The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Drinking Game

[Neumms]

Take a sip if…
-   Jon says “You were right to agree/disagree.”
-   Gene looks bored.
-   Hollywood Squares is played differently than the original version.

That’s not a drinking game, that’s binge drinking.

Worse than the stars vamping—only slightly worse than Fred Travalena vamping—is a star mulling over his serious answer to a multiple choice question. If you can’t be funny, pick one so we can all move on. Gene was as guilty as anyone. I don’t see how Bowzer could stop this. It needs to come from the producer, or the more likely solution, you edit it out.

[Stackertosh]

As I watch more of these, I'm not sure if it's "Jon had trouble keeping the game moving" as much as it was "some celebs didn't know when to shut up"

As host, isn't it Jon's job to keep the game moving, even if it means flat-out telling them "shut up" if they rambled on too long?

Peter Marshall was a pro at moving the game along on Hollywood Squares and Bob Eubanks when the contestants blabber too long on Card Sharks.

[JMFabiano]

And speaking of moving along...

Gulp if the audience starts a "How [X] is/was he/she/it?" chant without Gene necessarily encouraging it.  Half a one if Gene chastises them for it, or for not putting enough effort into it. 

[calliaume]

Worse than the stars vamping—only slightly worse than Fred Travalena vamping—is a star mulling over his serious answer to a multiple choice question. If you can’t be funny, pick one so we can all move on. Gene was as guilty as anyone. I don’t see how Bowzer could stop this. It needs to come from the producer, or the more likely solution, you edit it out.

Merrill Heatter was quoted in Jefferson Graham's book as saying the original Squares had the same problem - "the stars were hogging the camera."  He watched two shows in a row and there were 11 questions in each show.  When he came back from a business trip, he announced to the staff they would be getting in 22 questions per show (either by moving things along or by editing) going forward.

[JMFabiano]

It had to be done.  Please add your own.  This is not meant to endorse alcoholic consumption.

Take a sip if…
-   Jon says “You were right to agree/disagree.”
-   Gene looks bored.
-   Hollywood Squares is played differently than the original version.
-   A contestant on Match Game gives a really rotten answer.
-   A celebrity on Match Game gives a really rotten answer.
-   Something was bleeped on the original show.<snip>

Have we seen any eps where Goodson/NBC did the bleeping and not Buzzr? 

Another sip if they pull the episode altogether (which supposedly is what happened to the premiere)
Sip for every Mr. T answer and/or question. 
Gulp if Charles Nelson Reilly appears on the episode, and acts more or less like his usual self when on Match Game, then much quieter when it's time for Hollywood Squares. 
Gulp when Jon uses the "Although Gene is the host of the Match Game, he has never seen any of the Hollywood Squares questions before, and I haven't seen any Match Game questions" spiel.  Probably works best for the first 1-2 weeks. 
Gulp if there's any other person or character that's the subject of a MG question, who has a distinct voice, and Gene asks someone on the panel to read the question in that voice.  Again, add a sip if it's Fred Travalena. (Just combine this with the Reagan entry eariler, I suppose)

[BrandonFG]

Merrill Heatter was quoted in Jefferson Graham's book as saying the original Squares had the same problem - "the stars were hogging the camera."  He watched two shows in a row and there were 11 questions in each show.  When he came back from a business trip, he announced to the staff they would be getting in 22 questions per show (either by moving things along or by editing) going forward.

I wonder how much Buddy Hackett played into this? When I watched some of the nighttime episodes, his hamming it up for the camera got old quickly.

[calliaume]

Have we seen any eps where Goodson/NBC did the bleeping and not Buzzr? 

If memory serves, Sybil Danning gave an answer that was a little too explicit and had to be OOPSed out.  Her episodes won't run for a couple of months.

[JMFabiano]

Take a gulp when Jon talks about his childhood in Brooklyn when he gives an answer.  Or otherwise about being from New York.
Take one if he tells a Sha-Na-Na story. 

[JMFabiano]

1 gulp for every mention of Mr. Smith.

Half gulp if Gene has to explain who Mr. Smith is.  Another half if he says what a nice/intelligent animal it was.

No wonder Leonard Frey appeared within 3-4 weeks of the run...it was the only place where people cared about Mr. Smith. 

Sip every time Jon or a panelist tries to answer the question using or making a joke based on the answer to the last question or so.

[Trisscope]

Take a gulp every time NBC gets referenced, whether it's a TV show that aired on it or a joke about the commissary.

/Seriously, how is it this pervasive?

[Mr. Armadillo]

A shot of Jack D. or Jim B. for each time Jon starts a HS question with, "You are a/an _________..  "

Just don't take a shot at Jm J.

[whewfan]

Merrill Heatter was quoted in Jefferson Graham's book as saying the original Squares had the same problem - "the stars were hogging the camera."  He watched two shows in a row and there were 11 questions in each show.  When he came back from a business trip, he announced to the staff they would be getting in 22 questions per show (either by moving things along or by editing) going forward.

I wonder how much Buddy Hackett played into this? When I watched some of the nighttime episodes, his hamming it up for the camera got old quickly.

Buddy did tend to talk out of turn a lot, and sometimes Peter did intervene and remind him that they have to keep things moving. Buddy also got in trouble for getting too many questions right. Even though the stars are never told the questions, only its subjects, Buddy did a fair amount of research and reading on the subjects because he wanted to get the answers right. He was noticeably absent during the end credits for one episode because he was talking to the producers about a question they got wrong, and insisted he was right. In any case, I don't think he made that many appearances after 1968. In Peter's book, he said that Buddy was at times irritable. One time Eva Gabor came on the show, and during a dinner break with the celebs, she brought her dog. Buddy hates dogs, and he chastised her for bringing her dog to the table. Buddy Hackett was also reportedly the only celeb Carol Burnett had on her show that Carol regretted having on, as he was very rude and difficult behind the scenes.

[Eric Paddon]

Buddy also I think got himself blacklisted from Password because there are a couple night Passwords where he starts taunting the opposing team contestant and at least once I can see Allen getting very irritated or uncomfortable.

[Matt Ottinger]

Take a gulp every time NBC gets referenced, whether it's a TV show that aired on it or a joke about the commissary.

/Seriously, how is it this pervasive?

If you're asking why jokes about the commissary are pervasive, we have Johnny Carson to thank for that.  In today's fractured TV universe, it's impossible to overstate Carson's influence on popular culture. If he decided something was worth making jokes about, then everybody else did too.  Even if it was a simple workplace cafeteria that 99.99% of the country would never see.

/I once had lunch with David Ruprecht in the NBC commissary.

[JMFabiano]

Sip every time Jon refers to winnings as "Smacker(oo)s"