Match Game: Season 1 (2016)

July 18, 2016 8:51 AM - Season 1, Episode 1

Match Game has returned, with Alec Baldwin taking the role of Gene Rayburn. It's blank!

I do not understand how this got made, but I'm happy it did.

Rosie O'Donnell and Tituss Burgess are regular panelists; the rest rotate from week to week.

(Unless there are any objections, I think it makes sense to have one thread for the whole season? I don't think there's much to be gained by dealing with this show on an episode-by-episode basis.)

posted by Shmuel510 (14 comments total)

Thus far, I have been mildly _____ by this iteration. It's not appointment TV at all, and we can't watch with the kids, but it's fun to hit between catching up with Elementary and Person of Interest.
posted by Etrigan at 11:31 AM on July 18, 2016

I'm enjoying it for the most part. I think the weakest part is the actual questions. They seem to swing widely between "one or two obvious answers" and "so vague it would be impossible to match anyone."
posted by dnash at 11:52 AM on July 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Haven't seen it yet, but I checked the IMDB page and there is no mention there of Dick DeBartolo, the writer who is credited with singlehandedly setting the tone of the "wacky questions" on the old version. He's still alive and active, writing for MAD Magazine and doing "The Giz Wiz", a silly tech review podcast and feature on ABC's overnight news block. And Match Game without Dick DeBartolo is just a variation on Family Feud.
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:17 PM on July 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

Clicked into this by accident, checked the time and day... no not SNL, checked the schedule, no not an SNL "special", checked out the characters looking for a really bad impressionist doing an intentionally horrid Sean Connery, missing; now I'm really perplexed.
posted by sammyo at 12:57 PM on July 18, 2016

It's stupid fun, but that's a valid kind of fun.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 1:12 PM on July 18, 2016 [3 favorites]

I was actually really annoyed last night when I settled in to watch it time-shifted on my Tivo only to find that the local ABC station had cut it off only minutes after it started because of a severe thunderstorm in the far southern portion of their viewing area. It was not even raining where I live, and where a huge number of the station's viewers live.

(I just needed a place to rant about that. Thanks.)
posted by dnash at 5:30 PM on July 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

It's weird how good Alec Baldwin is at this. He's a natural with the tall skinny mike.
posted by Dr. Zira at 7:14 PM on July 18, 2016

foop, I'm continually amazed that you remember this stuff.
posted by JHarris at 7:14 PM on July 18, 2016

And here's MST3K's relevant look into the darkness at the heart of Gene Rayburn.
posted by JHarris at 7:16 PM on July 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

Better than I thought it would be. The Stars seemy appropriately B or C list for the most part. Baldwin is surprisingly affable. Of course it's more blatant than the original but times change. Overall a fun watch. AND Tituss is a treasure.
posted by davidmsc at 7:53 PM on July 21, 2016

Yes, they really need to even out the questions, but oh my this was funny. Pete Wentz made me laugh! I would have never predicted that. Rosie, Niecy and Ellie, yes, but not Pete.
posted by soelo at 1:15 PM on August 1, 2016

Tangentially, Dick DeBartolo and Al Jaffee were on Gilbert Gottfried's podcast the other week. Unless you can't stand Gilbert (I'm a fan, but I understand people who aren't), it's worth a listen.

(DeBartolo's work on the Match Game comes up, but only in passing.)
posted by Shmuel510 at 1:35 PM on August 1, 2016

Last night's, (7/31) was pretty off the hook hilarious. Question about Alec Baldwin's "Playgirl" photoshoot being canceled because "there isn't enough wax to shave my ___" - resulting in several stars actually answering "pubes," one including a drawing, and it all just goes downhill from there. Stupid silly fun.
posted by dnash at 2:34 PM on August 1, 2016

Leslie Jones was amazing on last week's episode. The lady has the opposite of poker face.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 6:49 AM on August 2, 2016