However, the most interesting artifact for me popped on YouTube a few days after Bob's death. This would be most of the 2008 pilot for a proposed revival of "Match Game" that was commissioned by TBS but never became a series on that or any other network, at least in this incarnation.
The pilot was hosted by comic Andy Daly and featured celebrities such as Bob.....er, Super Dave, Sarah Silverman and Norm MacDonald among others. The set was an exact replica of the 1973 revival that was the top rated game show for awhile in the 70s. It even appears to have been shot in Studio 33 at CBS Television City where the famed 70s version was taped.
The rules even seem similar to the 70s version right up to the bonus round. This is where things are a little different. Instead, of the audience match where the top three answers would decide how much money they would play for in the final head to head match with a celebrity of the contestants choosing, there was five phrases that had the final word blanked out and the contestant, with some help from the celebrities, would have to guess the final word for each one for a chance to go on to the final head to head round. I have intentionally left monetary values out of this review as I believe they are a bit irrelevant to what is basically a crapshoot of a Friday night party game at someone's key party (70's version only.)
All in all, this was a very good revival effort (with Daly being a competent host) and the changes were minor and did not harm the freewheeling nature of the original 70s version. For those not in the know, Gene Rayburn did a version of this show in the 1960s that was much different and lacking in the goofy humor the later updates of the show possessed. I will say that the 1996 pilot for a proposed syndicated revival with Charlene Tilton (WTF?) was horrible and the 1998 one season syndicated effort with Michael Burger, who was also a competent host, was just too mean spirited.
The only version of the franchise I haven't seen now is a much talked about and little seen 2004 pilot called "What The Blank" made for the Fox Network (with that title, who else could it be?) with Fred Willard hosting. I would have went with the title of the German version of the show, "Schnick Shnack", but that's precisely why the networks will never hire me. I'm just a lone wolf. However, I will give the 2008 pilot a grade of B+ as it is more or less similar to the current Alec Baldwin version except that the contestants on the current version seem to be way too excited as if they were forced to enjoy some complimentary cocaine in the green room before entering the stage. Tone it down, people. Remember; hugs not drugs.
