Daytime TV Magazine Reader's Poll

[Jimmy Owen]

I recently came into possession of a bunch of old "Daytime TV" mags, the earliest of which is March of 1974.  Every month they would have a reader's poll on what were the favorite shows in the categories of soaps and "game and talk."  I was somewhat surprised at the results.


15. Who, What or Where
14. Joker's Wild
13. Girl in My Life
12. New Price Is Right
11. Let's Make a Deal
10. Split Second
 9. Dinah's Place
 8. $10,000 Pyramid
 7. Password
 6. Jeopardy!
 5. Merv
 4. Mike Douglas
 3. Gambit
 2. Hollywood Squares

and the #1 show as voted by the readers of Daytime TV Magazine for March of 74.....

Three on a Match!!!


Matt, did you stuff the ballot box when you were a kid, or.....



did the editors confuse ToaM with Match Game?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jan 20 2005, 06:23 PM\']and the #1 show as voted by the readers of Daytime TV Magazine for March of 74.....

Three on a Match!!![/quote]
Woo hoo!!!!

That's bizarre, even to me.  On the other hand, their readers really liked Bill.  I have an issue in which he's being presented with an award as Favorite Host on the set of Winning Streak.  One of the worst pictures of Bill EVER.  I should probably scan and post it.

[mystery7]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jan 20 2005, 06:12 PM\']I have an issue in which he's being presented with an award as Favorite Host on the set of Winning Streak.  One of the worst pictures of Bill EVER.  I should probably scan and post it.

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[/quote]
Really odd choice of show for Bill to get an award on...but definitely yes, please post.

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jan 20 2005, 05:23 PM\']and the #1 show as voted by the readers of Daytime TV Magazine for March of 74.....Three on a Match!!!
did the editors confuse ToaM with Match Game?

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[/quote]
And yet, the show left the airwaves shortly thereafter (darned shame, too). Plus, am I missing it in the sea of the fabulous fifteen or is Match Game '74 nowhere on the list? Girl In My Life makes it but not MG74?!?

[Craig Karlberg]

Actually, MG'73('74 if you wanna get technical) was so new back then that it probably either didn't get enough votes or wasn't nominated in time for the March 1974 poll.  Actually, the ratings for MG weren't all that great in the early years.  Once 1975 came along, it started picking up steam & zoomed near the top of the heap.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Jan 21 2005, 06:07 AM\']Actually, MG'73('74 if you wanna get technical) was so new back then that it probably either didn't get enough votes or wasn't nominated in time for the March 1974 poll.  Actually, the ratings for MG weren't all that great in the early years.  Once 1975 came along, it started picking up steam & zoomed near the top of the heap.[/quote]
Match Game was only about two months newer than Pyramid, which made their list.  It would be vaguely interesting to know when the survey was taken, since by the March 74 cover date, WWW was already of the air, and 3oaM was on its last legs.  Jimmy might very well be right about a confused editor making a mistake.  Hollywood Squares was second, suggesting that the mag's audience prefered celeb games.  Since their editors were probably soap people a lot more than game people, I could see a mistake like that getting through.

Even I realize that there's no logical way an inconsequential show like Three on a Match would win a popularity contest over Squares, Jeopardy or Password, in 1974 or anytime else.

[Jimmy Owen]

Here is speculation on what could have happened.    The votes for ToaM and MG were inadvertently combined to propel a show with "Match" in the title to #1.  My educated conclusional thought: In 1974, ToaM probably came in fifth and MG in, say, ninth.  Bill did appear on MG occassionally, so we will claim the prize nonetheless, thank you ever so much!  Bill Cullen rocks and roolz!

[Don Howard]

[quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Jan 21 2005, 05:07 AM\']Actually, the ratings for MG weren't all that great in the early years.  Once 1975 came along, it started picking up steam & zoomed near the top of the heap.

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They weren't, eh? When Mark Goodson congratulated Gene on a year of MG7x in late June or early July 1974, he said the show was the #1 daytime program. So the Nielsens went from the basement to the penthouse in just a couple of months?

[TheGameShowGuy]

I knew my 1981 audition (when I was just old enough) for $50,000 Pyramid would come in handy someday. There in Bob Stewart Productions shopworn Fisk Building (NYC) office was a trophy for "Three On A Match" from a magazine. (I guess the same one.)  So error or not Bob Stewart did get a trophy. My friend who auditioned with me and I thought it was an odd choice back then too. I recall looking closely at it (to read the inscription) when the temp receptionist (on her first day) suggested that we not do that. I guess that was one thing NOT to do on a game show audition. Then again, it was my first audition and I was awed by the experience. (I'm still awed by any game show experience.)

[tvwxman]

[quote name=\'Don Howard\' date=\'Jan 21 2005, 11:37 AM\'][quote name=\'Craig Karlberg\' date=\'Jan 21 2005, 05:07 AM\']Actually, the ratings for MG weren't all that great in the early years.  Once 1975 came along, it started picking up steam & zoomed near the top of the heap.

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[/quote]
They weren't, eh? When Mark Goodson congratulated Gene on a year of MG7x in late June or early July 1974, he said the show was the #1 daytime program. So the Nielsens went from the basement to the penthouse in just a couple of months?

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Generally speaking, don't buy a bit of the garbage this guy spews. He does not know what he's talking about.

[ChuckNet]

They weren't, eh? When Mark Goodson congratulated Gene on a year of MG7x in late June or early July 1974, he said the show was the #1 daytime program. So the Nielsens went from the basement to the penthouse in just a couple of months?

And on top of that (as per Jeff Graham), it continued in the #1 spot for the following season, as well...it was actually when '75 rolled around that the show slipped to 3rd...it then stayed there until the ill-fated move to mornings in mid-77 that ultimately killed the show.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")