#70

Match Game

Another childhood fav is the “game show” where yu tried to match your favorite “celebrities” with answers that start off “Dumb Dora was so dumb….”

HOW DUMB WAS SHE???

Ah, good times.

The Match Game was a show that survived way longer than one would guess. Hosted by EYG Hall of Famer Gene Rayburn, The Match Game lasted for years in the 1970s to the 1980s. It has returned to TV several times, formerly with Alec Baldwin, and, most recently, with Martin Short as hosts.

The celebrities had rotating appearances. In the first iteration of the show, the regular celebrities included Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers, and Richard Dawson. The other slots were filled regularly by Betty White, Gary Burghoff, Nipsy Russell, Fannie Flagg, Jack Klugman, Bert Convey, Tom Poston, Ava Gabor, Bill Daily, Joyce Bulifant, Marcia Wallace, Patti Deutsch, and Avery Schreiber.

There were times when the show went off the rails and those moments were gold. Richard Dawson staging a giant riot over the rejection of an answer, Brett and Charles’ constant bickering and interactions, Betty White and then McLean Stevenson taking over hosting duties midway through the show, to many more.

While this was dumb, there is no denying that it was funny. The cast always had great chemistry with each other and Gene, and it was cleverer than you think. Admittedly, if you answered BOOB, then you had a pretty good chance of matching.

BLANK