Golden-Road.net

Studio 46 - Non-TPiR Discussion => Out In Left Field => Topic started by: TVC on June 27, 2013, 07:04:48 PM

Title: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: TVC on June 27, 2013, 07:04:48 PM
The 40th anniversary of Match Game '73 is upon us. The CBS series premiered on July 2, 1973.
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: Axl on June 27, 2013, 07:08:57 PM
Wow, that really snuck up on me.  And since the first pilot was taped on May 19, 1973, you can argue that the 40th anniversary of the revival has already arrived.
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: TVC on June 27, 2013, 07:15:26 PM
Has anyone here attended tapings of the 1970s Match Game (network or syndicated versions)? I recall that the norm was to tape five episodes on Saturdays and five episodes on Sundays.
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: Borusa on June 27, 2013, 11:56:16 PM
GSN should have done a 40th anniversary marathon (they did a 30th anniversary marathon ten years ago).
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: RG on June 28, 2013, 01:00:52 AM
GSN should have done a 40th anniversary marathon (they did a 30th anniversary marathon ten years ago).

That 30th anniversary marathon was great... 30 episodes of Match Game starting at 9am.

I'm not going to hold my breath that they'll do anything to acknowledge the 40th anniversary.
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: Ccook on June 28, 2013, 06:06:36 AM
Match Game '73 was originally supposed to debut on June 25, 1973 but the Watergate hearings--which all three networks were covering simultaneously--put it off a week. It was at that point that the networks decided to do round robin coverage of the hearings.

Our market--Atlanta--didn't get Match Game '73 upon its debut. The CBS affiliate (then WAGA/ch. 5) was still under contract to run the remainder of the syndicated show It's Your Bet which aired at 3:30 PM (when CBS ran MG). WAGA started running MG that September.
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: FamilyFeud1994 on June 28, 2013, 09:57:38 PM
GSN should have done a 40th anniversary marathon (they did a 30th anniversary marathon ten years ago).

I remember that 30th anniversary marathon. I'd say the 50th anniversary marathon (of the franchise as a whole) they did in December takes care of it nicely.
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: TVC on July 02, 2013, 12:21:11 PM
I remember seeing promos for the new Match Game that CBS aired in primetime in advance of the show's premiere on July 1, 1973. The promo consisted of a montage of clips and shots of the celebrity panelists. Arlene Francis was among them.

...the first pilot was taped on May 19, 1973...

Apparently, CBS quickly decided to place the show on its schedule after the pilot was produced.

Also interesting is that the music was only days old when the pilot was taped. The initial cues were mastered on May 14, 1973.
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: Axl on July 02, 2013, 10:45:00 PM
Apparently, CBS quickly decided to place the show on its schedule after the pilot was produced.

With such a fast turnaround, I originally assumed that CBS was already about 90% behind the idea of reviving Match Game, and just needed to see a pilot to make sure there were no unexpected snafus before greenlighting it.  But now, I wonder if it was originally sketched out for a fall debut, and there was some last-minute reason they had to move it up quickly.  Anybody know?
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: Ccook on July 02, 2013, 11:30:20 PM
Could be that the show it replaced, Hollywood's Talking, wasn't doing too well, even with Price as a lead-in. The 3 PM spot was previously occupied by Love Is A Many Splendored Thing and soap fans boycotted CBS for replacing it with Price. Another soap, Secret Storm was moved to 4 PM from 3:30 to make room for Hollywood's Talking, and I guess the soap fans just couldn't jump on the game bandwagon.
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: GuyWithFace on July 03, 2013, 12:53:40 AM
Sounds like what happened when ABC replaced Dark Shadows with Password two years earlier.
Title: Re: "Match Game '73" 40th anniversary
Post by: imhomerjay on July 03, 2013, 09:07:46 PM
Could be that the show it replaced, Hollywood's Talking, wasn't doing too well, even with Price as a lead-in. The 3 PM spot was previously occupied by Love Is A Many Splendored Thing and soap fans boycotted CBS for replacing it with Price. Another soap, Secret Storm was moved to 4 PM from 3:30 to make room for Hollywood's Talking, and I guess the soap fans just couldn't jump on the game bandwagon.

And history repeats itself, with the silliness over the demise of All My Children and One Life to Live.

Of course, were a game to be replaced by a soap...now, that's perfectly ok.  :D