The Hollywood Squares (Daytime)

Putting SOME VARIOUS loose pats together, the creative team of Merrill Heater & Bob Quigley soon found that they had something that was greater than the sun of its parts. Although there was really nothing new, in and of itself; yet the very pleasant half hour installments continually pulled in huge Nielsen Ratings.

FIRST OF ALL, we have the assembly of nine showbiz personalities, the configuration of a Tic Tack Toe game, two contestant, competition for board position based on questions asked and answered. Add to this we add a great, likable MC and see the magic flow freely.

ALTHOUGH THIS WHOLE premise could have fizzled and blown up on the launch pad, careful engineering and selection of permanent panelists provided us with a tightly knit sort of kaleidoscope of a laugh fest.

ONE VERY POWERFUL element that may have tipped the scales of a potentially fickle public was the selection of Peter Marshall as the Host. It was during the 1950s that he was half of the Comedy Team of Noonan & Marshall. Playing the role of Straihght Man to Tommy Noonan's stooge proved to be the perfect training for asking the stars their questions.

AND SPEAKING OF those questions and the answers that kept us all in stitches for years, there are some misconceptions about them. In spite of popular belief, the questions were premeditated and known to both Host and the celeb in question. Ergo, the responses were also preconceived; be they comical or straight answers.

THIS ALLOWED REGULARS, such as Wally Cox, Rose Marie, Clif Arquette (Charley Weaver), Joan Rivers and especially Paul Lynde to come up with the most amusing responses on a consistent basis.

The 2 contestants are stationed at "X" & "O" to play tic-tac-toe. 3 Squares Across, Up & Down or Diagonally or 5 Squares were possible. One Contestant picks a square by determined the correct answer or making one up will Agreed or Disagreed the answer. The 1st contestant get 3-5 squares with either "X" or "O" wins $200 and completes the 2 out of 3 match wins $400. The Champion completes 10 games (5 matches) wins $2000 plus a new car. In the 1st or 2nd game was "The Secret Square" and the contestant choose that square can win merchandise prizes from $2000 to $5000 and later it raised up greater than $10,000. Contestants will compete before losing the game. In 1976-1977, The Program presents "The Bonus Prize Squares" and all 9 stars has an envelop that anything such as an car or $5000 cash.

NBC-TV In Living Color for "THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES (Daytime)" are Monday-Friday 11:30 AM-12 NOON October 17, 1966-October 1, 1976 Monday-Friday 10:30-11:00 AM October 4, 1976-September 29, 1978 Monday-Friday 1:00-1:30 or 4:00-4:30PM October 2, 1978-March 2, 1979 Monday-Friday 12:30-1:00PM March 5-August 10, 1979 Monday-Friday 10:30-11:00 AM August 13, 1979-June 20, 1980 All Times Eastern.

Except 1-Hour Special Weekday Show from November 3 to 7, 1975 11:30 AM-12:30PM All Times Eastern.

This is the original series. Peter Marshall, the straight man from the comedy team team of Noonan & Marshall is the host & master of the Squares. Paul Lynde most often was the center square. Charlie Weaver, Morey Amstersdam, Rose Marie, & many others made their tours during the shows 11 year run.

This was a 5 day a week staple on NBC at 11:30 AM from 1965 to 1976 when it went off, one of many victims of the one hour New Price is Right. While it ran, it got a lot of viewers. A lot of the older generation actors & actresses alternated with newer ones to fill the 9 squares every week.

If it were available now, there would be a lot of nostalgic moments for baby boomer's as Michael Landon, Jim Henson, George Goebel, & a host of others would appear on the program. The game itself was so harmless that at one point there was a children's version of the Squares running on Saturday morning NBC TV.

This was a very popular way to fritter away 30 minutes & would get you 30 minutes closer to Let's Make A Deal too.

Six years after launching their first game show Video Village, Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley came up with a show that would eventually be the best comedy game show of all-time, Hollywood Squares.

The game was really simple since it was based on tic-tac-toe. But what made the show stand out was the humorous bluff answers from the many stars who sat in the nine boxes throughout the show's 15 year run. Among the many celebrities who appeared on the show were Wally Cox, Cliff Arquette (as his Charley Weaver character),Rose Marie, George Gobel and in the center square, Paul Lynde. His quips were very funny and rescued the show from a slow start into a very funny show.

Heatter-Quigley made the right choice in hiring Peter Marshall over Bert Parks as "The Master of the Hollywood Squares." Though he never hosted a game show he got better and better throughout the run and it paid off with a couple of Emmys.

I really enjoyed the show, even the nighttime syndicated version that aired once (later twice) a week. It was a true game show classic and X got the square.