I believe it was said that this Match Game will be on late at night.

I stand corrected on the 2nd incarnation of HS. But I don’t mind telling you…to me, it SEEMED like two seasons!

But I agree with the rest of the peanut gallery that it’s not the contestants that truly matter for MG — it’s the host, the celebrity panel and the show’s writers. If MG has…

1. …a host who keeps the show in control and interacts well with the panel (One of Michael Burger’s bigger problems hosting MG 98 was that, at times, he seemed to fear a few of the panelists)
2. A panel made up of comics, actors and other celebrities who understand how to play the game, can interact well with each other, the host and the contestants, and are playing for the contestants, not themselves (think early Brett Somers)
3. A writing staff that can get back to the spirit of 70’s and Shafer MG (perhaps even reach out to those who wrote for those shows for advice, or to even join the staff)
4. A production company (Fremantle) and a network (TBS) that will not overmeddle in production of the show (Reportedly, MG 98 started to fail when Pearson ordered the show to make sure the show had “more matches”.)

…then the show will have a chance.

With TBS pumping up more original comedy content in the coming months, it would not surprise me that, if the show gets picked up for series, you will see actors on TBS sitcoms appearing on the panel. I could easily see Bill Engvall (”The Bill Engvall Show”) doing well on this panel. Jim Gaffigan (”My Boys”) would be worth a look-see, and Jordana Spiro (”My Boys”) could fit the “dumb blonde” position that seemed to be a hallmark of the 70s version.

It’s a longshot, but perhaps the new version could invite a popular panelist from the 70s version to sit in every week. I doubt Richard Dawson would do it, but I could see Betty White, Joyce Bulifant, Marcia Wallace, Patti Deutsch or Bill Daily to take a spin on the show if asked.

About this version of Match Game, I haven’t heard anything about a host or panelists, and yet it’s already casting contestants. It’s not too early to start worrying, is it?

To that end, it’s mamzing how the ’80s version with John Davidson lasted only two seasons, while the the most recent version more than doubled that.

I agree that Ross Shaffer did a hellva job emceeing the ‘90 version of the show, and had there been more appearances of the 70’s celebrities (i.e. Brett Somers, Betty White, Jimmie Walker, Avery Schreiber, Marcia Wallace, etc., along with “MG” favorites Joyce Bullifant, Patti Deutsch, Scoey Mitchlll, Patty Duke, and many others), and possibly with original host Bert Convy hosting (as he was an original semi-regular on the 70’s version, and seemed to have good repore with people on “Tattletales”), and a better time slot, this version might have succeeded better, but I still give Ross an ‘A’ for effort for what he had to work with.

At least Ross was lucky not to deal with the crap known as “Match Game ‘98!” That version was CHEAP to the core, and it ‘dumbed down’ the show from a fun cocktail party setting to see who cold get the most censored answers in 30 minutes contest! I felt sorry for Vicki Laurence for having to sit through this dreck, and I bet she kicked herself many times as well! Judy Tenuta was the Kathy Griffin of the 90’s, but worse, as she wasn’t a BIT funny, and that damn accordian drove you nuts after a while! Michael Burger should have stuck to talk shows, as he wasn’t even Ross Shaffer on his worst day!

I hope this pilot doesn’t go through, and that instead we get the repeats of the 70’s thru 1990 versions of “Match Game” aired on GSN one day where they aren’t sped up, and where the immortal Johnny O is finally NOT interrupted so we can hear that “Secret Storm”/”Tattletales”/”Musical Chairs”/”Love Of Life” is next, over most of these CBS stations - nuff said on this topic!

I’ve also said this before. Other older fans of MG have said it before. When he was still among us, even Gene Rayburn said many times how weak the format was, and it was the chemistry with the stars, and the fact that he (Mr. Rayburn) was the glue that held it all together.

The reason the ABC version with Ross Schaffer didn’t work was a poor mix of celeb’s; mostly from ABC’s own stable. Schaffer himself wasn’t half bad, at all.

Evidently, nobody learned the lessons created by the most recent debacle, with the likes of Coolio, and Judy Tenuta…

Especially not having celebs. The panel should be celebrities/comedians that are not going to be extremely controversial (As I type that sentence I think of Kathy Griffin as someone who should not be on. I know a lot of people like her and I’ve heard some of her bits that i thought were good, but I’ve seen her on The Mole, and she takes her cursing, center-of-attention attitude with her to other shows.)