Match Game '17: how times have changed...

[COINBOYNYC]

I was at a recent taping of the new Match Game for an episode that will, I believe, air in January.

I don't remember the question, but I do remember the contestant's answer.  It was... how can I put this discreetly?  The answer was a three-letter word, generally used in a sexual context, that's a homonym for "come."  (For whatever it's worth, the answer was in proper context with the question.)

After a stop-tape to check with the producers, they allowed the answer to stay!

Now I was the one who fell to the floor!  (Not literally, of course, since I was sitting in the audience.)  And this will be airing on a Disney-owned network!

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out when the episode is aired.

[Torgo]

Colin Mochrie made a similar crack on Whose Line Is It Anyway? - a program on ABC (and later ABC Family) - 15 years ago. This faux outrage over what people deem "acceptable language" on prime time networks irks me.

[JayC]

I'm guessing this is the answer that in the preview for the new season makes Alec fall to the floor.

[Wayoshi]

Family Feud has been doing the same thing - not so crass - for pretty much all of Harvey's run. It works in the ratings.

[david1964]

The difference between this version and the '70's version is that the '70's version didn't need to try hard to be funny.  It just came naturally.  Yes, it had its own adult content for this type of show back in the day, (remember guys, this version was on in the afternoon.  My brother and I watched it religiously in '75 and '76 every day after school.  Both of our parents worked.  So they had no idea.  LOL.  We were 16 and 15.).  But this version just desperately tries to hard to be funny.  And it falls flat. It definitely has more adult content.  A lot of the times very dirty content.  Alec Baldwin and the celebrities are just an embarrassment to watch.  I was curious along with a lot of you, what this version would be like.  And it's just not for me.  I won't be watching when it returns next month. 

[GSNSmashFan3]

^ I don't think that Alec and the celebrities are the reason why this version "tries too hard to be funny"; instead, I think it's a result of how society has changed in regards to accepting raunchy humor. The reason why the "fill-in-the-blank" humor worked so well in the 70's was because of how strict the censorship was for that type of raunchy humor at the time; as a result, the questions could sound suggestive, but the "punchline" (for lack of a better term) rarely/never needed to be said. Today, society is a lot more accepting of that humor, so the barrier between the suggestive question and the "punchline" is MUCH thinner. If I could have it my way, Match Game would never be revived because the humor just doesn't work the same way in today's society, but in spite of the current version's many flaws, I think it's actually been one of the better modern revivals (granted, not that it had much to compete against!).

[COINBOYNYC]

I'm guessing this is the answer that in the preview for the new season makes Alec fall to the floor.

That's the one.

Society's greater acceptance of raunchy humor (as pointed out in GSNSmashFan3's post) notwithstanding, a big part of my surprise with the answer is that it was given by a contestant.  Today's standards being what they are, I would almost expect one of the celebrities to give that answer.

When the show airs, I wonder if the contestant's answer will be bleeped.

[catdogwheel]

The only thing that has irked me is when celebrities write answers so inappropriate they can't be shown on tv. Therefore us viewers have to trust that the answer matched the contestant's answer and it wasn't rigged.

[imhomerjay]

Why wouldn't I trust that the judges fairly considered it a match (or not)?

[howierules86]

Match Game 2016 returns tonight on ABC Sunday nights at 8:00 PM (7 central) for the next few Sundays. Also, Valerie Bertinelli is going to be one of the upcoming celebrities, and when I thought to ask her on why GSN has never aired the 1978 week of MG she did (I'm part of her Facebook fan page), I got this response from her:

"Odd. I don't have that kind of power and even if I did I wouldn't use it. I would love to see that old Match Game again!"

[JayC]

It's actually going to be on at 9pm eastern, not 8.

Asking GSN themselves or Fremantle would be better to see why her week of shows from 78 haven't aired. Have they aired on Buzzr?

[Briguy]

It's actually going to be on at 9pm eastern, not 8.

Asking GSN themselves or Fremantle would be better to see why her week of shows from 78 haven't aired. Have they aired on Buzzr?

Could be any number of other reasons why that week of episodes haven't aired. I can't think of any offhand that would justify it, though.

Brian

[JayC]

The Game Show Forum has her on a list of celebrities that vetoed their shows from reairing- http://www.gameshowforum.org/index.php?topic=18390.0
Since she herself said she doesn't know why they don't reair, maybe it's something her agent or manager did long ago? Or she herself did it long ago and she doesn't recall or GSN just never contacted her for permission.

[Flerbert419]

The Game Show Forum has her on a list of celebrities that vetoed their shows from reairing- http://www.gameshowforum.org/index.php?topic=18390.0

That is an inaccurate description of the list. It's a list of celebs that "we" think vetoed their appearances.

The list appears to be incorrect.

[Axl]

Since she herself said she doesn't know why they don't reair, maybe it's something her agent or manager did long ago? Or she herself did it long ago and she doesn't recall or GSN just never contacted her for permission.

Any of those things could be true.  I've always disliked framing this issue as a celebrity "veto" of their game show appearance, because they're not all necessarily actively trying to block it.  It only means that they have not signed a release that GSN (or maybe Fremantle) has decided is advisable to have signed before those shows are aired.  It could be that the request simply was misdelivered or overlooked or misunderstood or intercepted by a well-meaning agent.  It also could be that the celebrity simply doesn't care, but is reluctant to sign any sort of legal paperwork that has no discernible personal benefit.  Once Fremantle has cleared a critical mass of episodes, they probably don't care to wear themselves out trying to find and persuade the few celebrities left who haven't signed.