Match Game 06

Was thinking of who would be good for a new version of Match Game, who would keep it basically the same kind of show it was during the 1970s.

--Host: Basically need someone with a good voice and a bad toupee, a la Gene Rayburn. Marv Albert would fit the bill.

--The Richard Dawson chair: The fixture, the person with the jokes, the one who would be chosen for the money-doubling Super Match question. I'd go with Whoopi Goldberg.

--The Charles Nelson Reilly chair: The sexually ambiguous bon vivant. Heck, Charles Nelson Reilly is still alive, I believe, and he gained some cred with his X-Files work. So bring him back to provide a link to the past.

--The Brett Somers chair: The woman with the wisecracks, who would banter with Charles Nelson Reilly. Go with Megan Mullaly. With Will and Grace done, I do believe she'll have lots of free time.

--The Fannie Flagg/Joyce Bulifant chair: They would basically alternate in this spot, kinda the bubbly presence. Rachael Ray would fill one of those slots once her talk show tanks. Caroline Rhea has game-show experience and would work for that role, too.

--The Scoey Mitchell/Bert Convy/Elena Virdugo/Greg Morris chair: The two spots with new people every week. Some possibilities: Michael Ian Black (co-star of Ed), Steve Harvey, Teri Garr, Linda Cardenelli, Pat O'Brien, people like that.

Thoughts?

 

Don't bring it back. Great as it was. Why does everyone have to freshen up the past? Leave the past in the past and come up with your own game show idea!

 

Did you see the MG revival on "Gameshow Marathon"? It wasn't bad. Kathy Griffin and Adam Carolla were surprisingly good.

 

Host: Marv or O'Brien, maybe Brent Musberger. O'Brien would be the best, because any time the banter flagged, he could launch into "I am so into you, let's get crazy..." to the female panelists.

Richard Dawson chair: John Lithgow or Mel Gibson.

Charles Nelson Reilly chair: Harvey Fierstein or Elton John.

Brett Somers (middle-aged slut): Madonna or Sharon Stone.

Fannie Flagg (asexual middle-aged brassy broad): Rosie O'Donnell or Sandra Bernhard.

Open Chairs: Cedric the Entertainer, Will Farrell (his career will end up here in a few years anyway), Jim Carrey, Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Macaulay Culkin, Bernie Mac, Tiffany, Samantha Foxx, Paula Abdul, Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Lopez, George Lopez, Margaret Cho and Any Jackson Sister.

 

I can't believe you thought CNR was sexually ambiguous. Even when the show was on 30 years ago it was pretty clear he was as gay as a Will and Grace marathon. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

Would any of today's comics be able to capture the panache of the Match Game originals? I can just see Marv going "Dumb Donald was so dumb (HOW DUMB WAS HE?) hat instead of taking Jenny's temperature with a thermometer, he stuck a BLANK in her mouth", and then the responses rolling in would be "penis ... penis ... penis ... dick ... penis ... ass."

 

CNR's new movie: http://www.charlesnelsonreilly.com/

CNR is also on MySpace!

 

Um, he was married to Brett Somers. Not that she couldn't have been a beard; just sayin'.

 

Really? I think Brett Sommers was married to Jack Klugman.

 

Wasn't Jack Klugman married to Brett Somers?

 

Heck, maybe Somers was the beard for Klugman's affair with Reilly. But I suppose I stand corrected on the main point. Maybe I thought they were married because of the camaraderie.

 

Didn't the classic early 1970s seating go like this, from left to right, top row to bottom row:

1st seat: generic male actor
2nd seat: Somers
3rd seat: CNR
4th seat: Hot chick/eye candy actress [think TV actress or movie star now on B-list]
5th seat: Dawson
6th seat: sassy Fannie Flagg type, usually Fannie Flagg [duh]