Match Game

The Match Game was an American television game show where contestants tried to match a panel of six celebrities in answering fill-in-the-blank questions.

Hosts and celebrity panelists

Gene Rayburn hosted all versions of the show through 1984. Ross Shafer hosted the 1990 version, and Michael Burger hosted the 1998 version.

Related Topics:
Gene Rayburn - Ross Shafer - Michael Burger

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Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers were regular celebrity panelists through most of the 1973-82 version's run; Richard Dawson was also a regular from 1973 through 1978. Game show hosts such as Bob Barker, Bert Convy, Tom Kennedy, Bill Cullen, Peter Marshall and Allen Ludden made occasional appearances as panelists. Other frequent panelists from this era included Joyce Bulifant, Gary Burghoff, Bill Daily, Patti Deutsch, David Doyle, Patty Duke Astin, Fannie Flagg, Holly Hallstrom, Elaine Joyce, Vicki Lawrence, Dick Martin, Lee Meriwether, Jo Ann Pflug, Nipsey Russell, Debralee Scott, McLean Stevenson, Marcia Wallace, and Betty White.

Related Topics:
Charles Nelson Reilly - Brett Somers - Richard Dawson - 1978 - Game show host - Bob Barker - Bert Convy - Tom Kennedy - Bill Cullen - Peter Marshall - Allen Ludden - Joyce Bulifant - Gary Burghoff - Bill Daily - Patti Deutsch - David Doyle - Patty Duke Astin - Fannie Flagg - Holly Hallstrom - Elaine Joyce - Vicki Lawrence - Dick Martin - Lee Meriwether - Jo Ann Pflug - Nipsey Russell - Debralee Scott - McLean Stevenson - Marcia Wallace - Betty White

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The 1983-84 version that aired as part of The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour featured no regular panelists other than co-host Jon Bauman, who hosted the Hollywood Squares segment and sat on the panel during the Match Game and Super Match segments. Many of the show's guests, however, had prior Match Game experience, including Bauman, who appeared as "Bowzer". Original panelist Charles Nelson Reilly did appear on this version, as did Chuck Woolery, who promoted his new game show Scrabble.

Related Topics:
Jon Bauman - Charles Nelson Reilly - Chuck Woolery - Scrabble

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Charles Nelson Reilly was the only permanent panelist for the 1990 version. Other semi-regulars during this era included Bill Kirchenbauer, Ronn Lucas (with his puppet-dragon Scorch), Sally Struthers, and Fred Travalena, as well as several past semi-regulars mentioned above. On three separate occasions during this run of the series, Brett Somers returned to renew her comic rivalry with Reilly.

Related Topics:
Bill Kirchenbauer - Ronn Lucas - Sally Struthers - Fred Travalena

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The 1998 version featured only five panelists instead of the usual six; of these, three were permanent (Vicki Lawrence, Judy Tenuta, and Nell Carter), with a fourth (George Hamilton) being nearly so.

Related Topics:
Vicki Lawrence - Judy Tenuta - Nell Carter - George Hamilton

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The series' regular announcers were Johnny Olson (through 1982), Gene Wood (1983-84 and 1990-91) and Paul Boland (1998-99).

Related Topics:
Announcer - Johnny Olson - Gene Wood - Paul Boland

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