If I could be a game show host, I think I would like to be the host of a new version of Match Game. Why? Because Im lazy, and that show was a cakewalk. I used to watch the original show in the 1970s, hosted by Gene Rayburn, and I remember the format was so easy and relaxed. Gene would introduce the contestants, say hello to the celebrity panelists, and then his only other job for the rest of the show was to read a few sentences off a card and play word association. It was the easiest gig in game shows. Compare that with Jeopardy, during which Alex Trebeck has to know all the answers, be able to review them quickly, manage the game rules, calculate scores, be friendly to the egghead contestants, and the whole time he has to think in the backward language of Answer In The Form Of A Question. Too fast and too complicated! Even Wheel Of Fortune is a hassle for the host. Pat Sajak has to contend with spelling, pronunciation, the already guessed letter board, free spins, and then the added humiliation of shopping for prizes. Of course, Pat knows the answer to the puzzle during every round, so his inner dialogue must be, Ugh, its so obvious! over and over again. And that spinning wheel must be so excruciating to watch show after show; what he wouldnt give for a random number generator! On Price Is Right, Bob Barker had the most complex game show host duties. He had to learn all sorts of rules for the various puzzles and games, hawk a bunch of sponsored products, interact with Johnny Olson and the prize pointer girls, dodge that dangerous showcase showdown wheel, and worst of all, have a parade of obnoxious tourists leaping on him for an hour. I havent seen the Drew Cary version, but Im sure its just as busy and exhausting for the host. By comparison, Match Game was a breeze. The game itself was so easy. The clue was given, and the two contestants would try to guess what the most popular answer would be. You got a point for every answer that matched yours, and some green lights that lit up for each one. There were some index cards, some gigantic magic markers, and that was the whole show. And it was fun, too. There were always great joke answers, especially because the kooky panel was usually sauced and horny. Unlike Hollywood Squares, in which the jokes were all pre-scripted, Match Game was very spontaneous and off the cuff. Gene could say the clue was Dog Blank and the panel would give you six different euphemisms for poop, which you couldnt say on television. (They could say Dog Doo though!) Every show would have at least one clue in which the answer was ass, but since that word was taboo, theyd write derriere in flowery script on the answer card, to the hooting delight of the studio audience. Heres a whole article about Match Game, which I didnt read, because Im lazy. avclub/article/10-match-game-episodes-that-hit-viewers-right-in-t-201407
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 11:11:11 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015