My main criticism with the show has always been with the Hollywood Squares portion. I never liked the idea of a win by default but here, considering the pacing
Considering what, though? I can see the point of wanting to award money to people as quickly as possible, and as much as I like the comedians being funny where the game dropped its leg of the couch, something has to move the game along and making sure that a game won't go more than nine questions helps.
With that settled, why couldn't they just do a simple 2 out of 3 match, or 3 out of 5?
If they had it where Match Game was two rounds and Hollywood Squares was best of three you have the issue where three games happen every two shows. [/quote]Whether that's a terrible thing is up for debate (it certainly wouldn't feel as draining) they probably have to go back to the old 500-250-100 payoffs for Audience Match and a top payoff of $15,000 which isn't as eye-watering as thirty grand in daytime.
And I still find Jon's style incredibly annoying. It's like he was trying to make "you were right to agree" a catchphrase against its will.
I find it similar to watching one's kids at a recital or play. Awkwardness that you hope everyone gets out of with a minimum of hurt tears and feelings. Given Jon's other verbiage of "You're playing X" and the like I think that was more the insistence of Mark Goodson to give JB a net. Also, was Tom Kennedy too busy hosting nothing I can recall? Would Bert Convy not pick up the phone? I realize that Peter Marshall was PNG at that point but my GORD there had to be someone else in the stable to handle that portion.
I forgot but wanted to touch upon it: the cash isn't enough for me to care. In that tie game both players won $475 before sudden death. In another episode the loser took away fifty bucks. What's the point? Better to award the Match Game winner a prize package and then have the prize for winning HS the chance at the thirty grand.
It is an interesting experiment/slow-motion car crash that I'm glad was attempted once but I'm also glad hasn't been retried.