Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour

I wasn't aware of this combo until I saw it on Buzzr. I was a big fan of both game shows back then, but putting the two together was just ... awkward. And the format was pretty clumsy.

I don't understand all the criticism about "The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour." The critics believed this show was an uneven marriage of two game shows that had been popular, that Bowzer wasn't good hosting his "Hollywood Squares" segment, etc.

I beg to differ. Sure, I was in sixth grade the year this program aired, and it's been 18 years since I've seen an episode, but I liked "The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour." It was a "must see" program for me, every afternoon after school.

I had enjoyed both "Match Game" and "Hollywood Squares" as a younger child, and thought the two segments together made for the perfect marriage. I don't remember too much about how good the celebrities actually were playing the game, but the gameplay to me seemed to go off without a hitch.

What I enjoyed most was the "Super Match" segment, played at the end, for a possible $30,000 jackpot. All the contestant needed to do was choose the celebrity they believed had the elusive "30" multiplier (the others had either 10s or 20s, making for lower jackpots). That made for a lot more excitement than simply choosing a celebrity to play for a flat 10 times whatever they had won in the "Audience Match" half of the game, though it compares very favorably with the "Star Wheel" used on latter-day "Match Game" (where 20 times the stakes were possible).

The critics often cite the concept as to what led to the demise of "The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour" after just nine months. Others seem to think that viewers were still tuning into "General Hospital" in droves.

Say what you will about why this show didn't last, but I sure hope to be able to see it again sometime. I sure hope Game Show Network will acquire the rights to show this unique program, which died before its time.

I'm watching this on the Buzzr Network now and I think its pretty good I dont really find Bauman as bad as everyone says my only criticism is the classic 1970s Match Game and Hollywood Squares sets were better (I like the 1970s game show sets a lot more than any of the sets they have had since then) and the Celebrities on the 1970s shows were better, I do miss the regulars on the 1970s Match Game (Brett, Charles and Richard, and others like Fannie Flagg, Betty White,Patti, Deutsch, Jo ann Pflug, etc, etc) and Hollywood Squares (Paul Lynde, and the others), and the Sets were better in the 70s too, but I dont really find Bauman to be that bad (Peter Marshall was better but Bauman isnt that bad) and of course Gene Rayburn is the best.

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.

In theory, this should have been a powerhouse game show that lasted more than one year. Two of the most popular game shows on television combine in an hour-long format with a big, $30,000 end game. Unfortunately, it lacked in many areas. Jon Bauman was a lackluster host, Gene Rayburn didn't really seem as enthused about hosting anymore (auto-pilot) but was even less enthusiastic when he served as one of the panelists on Squares. The Hollywood Squares questions (all multiple choice) did not allow for much comedy from the celebrities. Many of the celebrities were from ABC soaps and lesser-known shows.