Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour

I watched this show as often as I could when it first ran on NBC,from September 1983 to July,1984(particularly after I became aware of this about halfway through the run),which wasn't too,TOO often as I was in sixth grade at the time and had few days off to catch this show at its usual two in the afternoon(CST)slotting here in the Midwest. But when I caught it,I was quite pleased with it,the mixed formats of two legendary shows and the bright,energetic theme(which has long since been co-opted by established Goodson/Todman show The Price Is Right to introduce some of their bigger games or showcases). While I will concede that bringing Peter Marshall back to cover the Hollywood Squares end of the show--to me,Jon Bauman,formerly Bowzer,wasn't bad but was perhaps a better fit as a regular panelist than host--it still seemed to have the right energy and flow(bringing back Gene Rayburn in what would be,sadly,his last affiliation with the Match Game,was among the explanations for that)to fill up an hour of time. For those not familiar,the show was broken down into two segments,where a preliminary segment of the Match game would play two rounds of celebrity matches to pick a winner to play in the second half of the show,which was the Hollywood Squares. The six-person tier set-up from the Match Game was able to meld quite nicely with the nine-person tic-tac-toe grid that was the Hollywood Squares and the winner of the Squares end of the show would play a Supermatch endgame with a chance at up to $30,000(still not a bad payoff for a single answer on any show!).

Sadly,as this show was quietly ushered off the air(if I recall correctly,it was replaced by the soap opera "Santa Barbara",which would enjoy a near-ten year run),the demand for it on re-runs would be minimal,so I doubt its re-run(assuming it had one)on Game Show Network was probably a lasting one. About the only way to catch any of these old shows(and that probably means,at best,three or four shows)is to see them in fragments on YouTube. But who knows,there may be tapes floating out there that are yet un-seen(or,I suppose un-RE-seen)that might pop up. And maybe a re-(re?)-airing on GSN? One could hope or ask,I suppose.

I was always a fan of Match Game,and Gene Rayburn and his laughing/interactions with his regulars (Particularly Charles Nelson Reilly and Bret Somers).This show furthered that along.However,John Bauman was not my cup of tea.I never liked his large mouthed Sha Na Na bit,and his addition to this show didnt change my mind.Shame they couldnt get Peter Marshall for the job).Otherwise it was a worthy show that would be fun to watch.I even remember Gene and John commenting on the new year (1984) and they wished "many more" for the show.Alas,it wasnt to be.

Only two things I hated about this show. I hated when I would see someone who played Match Game all the time not come out until it was time to play Hollywood Squares. I am currently watching an episode where Gary Burghoff missed playing Match Game and did not come out until it was time for Hollywood Squares. I feel people want to see the former stars of Match Game play that again and also gives the contestants a better chance.

My 2nd issue is the way they played Hollywood Squares. They allow a player to win if the other player incorrectly agrees or disagrees. I highly prefer the way the regular shows rules where that was not allowed and the player had to get the game winning square on their own.

I will say I like how they added a 3rd round to the main part of the Match Game. I also prefer the 10, 20, 30 bonus cards compared to the wheel they went on the regular Match Game show but it does drive me crazy they still mostly pick Jon all the time instead of trying to find the 30. All in all a good show.

I was a big fan of both of these shows in their original incarnations. And in the 80s, I didn't even know this show existed. I just saw an episode on Buzzr. It was interesting only out of curiosity for seeing what became of the games in the reboot.

Match Game suffered from not having the half stable of regulars from the 70s, and the Hollywood Squares segment was a pale shadow of the original. The lack of Peter Marshall was a heavy hit, but really, there is no true Hollywood Squares without Paul Lynde.

Set design was poor. The celebrity area was small and cramped, even though it was swallowed by the surrounding studio.

Even had I known of this show in the 80s, and been able to watch, I would have abandoned it after a couple of weeks, max.

i remember The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour and to me it was a very funny game show that combined to classic comedy games into one format.

Fortunately, Gene Rayburn was brought back to host the Match Game segment. Even though he didn't have the trio of regulars in Brett Somers, Richard Dawson and Charles Nelson Reilly, he still handled the show he hosted in two previous incarnations very adeptly.

But wait, There's more. After Match Game ended, three more celebrities came on for Hollywood Squares, hosted by Jon Bauman. Even though I really enjoyed the original Peter Marshall version, this version was weaker than Rayburn's Match Game because Bauman, aka "Bowzer" in Sha Na Na, was not much of a straight man than Marshall and lacked experience hosting a game show. Also, Mark Goodson, who was never a fan of the show, didn't allow the stars to bluff, so all the questions were multiple choice.

After time expired in Hollywood Squares, the winning contestant played the Super Match for a chance to win up to $30,000. The Head to Head Match to me, was done the right way, minus the Star Wheel and each panelist had a card ranging from 10 times their winnings to 30.

Unfortunately, the show suffered from low affiliate clearances due to local or syndicated programming and competition from long-running soaps General Hospital and Guiding Light. After nine months the show was canceled. It just didn't click with viewers.