Match Game 7x - did it naturally run its course?

[Bryce L.]

Goodson loved to pad some of his shows in order to stretch his prize budget

No he didn't. The prize money was inconsequential. FWIW, the winnings on P+ were remarkably level at $22,000 per "week" (group of five shows).

Super Password could've fooled me. Compared to P+, the show felt like watching peanut butter pour out of the jar.

Couldn't have said it better myself. At least Ludden knew how to keep the game moving along.

[Jimmy Owen]

I thought it ended rather abruptly on CBS, with unaired episodes and what not.  The fact that Channel 2 in NYC and LA continued to run it without missing a beat showed that it still had some audience appeal. The syndication run probably went one season too long.  It had migrated to WOR and KHJ by then.

[aaron sica]

It had migrated to WOR and KHJ by then.

Not sure about the LA scene (although now I feel I need to check), but for 1982-1983, WCBS picked the show back up to simply air reruns - these aired at 9am.

EDIT: No reruns in LA for 1982-1983.

[Jimmy Owen]

It had migrated to WOR and KHJ by then.

Not sure about the LA scene (although now I feel I need to check), but for 1982-1983, WCBS picked the show back up to simply air reruns - these aired at 9am.

EDIT: No reruns in LA for 1982-1983.

Yep, about a month into the 83-84 season it was time for The Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour

[JMFabiano]

It had migrated to WOR and KHJ by then.

Not sure about the LA scene (although now I feel I need to check), but for 1982-1983, WCBS picked the show back up to simply air reruns - these aired at 9am.

EDIT: No reruns in LA for 1982-1983.

Yep, about a month into the 83-84 season it was time for The Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour

And yet, I think some stations were still using the rerun package while MG/HS was on.  Don't quote me on that, just vaguely remembering someone saying they saw both at the same time.  Maybe even AFTER MG/HS ran its course? 

I do remember the WCBS airings.  (yet nothing of the Barry-Enright shows being there!  Perhaps it was because I was watching Joker on WPVI at the time)  Why do I want to say I also remembered seeing them in the afternoon for a time?  Maybe mashing memories of that and MG/HS together?

[aaron sica]

Yep, about a month into the 83-84 season it was time for The Match Game Hollywood Squares Hour

Although I just found (and I'm sure there were other places), KICU-36 in San Jose ran repeats of the syndie version @ 10:30am, concurrent to the run of MG-HS.

[splinkynip]

WCBS rerunning Match Game in 82-83 at 9am can't be right.TTD started airing at 9am around April 1982 through September 1984.

[aaron sica]

Just spot-checked the NY Daily News on January 3, 1983 - MG at 9, JW at 9:30. TTD aired at 11am on WOR.

[calliaume]

Just spot-checked the NY Daily News on January 3, 1983 - MG at 9, JW at 9:30. TTD aired at 11am on WOR.

Confirmed by New York magazine, p. 99. What genius at WOR thought TTD would be good counterprogramming to Wheel of Fortune and the first half hour of TPIR?

https://books.google.com/books?id=kuICAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

[aaron sica]

WCBS rerunning Match Game in 82-83 at 9am can't be right.TTD started airing at 9am around April 1982 through September 1984.

Digging a little deeper, you're off by a year. TTD moved to WCBS on April 18, 1983 and replaced the MG reruns.

[JohnXXVII]

CBS's handling of the show was ridiculous. It's cancellation was way premature. It probably could have lasted on the network into the mid-80s with proper nurturing. Was there some bad blood going on among the execs?

After Match Game 79 was cancelled, the 4pm CBS time slot on the network went to a soap opera, then in 1980 to One Day at a Time reruns, then in January 1982 to a Tattletales revival, in 1984 to Body Language, 1986 to Press Your Luck, and finally in the fall of 1986 given up entirely to local programming. I think Match Game could have performed better than some of those in that time slot.

It's too bad it wasn't revived on the network in 1982 instead of Tattletales. Perhaps Match Game shouldn't have done the third syndie season, in hopes of being picked up again by CBS? Or was there bad blood with Match Game and folks at CBS?

[aaron sica]

1980 to One Day at a Time reruns, then in January 1982 to a Tattletales revival

You left out the short lived “Up to the Minute” in between these two (September 1981 to January 1982) that CBS News tried and failed with. Easy to do though, it was barely a blip on the radar.

[splinkynip]

Just spot-checked the NY Daily News on January 3, 1983 - MG at 9, JW at 9:30. TTD aired at 11am on WOR.

Confirmed by New York magazine, p. 99. What genius at WOR thought TTD would be good counterprogramming to Wheel of Fortune and the first half hour of TPIR?

https://books.google.com/books?id=kuICAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

I didn't realize WCBS only had TTD for a year and a half. I do recall it aired at 11 followed by Bullseye in 81-82 after moving them from the6pm hour.

[JMFabiano]

CBS's handling of the show was ridiculous. It's cancellation was way premature. It probably could have lasted on the network into the mid-80s with proper nurturing. Was there some bad blood going on among the execs?

After Match Game 79 was cancelled, the 4pm CBS time slot on the network went to a soap opera, then in 1980 to One Day at a Time reruns, then in January 1982 to a Tattletales revival, in 1984 to Body Language, 1986 to Press Your Luck, and finally in the fall of 1986 given up entirely to local programming. I think Match Game could have performed better than some of those in that time slot.

It's too bad it wasn't revived on the network in 1982 instead of Tattletales. Perhaps Match Game shouldn't have done the third syndie season, in hopes of being picked up again by CBS? Or was there bad blood with Match Game and folks at CBS?

Don't recall WCBS having any of those at 4 pm.  I remembered the games at least mostly being on daytime there all the same. 

[mystery7]

I didn't realize WCBS only had TTD for a year and a half. I do recall it aired at 11 followed by Bullseye in 81-82 after moving them from the6pm hour.

You sure about Bullseye running on WCBS? I remember watching it on WOR at 7, at least for the first season when it was paired with Face The Music. And I'm pretty sure Price Is Right was firmly ensconced in CBS's 11 AM network slot by then. Uncle Walter and Dan Rather both would have had some words if CBS's flagship O&O had pre-empted The CBS Evening News for a game show.