User:Daniel Benfield/Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour Video Archive

NBC Daytime: October 31, 1983 - July 27, 1984 (192 episodes)

The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour was a good idea, but what made Mark Goodson think Squares had to be treated like Match? No Zingers given to the celebs, and the insipid either-or questions mean there's no room to bluff and far less "punch" to the Zingers.

There were no regular panelists from week to week, either...and Jon Bauman sucked as host of Squares. Seriously, was Peter Marshall still under contract with Merrill Heatter or something?

As for Gene Rayburn, it's clear he's having fun during the Match portions, but when Squares rolls around his mood drops. In one episode, he openly laments the botched Squares execution, and by all indication he didn't like Bauman that much either. Per according to Gene Wood (the show's announcer) in a 1996 interview, "Rayburn was dragged kicking and screaming into that hour."

The Hour has never been in reruns. It's been stated for years and years that Gene put an embargo on the show, but he actually didn't, although he would've had ample reason to do so; that was saved for his next series, Break the Bank.

Big thanks to MatchGame.org for much of the below placement. :)

LEGAL STUFF SO I DON'T GET SUED: I'm only linking to these videos, none of which were uploaded by me, for the purposes of research and as a public record. Footage ©1983-84 Mark Goodson Productions/Orion Television and associated entities.

1983
No episode aired on November 24.

October-November
 * October 31, 1983 (#001/Premiere: Skip Stephenson, Alison Arngrim, Jimmie Walker, Twyla Littleton, Phil Proctor, Tom Villard, Barbi Benton, Bill Daly; Laurie vs. David, with Stacy {Designated Champ} playing later; taped from WNBC with commercials, including ones for Wheel of Fortune and Go! {alternate copy, begins during intro})

December

1984
No episodes aired on January 2 or July 4. MatchGame.org also has no episode for July 6; I'm not sure why this would be the case, so for the time being I'm considering it a minor error.

A "Telephone Match" sweepstakes is done for a period in February.

January

February

March

April

May

June
 * June 29, 1984 (#173/"Athol": Jamie Farr, McLean Stevenson, Heidi Bohay, Linda Dano, Arsenio Hall, Paula Kelly, ARLENE FRANCIS, CHUCK WOOLERY; Joe vs. Chris, with Nancy {Day 3} playing later and Gene trashing the Squares format during one of his questions!; taped from WPTV, begins just into intro)

July
 * July 26, 1984 (#191: Roger E. Mosley, Phyllis Diller, Charles Nelson Reilly, Fannie Flagg, Roxie Roker, Leonard Frey, Barry Gordon, Constance McCashin; Karen vs. Tara, with Zachary {Day 2} playing later; taped from WBAZ, average quality, begins during Charles' intro, ends during credits)
 * July 27, 1984 (#192/Unannounced Finale: Roger E. Mosley, Phyllis Diller, Charles Nelson Reilly, Constance McCashin, Fannie Flagg, Leonard Frey, Barry Gordon, Roxie Roker; Angela vs. Sallie, with Tara {Day 2} playing later; taped from WNBC, ends during credits)