Hollywood Squares (1998–2004)

Contestants guess the correctness of celebrities' answers in order to win spaces in a tic-tac-toe game.

Stars:

Tom Bergeron, Shadoe Stevens, Whoopi Goldberg

3 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Tom Bergeron	...	Himself - Host (1045 episodes, 1998-2004)
Shadoe Stevens	...	Himself - Announcer (695 episodes, 1998-2004)
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Herself - Center Square (675 episodes, 1998-2002)
Martin Mull	...	Himself (425 episodes, 1998-2004)

Storyline

An updated version of the classic game show. Celebrities, each sitting in a square of a giant tic-tac-toe board, are asked questions by host Tom Bergeron. Contestants must then guess whether the celebrity's answer is correct or incorrect in order to gain control of the square and hopefully get three squares in a row.

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Plot Keywords:

celebrity | tic tac toe | guest | joke | non fiction

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Genres:

Comedy | Game-Show

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

H2: Hollywood Squares

Filming Locations:

CBS Television City - 7800 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sony Pictures Television, Fair Dinkum Productions, Michael Levitt Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

One week of shows would tape in one day which is why they could ensure the same guest for 5 "days" in a row. After each episode Tom Bergeron and the panelists would change outfits and then go tape another one.

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Quotes

[immediate and repeated response to contestants guessing incorrectly during a marathon first match]
Teller, Regular: YOU FOOL!

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Connections

Version of All Star Squares (1999)

User Reviews

An improvement

Henry Winkler and Michael Levitt made some nice changes to the Hollywood Squares. It's hard to compare it with the popular Peter Marshall version, but this version is more entertaining than the version's run by Whoopi Goldberg or Orion (1986-89).

Thumbs up:

Tom Bergeron as host. Whoopi Goldberg made the perfect call for Bergeron to take the reigns. His amicable and occasionally sarcastic style blends well with the straight man that one needs to be as a Squares host. He should be around for more shows to come.

The new end game. Facts about stars climaxing with a one-in-x chance to win a car/trip/cash jackpot. It moves well and stays entertaining to the end.

The question writing. It's a nice mix of pop culture, truly ridiculous facts (that might be false), and historical references. In the end, it's all about the questions.

Audience input. The producers actually ask for it. Granted, some of the recorded calls are used as amusement more than advice, but at least these are producers that listen.

Nice array of celebrities. The center square has had a decent mix of leading entertainers, such as Alec Baldwin, Ted Danson, Reba McIntyre and even Gloria Estefan. The remaining eight squares are filled with entertainers from all different facets and age groups. It's an eclectic mix where contemporary actors mixed in with comedy legends such as Rich Little, David Brenner, and Buddy Hackett. This edition is not afraid to honor squares of the past, and even granted Peter Marshall a December week as center square (hosting one show).

Thumbs down:

Audience direction. Does the audience need to applaud EVERY SINGLE TIME a contestant calls upon a star? This is over the top, and slows down the game.

Teena Marie (yes, the 1980's one-hit wonder) on theme song vocals. The music itself is quite good, but her vocals are a little screechy and annoying.

Ellen DeGeneres as center square. Mixing up the center square from week to week is a decent idea, but Ellen chooses to slow down the game by trying too hard to be funny. H2 would be wise to edit out her comments (quips?) and go straight to her answer.

H2 is guaranteed to run though 2003-04, but it's uncertain if the show will be shelved after that.