The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Drinking Game

[Matt Ottinger]

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

Thank you!  I caught only the Super Match last night, for which the audience match was [BLANK] SMITH.  MISTER was the top answer, and for the life of me, all I could think of was the Jimmy Stewart movie, plus I had no idea why Leonard Frey got all excited when he hadn't been one of the three celebrities offering answers.  It all make SO much more sense now.

[Neumms]

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

Just because I don’t get to bring this up as often as I’d like, I had lunch with Bob Newhart in the Paramount commissary. Game show related: Howie Mandel came up to the table and I shook his hand. I assume I’m not the cause of his OCD.

[PYLdude]

Does 80s fashion include ugly sweater vests? If not, take one each time Jon wears one.

I've been to the ABC Lincoln Square commissary multiple times. Never actually ate there but that's where all their auditions take place.

I always trip going through the metal detector...why I don't know.

[MSTieScott]

I caught only the Super Match last night, for which the audience match was [BLANK] SMITH.  MISTER was the top answer,

At which point I really started to wonder: How? Until two and a half weeks ago, I had no idea this television series ever existed, but in the fall of 1983, it was so at the forefront of the studio audience's mind that it was the most frequently given response. And it was a punchline that everybody understood during not just one, but multiple Match Game questions. How can a TV show be so unpopular that it was off the air in less than three months but so ubiquitous that these celebrities won't stop referencing it?

[gamed121683]

Ah, Mr. Smith...The Hello, Larry of 1983 NBC. Then again, I believe all of NBC’s shows that debuted that fall failed to see the following season. The premise was lame, but I’m sure Tartikoff picked it up more for the pedigree that was behind the scenes (“They created Taxi, what could go wrong?”) or...maybe he liked talking furry characters. That might explain how we ended up with ALF three years later.

[Matt Ottinger]

I caught only the Super Match last night, for which the audience match was [BLANK] SMITH.  MISTER was the top answer,

At which point I really started to wonder: How? Until two and a half weeks ago, I had no idea this television series ever existed, but in the fall of 1983, it was so at the forefront of the studio audience's mind that it was the most frequently given response. And it was a punchline that everybody understood during not just one, but multiple Match Game questions. How can a TV show be so unpopular that it was off the air in less than three months but so ubiquitous that these celebrities won't stop referencing it?

Ryan Rinkerman posted on Facebook four examples in the fairly brief run of the series to date where the Super Match answer could be the name of a current NBC show. (The others were KNIGHT ___, REAL___ and ___ BLUES.)  Lo and behold, every single time, the top answer was, in fact, the NBC series.  Draw whatever conclusions you like.

[Eric Paddon]

"We polled a recent studio audience of 100 desperate NBC programmers......."

"Mr. Smith" was a ratings clunker from the get-go.    Yanked after 13 weeks and finished 95th for the season.     And I'm pretty sure that even long after the cancellation the references continued.

What was really ironic though was that in the MG portion of the show a "Beat The Clock" question came up.    "He was so mean when he went on Beat the Clock and lost, he took a stick and beat the BLANK."   Six answer match with "host" and two answers referenced Bud Collyer but no one knew that a more recent former host was in the same room doing the announcing!

[JMFabiano]

I caught only the Super Match last night, for which the audience match was [BLANK] SMITH.  MISTER was the top answer,

At which point I really started to wonder: How? Until two and a half weeks ago, I had no idea this television series ever existed, but in the fall of 1983, it was so at the forefront of the studio audience's mind that it was the most frequently given response. And it was a punchline that everybody understood during not just one, but multiple Match Game questions. How can a TV show be so unpopular that it was off the air in less than three months but so ubiquitous that these celebrities won't stop referencing it?

On his own page or another page?  I just went to and requested his page and saw no MG/HS posts.  Maybe he has to friend me first?

Ryan Rinkerman posted on Facebook four examples in the fairly brief run of the series to date where the Super Match answer could be the name of a current NBC show. (The others were KNIGHT ___, REAL___ and ___ BLUES.)  Lo and behold, every single time, the top answer was, in fact, the NBC series.  Draw whatever conclusions you like.

Is it on his FB or another FB page? 

EDIT: Just friended him and there is the post in question.  Yep, the REAL mashup of MG/HS was being a placeholder for Santa Barbara AND an infomercial for NBC.

[aaron sica]

Yep, the REAL mashup of MG/HS was being a placeholder for Santa Barbara AND an infomercial for NBC.

Aside from the video wall, the set always seemed rather barren to me and said "Take Match Game and Hollywood Squares and tie them together for a 60-minute slot. We don't need a fancy set, just something to get us through until 'Santa Barbara' is ready."

[JakeT]

What was really ironic though was that in the MG portion of the show a "Beat The Clock" question came up.    "He was so mean when he went on Beat the Clock and lost, he took a stick and beat the BLANK."   Six answer match with "host" and two answers referenced Bud Collyer but no one knew that a more recent former host was in the same room doing the announcing!

Is it really that ironic?  Keep in mind that Bud Collyer hosted BtC for 11 years on two different networks, both daytime and nighttime...Gene Wood only hosted for 2 years in syndication and it was likely unaired in a number of markets...

JakeT

[Adam Nedeff]

Aside from the video wall, the set always seemed rather barren to me

What bothers me about the set is that there's NO continuity to it. If you found someone with no prior familiarity, and showed them a picture of the contestant area for Match Game, the contestant area for Hollywood Squares, the Super Match board, and the panel, I don't think that person would pick up that they were from the same show. It's kind of akin to the set of The Price is Right during Barker's final year, when the set was a bunch of different ideas implemented at different times, and they didn't belong together.

[JakeT]

Aside from the video wall, the set always seemed rather barren to me

What bothers me about the set is that there's NO continuity to it. If you found someone with no prior familiarity, and showed them a picture of the contestant area for Match Game, the contestant area for Hollywood Squares, the Super Match board, and the panel, I don't think that person would pick up that they were from the same show. It's kind of akin to the set of The Price is Right during Barker's final year, when the set was a bunch of different ideas implemented at different times, and they didn't belong together.

For me, the color scheme was just totally wonky...dark blue/yellow video wall, light blue/white celeb area and then those god-awful colors of the contestant/Super Match area...lack of continuity is putting it mildly...it's like someone said, "Remember the acid trip dream of the '68 TTTT set?  Let's come up with a combo that's even more vomit-inducing, yet modern..."

JakeT

[Eric Paddon]

Is it really that ironic?  Keep in mind that Bud Collyer hosted BtC for 11 years on two different networks, both daytime and nighttime...Gene Wood only hosted for 2 years in syndication and it was likely unaired in a number of markets...
JakeT

Well keep in mind that two of the people on stage appeared on BTC when Gene hosted it.

[JakeT]

Is it really that ironic?  Keep in mind that Bud Collyer hosted BtC for 11 years on two different networks, both daytime and nighttime...Gene Wood only hosted for 2 years in syndication and it was likely unaired in a number of markets...
JakeT

Well keep in mind that two of the people on stage appeared on BTC when Gene hosted it.

Then doesn't that lend further to the forgetability of his version?  If those who actually appeared on it didn't remember it, what is the likelihood of others to recall it?

JakeT

[Eric Paddon]

The very fact a former host of the show was on the set during that question and with the answers being given is something that I think is worth pointing out.