Match Game Question

[cmjb13]

Was there any particular reason why celebrities sat where they did? (ie: did it just look better?)

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'cmjb13\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 12:31 PM\']Was there any particular reason why celebrities sat where they did? (ie: did it just look better?)[/quote]
According to Maxene Fabe, the seating on each tier was designed to flow from the weaker to the stronger (or funnier) game players.  In the top tier, first seat, you had what was usually a weaker male player for Brett to play off of.  Charles was next to her to play off of Brett and give "the correct answer."  On the bottom tier, you usually had first the dumb blonde for Dawson or other strong game players to play off of--that was considered the anchor position.  At the end, you had a funny female semi-regular (Betty, Fannie,  Patti, Joyce) who could tie up the question with a funny ribbon.  They didn't have to be strong players (Patti, Joyce) but it helped (Betty, Fannie).

[SplitSecond]

How far in the run (of MG 7x) did they settle on the alternating-gender positioning (male, female, male, female, male, female)?  Once they settled on that pattern, did they ever deviate from it?

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 02:28 PM\'] How far in the run (of MG 7x) did they settle on the alternating-gender positioning (male, female, male, female, male, female)?  Once they settled on that pattern, did they ever deviate from it? [/quote]
 I believe that was the seating from the first episode on.

Squares did pretty much the same thing when they could:

M F M
F M F
M F M

The disadvantage here was the women got all the less-important spots on the game board.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 12:54 PM\'] Squares did pretty much the same thing when they could:

M F M
F M F
M F M

The disadvantage here was the women got all the less-important spots on the game board. [/quote]
 Yes, but their squares all flashed at the same time during the end credits!

[Jimmy Owen]

Didn't Jack Klugman fill in for Brett once, making for three males in the upper tier?

[CBSJokersWildFan]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 03:28 PM\']Didn't Jack Klugman fill in for Brett once, making for three males in the upper tier?[/quote]
If I recall correctly, he certainly did.

[PeterMarshallFan]

[quote name=\'CBSJokersWildFan\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 05:09 PM\'] [quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 03:28 PM\']Didn't Jack Klugman fill in for Brett once, making for three males in the upper tier?[/quote]
If I recall correctly, he certainly did. [/quote]
I have an ep of this on tape....it's the MGpm where Jack goes nuts after a $20k win.

MG/HS was the only other version of MG [discounting '6x and '98, because their formats led to different arragements] to regularly break the seating pattern, due to the fact that it was desired [and also fair] for each celebrity to play MG at least once in their week. As well, the lower left chair was always occupied by Jon Bauman.

[cmjb13]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 03:24 PM\'] [quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 12:54 PM\'] Squares did pretty much the same thing when they could:

M F M
F M F
M F M

The disadvantage here was the women got all the less-important spots on the game board. [/quote]
Yes, but their squares all flashed at the same time during the end credits! [/quote]
 I'd rather see a different kind of flashing.

As long as it's not Phyllis Diller

[GSWitch]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 01:14 PM\'] At the end, you had a funny female semi-regular (Betty, Fannie,  Patti, Joyce) who could tie up the question with a funny ribbon.  They didn't have to be strong players (Patti, Joyce) but it helped (Betty, Fannie). [/quote]
 You forgot about Marcia Wallace!

I'm sure she'd send you to Principal Skinner's office for forgetting her (LOL)!

[melman1]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 12:54 PM\'] [quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 02:28 PM\'] How far in the run (of MG 7x) did they settle on the alternating-gender positioning (male, female, male, female, male, female)?  Once they settled on that pattern, did they ever deviate from it? [/quote]
I believe that was the seating from the first episode on.

 [/quote]
 During the Barker tribute last month, they showed some episodes from Week #2 of  MG73 (panel of Barker, Arlene Francis, Dawson, Michael Learned, Richard Thomas, Della Reese).  One episode had Thomas in what would become Dawson's seat, and another episode had Learned there.  (This was the only week for this particular panel, so the shows were indeed all from the same week)

[whewfan]

They did alternate the seating during the first 3 weeks, but never had two males or two females sit together. One or two shows, they had F, M, F  on the top tier and M, F, M on the bottom tier. So, Richard Dawson did sit in what later became Brett's spot for one show, and also CNR's spot for another show. My theory is, Mark Goodson or someone realized that Richard, being arguably the funniest of the panel, SHOULD be on the bottom tier, so that any funny business he did could be saved for later, and also the rest of the panel didn't have to try to be funnier than him.

Brett also didn't originally sit next to Charles when she first started. She was on the lower left. However, an innocent remark about Charles "not wearing any socks" got the producers thinking that PERHAPS they should try seating them together, which worked beautifully.

Only twice later in the run did they switch seating. Sometime in 74, the panel all switched seats during the intro, as a joke on Gene. Gene didn't like the new arrangement and make everyone switch back.
A year later, Richard Dawson suggested to Gene that everyone switch places. Most of them did, but for seme reason Brett stayed where she was.

[melman1]

[quote name=\'whewfan\' date=\'Jan 23 2004, 03:33 AM\'] Only twice later in the run did they switch seating. [/quote]
 Oh, I can think of a few times where some or all of them moved around.  It happened occasionally as part of the wacky hijinks.

[ChrisLambert!]

I've been wondering if they should have switched seats 4 and 6. Seems like the time spent on the hijinks of Richard picking on the dingbat could've been better used with the 'smart' female panelist playing off of Gene, then Richard.

Seems like Betty, Marcia et al. probably had a lot of great lines that they never got to use because the game was over before they could reveal their answer.

I'm in no position to second-guess the producers, though. So I won't.

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 02:54 PM\'] [quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Jan 22 2004, 02:28 PM\'] How far in the run (of MG 7x) did they settle on the alternating-gender positioning (male, female, male, female, male, female)?  Once they settled on that pattern, did they ever deviate from it? [/quote]
I believe that was the seating from the first episode on.

Squares did pretty much the same thing when they could:

M F M
F M F
M F M

The disadvantage here was the women got all the less-important spots on the game board. [/quote]
 Seems like Bergeron's Squares (and Davidson's, too) would have been better if they set the board on Monday then just left it for the week. Caroline Rhea was great in Rose Marie's square with Gilbert Gottfried top right when I saw them this way. They could also be sure to stick the guests who aren't funny in the non-corner squares. (Although contestants these days pick those far more often than on the original.)