mattk1

The Match was back, but not for long. The format was toyed with too much. 5 panelists instead of 6, 4 which were regulars. The nature of the questions changed too. Many questions led to poking fun at Bill Clinton and male anatomy, and the answers were frequently too explicit for tv. The panel also lacked balance. Vicki Lawrence looked as if she really didn't want to be there some of the time, Judy Tenuta was too loud and frequently upstaged the panel. Nell Carter was a bump on the log. Michael Burger did his best with a weak panel. Michael is not Gene Rayburn, but he had some funny moments.

Match Game returned, but without Gene Rayburn. Ross Schaeffer hosted this short lived version. Charles Nelson Reilly was the only regular, but many regulars from the 70s version also played. The most welcome was Brett Somers, who with Charles brought back some nostalgic back and forth one liners that they were so well known for in the 70s. The format was pretty much unchanged, except for a "Match Up" round that was added. In Match Up, the celeb and contestant had to match "fill ins", with 2 answers to choose from. (For example: BLUE ____, BIRD or SKY) Overall, a great effort that could've had a longer run.

It was an interesting idea to pair up Match Game with Hollywood Squares. While most of the ideas worked, some didn't. Match Game was played first. There were no regulars in this version, except Jon Bauman. Many Match Game regulars from the 70s occasionally played the game, but most of the stars were from current NBC shows. Gene was still in good form and in terms of the format, very little changed. However, without a regular panel, the show was very uneven in terms of gameplay. After Match Game, Hollywood Squares was played, with a clever transition from one show to another. 3 additional celebs were brought onstage, and the Match Game panel remained. Jon Bauman, of Sha Na Na, was an odd choice for host. Jon struggled to keep the game moving, as the stars sometimes got out of control, and he was like a substitute teacher desperately trying to get attention. Unlike Match Game, there were no regulars from the original Hollywood Squares. Overall, a good effort, but it could've been better.