Own the rights?
I'll give ABC a point or two by trying to revive "Match Game." It was actually their last attempt at a game show. Some people don't know this but Bert Convy did the pilot and it might have survived a longer life if he hosted it on a regular basis. Unfortunately, he became ill after the pilot taped and Ross Schaefer was brought in as host. Gene Rayburn, though alive at the time, was considered "too old" and was not asked to return to the role that made him famous. The Noon time slot is always a "death sentence" because most of the ABC affiliates pre-empted it for the news. There was too many soap stars and less or none of the '70's semi-regulars like Fannie Flagg, Betty White, or Joyce Bulifant. They did get Brett Somers for a couple of weeks and this helped give it a nostalgic feel but not having Brett on a regular basis was a mistake. The Star Wheel didn't increase in value since the original went off in 1982. The addition of "Match-Up" was probably a "tweak" that could have been eliminated after the first 13 weeks and gone back to the original format of the '70s. Perhaps ABC didn't want the shows to "straddle" any longer. GSN airs this version every now and then but most people do not find it as amusing as the '70's version and for good reason. There was no "real" chemistry between Ross and the celebrities and there was less banter.
You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.
You may add a new episode for this TV series by clicking the 'add episode' button
