Match Game 79 "lost episodes"

[adamjk]

I'm just curious, since these never aired on CBS, were the contestants that won money on these shows, still paid what they won?

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Mar 23 2004, 03:54 PM\'] I'm just curious, since these never aired on CBS, were the contestants that won money on these shows, still paid what they won? [/quote]
 We  established on Usenet in 2001(when GSN aired the lost MG79 episodes for the first time on national television) that the contestants most likely were paid their winnings. The shows did air in 1979 on KCBS at the least. Plus, the show was produced by G-T and not a company who only produced one or two game shows. Those who posted on it thought G-T would pay the players their winnings(including the all-time winner in MG7x history who won over $30K before retiring undefeated) given the unusual circumstances surrounding the show's cancellation.

[Ian Wallis]

I'm surprised that the contestants on the very last show were not given another chance on the syndicated or "PM" versions of the show.  They left with a game in progress that was never finished.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 09:00 AM\'] I'm surprised that the contestants on the very last show were not given another chance on the syndicated or "PM" versions of the show.  They left with a game in progress that was never finished. [/quote]
 As far as I know, those players didn't get another shot at the show. I wonder if that appearance wouldn't count in the number of GS appearances, just as Randy West's appearance on Hit Man didn't count toward network limits for appearing on shows. The original Battlestars also ended its run with a game in progress, I wonder if the challenger or even champion Elizabeth Held got another shot on the 1983 revival.

[adamjk]

Why would a show, end a series with a game still in progress? Doesn't make sense. Couldn't they just make the game shorter since it's the last show? I imagine in the case of Match Game they couldn't, since it was not known at the time the last show was taped, that it was being cancelled.

[Ian Wallis]

In some cases they did shorten the game.  Those were for many shows where the staff knew it was the last episode.  When the final CBS "Match Game" was taped, they reportedly didn't know so the game ended in progress.  As mentioned in my previous post in this thread, I would have thought they'd have brought both contestants back to give them another shot rather than leaving them hanging with an incomplete game, but apparantly they didn't.

[adamjk]

What they could have done, was bring them back to finish the game on the first MG syndie episode. Then, have two new players after that.

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 03:55 PM\'] What they could have done, was bring them back to finish the game on the first MG syndie episode. Then, have two new players after that. [/quote]
 That's a nice idea, but not every station showed the same "debut" week when it came back in syndication.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 04:18 PM\'][quote name=\'adamjk\' date=\'Mar 24 2004, 03:55 PM\'] What they could have done, was bring them back to finish the game on the first MG syndie episode. Then, have two new players after that. [/quote]
That's a nice idea, but not every station showed the same "debut" week when it came back in syndication.[/quote]
And as pointed out, the shows did air in LA and perhaps New York, which was enough for G-T to say that they did air and here's the money.  And remember that "MG" was a show where most viewers didn't really pay attention to the contestants that much, since the game was secondary to the comedy elements.

[chris319]

most viewers didn't really pay attention to the contestants that much

Hell, I worked for the company at the time. Bobby Sherman was my boss, Jake Tauber was a co-worker and I saw them and Ira every day. These things were explained to me at the time and now, 25 years later, even I don't remember them. And I've got a pretty good long-term memory. What I do remember is that they started taping the non-CBS strip shows without a break in their taping schedule and they had to take the "79" off the sign. And that the CBS contestants just sort of went away.