds of Mark Goodson and Bill Todman with, as Gene Rayburn described, "more action, more money, and, as you can see, more celebrities," debuted at 3:30 (EDT), on CBS Television, sandwiched in between The Price Is Right and The Secret Storm (having been bumped a full week from its intended debut date, June 25, 1973, by ongoing coverage of The Watergate Scandals).
The celebrities on the panel of the first week of MG73 were Michael Landon, Vicki Lawrence, Jack Klugman, Jo Ann Pflug, Richard Dawson, and Anita Gillette; the series' other 2 regulars, Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly, would not be included until the third week. The first two contestants were Stanley Viltz and Joan Roselle, with Viltz emerging victorious. The show's imminent success prompted the launch of a weekly syndicated primetime edition, Match Game PM, in September of 1975.
Every New Year's Eve, there was an update of the 2 digits in the title to reflect the coming of the new year (e.g. from Match Game 76 to Match Game 77, and so on). Show creator Mark Goodson originated the idea for a new hit game show from Match Game 7X. The "Super Match" round of Match Game 7X featured a contestant choosing panelist Richard Dawson virtually every time, trying to match the correct response to an audience survey. The segment became such a huge hit with audiences the survey, Richard Dawson and The Family Feud went on the air @ 1:30 PM EDT, Monday afternoon, July 12, 1976 on ABC Daytime. Dawson did double duty on Match Game 7X and The Feud until leaving the Match Game 7X panel in 1978. It is rumored that the addition of a new feature, The Star Wheel, apparently "muscled in" on Dawson.
Then, in 1977, the roof caved in. CBS made the fatal decision to move Match Game 77 to the morning @ 10 AM (EDT), where it served as a follow up for the hour-long The Price Is Right. The resulting declining ratings prompted CBS to return Match Game 77 to the afternoon, but the damage was irreparable. After Match Game 79 finished 6 years and 1,445 shows on CBS on April 20, 1979 (with 10 leftovers still in the can), the show transferred to daily syndication that very fall as simply Match Game (without, alas and alack, the tried-and-true 2-digit year designation in the title), where it remained until September 1982.
A Happy, Healthy 30th Anniversary To Match Game 7X!
