Welcome to The Match Game guide at TV Tome. You mean there was a Match Game back in the 1960s? Yes sure was. But this original incarnation of what became 1 of the most popular wild game shows ever was a quite different creature to say the least. Y'see, this version of The Match Game employed a staid but reliable format that earned the show a 7-season run and guaranteed host of The MATCH Game Gene Rayburn a permanent place in game show history. Debuting Monday December 31, 1962 on NBC-TV "In Living Color." The Match Game pitted 2 teams of 3 players each (two contestants each paired with a celebrity, for a total of 6 contestants). Rayburn posed a simple question (e.g., "Name a green vegetable" or "To a rich man, *blank* dollars is nothing."). Each team member without consulting the others writes his/her response on an index card with a crayon. Rayburn then calls for each player's answer, one at a time. The teams earn points for each correct answer as thus: * Two
Actors: Johnny Olson, Freeman King, Wayne Howell, Gene Rayburn, Pam Stone
