Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour - First Episode (1 of 8)

[starsfan23]

Honestly, the best way that I think show might have worked (and I stress MIGHT have worked) is if Mark Goodson stuck to doing just the Match Game half and Heatter-Quigley did the Hollywood Squares half (the creators of the original Squares) semi independent of each other

[bogiehead]

All the Goodson-Todman shows "borrowed" music from each other, the exeception being Match Game. I know for a fact they used "Family Feud" music on TPIR.

[zachhoran]

CN Reilly and Fannie Flagg did make a couple of appearances on this version.

[artytoons]

The game was watchable after one gets over the shock of seeing Bowzer in a suit and tie.

[abqwriter]

Sounded like this show might have worked a lot better if Peter Marshall hosted the Squares side of things....

[ChihuahuaboyDH]

@abqwriter  I agree with Peter Marshall hosting the "HS" half of the show. Jon "Bowzer" Bauman seemed out of place emceeing here.

[scoot1105]

@ChihuahuaboyDH I totally agree. Bauman was ok, but Marshall should definitely had been the host of the "Squares" part. The show probably would've lasted longer than the 8 or 9 months it was on the air if Marshall was there.

[kweets24]

It seems as though the panel is not writing down answers to help the contestant win; but they are writing down answers to see who will get the loudest laugh from the audience (which they weren't getting). Apparently the panel doesn't know the original show and they don't know the meaning of "definitive answer." "Woman" and "face" were probably the 2 def. answers in this round.

[timbabcock]

Mark Goodson didn't want scripted answers for the celebrities. It really made the show terrible. It wouldn't be too long though before John Davidson would host a better resurrected version. Even though Peter Marshall didn't do this version (after the Fantasy show he hosted tanked) he did host All Star Blitz for ABC around the same time.

[NDW85]

For the teenage son question, I probably would have said makeup artist.

[NDW85]

Another answer I would have thought of for that question would be a bank Robber.

[Fartingbellybutton]

Why were there 3 contestants on the Pilot?

[travis7310]

The theme music is now heard on "The Price is Right" when they give away cars.

[TheRobert2254]

i remember this show i like it was 2 game shows in 1

[landrykkb]

The concept of combining Match Game & Hollywood Suares was a no-brainer,but for one thing it would have had a better chance at longevity in a syndicated format and also if Goodson-Todman had stuck to the traditional,comical bluff answers the celebrities gave which made HS in the first place.

[MrLogoman007]

Alison Arngrim... They got Nellie Oleson for this?!?!?! Great start, Goodson. Great start.

[mgsnv2]

I like the "think music" when the celebrities are writing.

[hdayejr]

Where's the sound?

[captjon615]

I recall Jon Bauman wasn't the first choice for hosting Hollywood Squares. He got the gig, because he came up with ingenious answers for Match Game questions.

Here was one example --

Did you hear Elizabeth Taylor will be starring in a ballet? Instead of a tutu -- she's going to wear a _____.

Jon Bauman's Answer: A "FOUR-FOUR"!

[jasbigj]

John "Bowzer" Bauman hosted Hollywood Squares. Didn't know that or totally forgot that.

[Sheldonwh]

First of all, these 'celebrities' are horrible, and terrible at this game. Second, this game does NOT work without Charles Nelson Riley!

[Sheldonwh]

Wow, it didn't take them very long to get to the homophobia, did it? The very first question was designed to elicit gay bashing responses...and the black guy took it ever further!

This is the fourth video I've watched on YouTube today, and every one of them has either been a gay-bashing video, or has had a dozen homophobic comments below it. Blacks don't get called niggers on YouTube, but gays sure do get dragged through the mire.

[cartoongameshowfan76]

John looks out of place as a host!

Gene was the right choice on the MG side.

[ericandy88]

You are not the only one. They should have asked Peter Marshall to resume hosting duties on HS, but as he said in his autobiography, he was simply never asked.

I think he did return to host an episode or two of the Tom Bergeron series.

[Hondo20132]

Actually, this was the THIRD show to be an hour. Wheel of Fortune became an hour in late 1975 for a few months in competetion with TPIR.

[gameshowfrk]

Actually, "Let's Make a Deal" and the original Peter Marshall "Hollywood Squares" also experimented with hour-long versions about the same time as well.

[DomenicDee]

Twyla Littleton and Phil Proctor? It's truly amazing how they were able to get mega-superstars like that on this show.

[Sheldonwh]

No shit! I really had to reach back in my mind (and by "mind," I mean Wikipedia) to figure out who the hell they even were! LOL

[travis7310]

The theme song is now heard on The Price is Right, usually a car given away.

[Rlotpir1972]

Same with Card Sharks '86.

[nextbarker]

Was this the second game show to be billed a MARK GOODSON TELEVISION PRODUCTION? I know Child's Play was the first.

[gameshowfrk]

Actually, don't think "Child's Play" was the first. I remem-ber "Family Feud" billed that a couple of years before "Child's Play" debuted. Beyond that, I don't know.

[MrBlackSW]

I guarantee you, if Peter Marshall co-hosted this show, it would have enjoyed a very long run. Instead of a 9 months. I remember watching the show as a kid after seeing the commercial for it, thinking Marshall was co-hosting. Even as an 8 year old, Iknew he should have. Then seeing Bowser! From Sha-Na-Na! Oh no...

[gameshowfrk]

IMO, I'm not sure that it would've done any better. But it definitely would've been a better show. I remember liking the "Match Game" and "Super Match" portions better because of that.

[johnissoevil]

Don't remember where I heard this, but from what I understand, Peter turned this down due to Mark Goodson's "no scripted answers" policy. The fun of Squares was not present here. I liked the "Is he telling the truth, or is his answer total bullshit?" concept.

[bluebear1985]

From what I heard, Peter said they never asked him to co-host.

[jellyrewis]

In "Backstage With The Original Hollywood Square" book, Peter said he wasn't offered the job.

[MrLogoman007]

I wonder why. And 2nd, where were Heatter and Quigley when all this was happening?

[landrykkb]

I didn't like the multiple choice questions on the Hollywood Squares segment because it appeared as if they were rushing the show along,but the Match Game segments were well done and in keeping with the original.

[landrykkb]

@johnissoevil Peter Marshall was also otherwise committed to another game show at the time,and not a Mark Goodson-created one.

[NDW85]

For the finger bowl question, I would have said either clothes, hair or face.

[NDW85]

For the "teenage son" question, I would have said a bank robber.

[Hondo20132]

The WOF that aired before this, it's up here as well!

[pacmannick]

Gene hated Bowzer. He wanted Peter Marshal

[sprinter82]

*sigh* 1:23, now that's a hoot...bet they paid Gene good money to say that.

[MGHSHour2]

This Game Show Was Funny!

[hdayejr]

It's been said that Rayburn hated working with that idiot Bauman. I think Gene just rolled with the punches, Bauman is pretty much a joke anyhow

[kweets24]

With the answers they each gave, they didn't even think of a definitive answer to help the contestant out. They only tried to make a funny answer (when, of course, it wasn't funny at all). They each gave their reasonings about why they put the answer they wrote down, but come on, at least help the contestant out with reasonable answers...

[gameshowfrk]

I think, later on, at least, the questions they asked were of the either-or variety to simplify things.

[katmusic2006]

are you saying it's too bad that it's the first version of match game i ever saw in my life (i was 9 at the time)? thank goodness i was young enough to see peter marshall hosting the original hollywood squares even if it *was* near the end.

at least mghs was somewhat entertaining.  i was a kid. didn't quite know the difference. :)

[tuttlemsm]

Instead of Jon Bauman who is pointless outside of his Bowzer persona... how about getting, I don't know, Peter Marshall??

People used to confuse Peter Marshall and Gene Rayburn all the time, which would make it twice as much fun.

[bluebear1985]

I think I once heard something that having Bowzer host the Hollywood Squares portion was an 11th hour decision.

[mhmrules]

Amen, I can really see them working very well together.

[mojay11]

So funny you should mention Jon Bowzer Bowman, I saw him on an informercial a couple of weeks ago for a CD collection of 50's songs. That's the first time I've seen him on TV probably since the 1980's.

[midknightryder13]

I had forgotten about THAT! (I think there's a clip here where Peter was on MG7x and he and Gene CHANGED PLACES for the intro -- so it was Peter who came out and down the stairs.) You're right -- that would have been much more fun. And while I think Mark Goodson was a genius when it came to game shows -- disallowing the scripted answers took away to 'heart and soul' of HS.

[skchen831]

sigh match game is not the same without Bret and Chuckie

[ppgzfanatic]

Thanks so very much for bringing the very first episode to the 'Tube!

[narzo]

who or what is a Twyla Littleton?

[Wheeloffortunefan999]

she was 1 of the guests on this episode LOLOL!

[gadgetfreak84]

Interesting watch, but the new format ruined Match Game for me. :( It's not as fun without Brett or Charles.

[ppgzfanatic]

I think Paul Lynde is gonna turn over his grave...

[landrykkb]

Considering that he died just a year and a half before this premiered,I agree with you!

[Lottech96]

Be sure to return down the volume after Watching this!! or you'll Kill your ear-drums!!

just a reminder oh thank for putting this up

[mojay11]

I had the volume down a little bit and couldn't hear anything, then I turned it all the way up and I finally heard it, I guess when the video was uploaded the audio wasn't very good.

[cgsguy]

Sound is too low.