Match Game '7X Questions

[Denials]

Just a couple of questions about the 70s run of Match Game.  I tried searching to see if these were addressed elsewhere - I apologize if they have been.

1.  The audience seems to be laughing right as the show starts throughout much of the run.  Was there some gag/joke that Johnny O did as tape began to roll?  It doesn't happen in some of the earlier '73 shows that have been rerun on Buzzr recently.
2.  Match Game seems fairly unique to me in that the show throws to commercial before any game is played.  Was there any particular production or timing reason for doing this?  Are there other game shows that have done this?

[BrandonFG]

To answer part of your second question, I've seen a few shows of that era do that. "Hollywood Squares" comes to mind. Not sure of why they did that, though.

[Mr. Matté]

To answer part of your second question, I've seen a few shows of that era do that. "Hollywood Squares" comes to mind. Not sure of why they did that, though.

Maybe it's a network TV thing? On the PM and syndie versions of the show (and the CBS version late into the run), there was no commercial before the first question. To add to question 2, the three eps of Musical Chairs that have surfaced have also went into commercial after the brief intro of the players.

[JasonA1]

2.  Match Game seems fairly unique to me in that the show throws to commercial before any game is played.  Was there any particular production or timing reason for doing this?  Are there other game shows that have done this?

A good number of daytime shows did this, and I imagine the reason MG went to break before playing any game is because of how long it took to play one question compared to other shows in the daytime universe. There had to be some goal of how many breaks to hit in a half hour, and/or how often. Gong Show came on without introducing the stars and going into the first act, after which they'd take a commercial (whether the act was gonged or not). CBS Joker often went to break early too, with just enough time to get a "go or stop" Joker's Jackpot decision, or player introductions.

-Jason

[MSTieScott]

1.  The audience seems to be laughing right as the show starts throughout much of the run.  Was there some gag/joke that Johnny O did as tape began to roll?

While it would not surprise me to learn that Johnny snuck in a joke right before the fade up, to me, that initial laugh feels like the same canned laughter every time. I suspect that may have been sweetening.

[ivoryman1986]

Other shows from that era that had the first commercial break before any game play were Dating Game, Newlywed Game and of course, Sports Challenge(prior to the 1979 run) and 3's A Crowd.

[TimK2003]

Offhand, the last show I remember who did breaks before any game play started was Hit Man in 1983.

Many of those early breaks right after the intro seemed to be around the same time that they did those two quickie 30 second segments that were sandwiched between two commercials. Usually those segments were mid-show ticket/contestant plugs or prize plugs.

[BrandonFG]

Offhand, the last show I remember who did breaks before any game play started was Hit Man in 1983.

Not network, but I remember the Top Card and 10 Seconds doing them right after the contestant interviews, which always felt weird to me. But Jason's explanation makes sense...I'm guessing networks had a different blocking procedure.

I wonder if there's any correlation between the commercial blocking for game shows and any sitcom that had daytime reruns. In the case of, say, All in the Family, they would've gone to commercial right after the theme song, which would've been a minute or two in.

[Argo]

After seeing some Narz Concentration episodes (courtesy of Wink's youtube), it looked like they started doing that as well. The earliest episode (#344), has Jack interview the contestants, throw to Johnny for the car plug, then go to break. All the other episodes I've seen go to the first break part way through the first round.

Don't mean to change topic, but typing this I just wondered. Did Concentration do anything similar to WoF when there were exposed parts of the puzzle going to break? Were contestants instructed to turn around? Did they cover up the puzzle, or leave everything as is.

Argo

[Brian44]

On the PM and syndie versions of the show (and the CBS version late into the run), there was no commercial before the first question.

Seems like, around the same time the early commercial break was removed during the CBS run, is when the audience started applauding during the celebrity intros.

[ivoryman1986]

On the PM and syndie versions of the show (and the CBS version late into the run), there was no commercial before the first question.

Seems like, around the same time the early commercial break was removed during the CBS run, is when the audience started applauding during the celebrity intros.

I see but occurred after Richard Dawson departed from Match Game was when they began applauding during the celebrity intros.

[Clay Zambo]

Just a couple of questions about the 70s run of Match Game.  I tried searching to see if these were addressed elsewhere - I apologize if they have been.

1.  The audience seems to be laughing right as the show starts throughout much of the run.  Was there some gag/joke that Johnny O did as tape began to roll?  It doesn't happen in some of the earlier '73 shows that have been rerun on Buzzr recently.
2.  Match Game seems fairly unique to me in that the show throws to commercial before any game is played.  Was there any particular production or timing reason for doing this?  Are there other game shows that have done this?

1. There seems always to be a little chatter, if not laughter, as PASSWORD PLUS episodes start.
2. Add TATTLE TALES to the "Welcome to our show, we'll be right back" crowd. I cannot imagine that happening these days.

[calliaume]

Add TATTLE TALES to the "Welcome to our show, we'll be right back" crowd. I cannot imagine that happening these days.

Good catch. And that was a necessity; they had to send the husbands or wives backstage after greeting the audience and set them up with the headsets, which undoubtedly took a couple of minutes.

[Ian Wallis]

I wonder if there's any correlation between the commercial blocking for game shows and any sitcom that had daytime reruns. In the case of, say, All in the Family, they would've gone to commercial right after the theme song, which would've been a minute or two in.

I think you're right.  When Bewitched was repeated on ABC daytime it looked much different than it did in primetime.  They'd air the cartoon opening, then immediately go to a commercial.  Then it would be the "written by" and "directed by" credits, then would come the "teaser" (which usually ran around 2-3 minutes) then another commercial break.   Then they'd come back and go right into the first long scene.  The "tag" would almost never be aired in daytime because of the extra commercial time.

[SRIV94]

1. There seems always to be a little chatter, if not laughter, as PASSWORD PLUS episodes start.

All sweetened.