Match Game 1998 (pt 3)

Now that I see there was 160 episodes of this series, I’ll post a few more stand-out episodes (while still hoping the full run shows up somewhere).  The production numbers of the episodes are unknown.

 

I missed a lot more of the episodes than I realized.  But I worked retail at the time and was needed there on weekends (which is when this usually taped).

 

When I lived in L.A., going to game shows on days off was a fun (but also mostly free) way to spend a day.  A lot of times it was the same small groups of people going back over & over.  Some would even get in to both tapings / all 7 episodes for the day.

 

The lines for these would begin many hours before you’d be let in (and phones weren’t much of an option then), so everyone would hang out all day.  With delays, it was a long day - but that was great with me as those were always the best shows to be at.

 

Small groups would end up next door at the Farmer’s Market for lunch (I think there was a small B. Dalton or Walden Books store there too).  It was a good time.

 

As I was transferring this episode from VHS, I noticed something - different - here.  Nothing bad - it’s actually impressive looking back.

 

04 - Scott vs Margie

• One of the contestants stands out to me in this early episode.  Anyone who was at the tapings (including people who worked on the show) will know.
  
  
• This was a really well-played game.
  
  
• Notice how some transitions / intros / responses and other things that always happen a certain way, happen a little different here lol.

05 - Alan vs Henrietta

• A fun (early) episode involving some audience members.

 

06 - Tricia vs Andrew

• Just like all other Kevin Eubanks episodes, you can clearly see him wondering what his agent got him into.
  

 

07 - Boonrasi (return) vs Ken

• This is the return visit for Boonrasi.  Unfortunately I don’t have the original episode she was on (I only have 65 of the 160 episodes).

08 - Russell vs Gabi

• Episode 160.  :(

 

 

 

If watched in the screen above, the playlist will probably start at the beginning.  These episodes mentioned are the final five episodes in the playlist.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER:  I only upload episodes of TV series that are completely unavailable in any format (not currently broadcast, streaming or available to purchase in any way) for archival purposes.  If the show suddenly becomes available, all files will be deleted.

The Price is Right’s 4000th episode (CBS 1/31/92)

I'm getting close to finishing up transferring VHS to digital.  The plan remains to get rid of five bins of VHS, which is a pain to move & store.

I have to pay attention and watch the shows as I transfer the important ones and most of those are game shows and failed sitcoms.

It’s the strangest thing to be watching a show and then seeing myself in the audience.  I went so often, every now and then there’s an episode I forgot I saw.  Especially with game shows because I would go to those tapings all the time.  The audiences were (almost always) fun.

This was uploaded to both YouTube & the Internet Archive not too long ago, but this is a little clearer.

It’s the milestone 4000th episode of The Price is Right.  (The tape date of the episode was early December 1991.)

This is an off-air recording from WROC Rochester on 1/31/92, complete with original commercials.  It was recorded 32 years ago on VHS at EP speed / low quality, so don’t expect video perfection. :)

After watching some of these mid-90’s The Price is Right episodes, I’m thinking the way these live tapings were done had to be an inspiration for how Kevin Belinkoff did the Match Game 1998 ones.

 

 

DISCLAIMER:  I only upload episodes of TV series that are completely unavailable in any format (not currently broadcast, streaming or available to purchase in any way) for archival purposes.  If the show suddenly becomes available, all files will be deleted.

Lost TV Sanctuary: Mr. Belvedere (ABC 1985)

The TV series Mr. Belvedere is far from lost.  It's just not as easily available as a lot of other long-running 80's series.

Seasons 1 - 4 are on DVD (and still available) and seasons 5 & 6 are on YouTube.  Some of the YouTube episodes are from the syndicated run though and those episodes are missing about 1 - 2 minutes of content.

For some reason after the show's initial syndication run, cable networks never ran Mr. Belvedere much (Antenna TV had the show for a bit) and no one is currently streaming it.

I loved this show - start to finish.  The tone of Mr. Belvedere stayed the same throughout - if you liked episode 1, you’d also like episode 117.

When Buffalo’s Star 102.5 was doing the 80’s at 8 (80’s After Work / Retro Show - the name kept changing when the slot moved), I brought two Mr. Belvedere stars on-air to talk about the series.  These are the full interviews for online (shorter versions aired).

Brice Beckham (Wesley Owens) talked about watching the show, his favorite early episode and projects he worked on after the series ended.  This 7-1/2 minute interview is from 3/17/09 when the seasons 1 & 2 DVD was released.

Then a year later, Ilene Graff (Marsha Owens) was on talking about her favorite episode of the series, how her husband records and saves all the shows she’s on, happy backstage stories and more.  This 16-minute interview is from 3/24/10 when the season 4 DVD was released.

I also ran across some Mr. Belvedere sweepers that were used during the 80’s at 8 - hear them all together here.

Hopefully my next radio job will be at a station that plays 80’s because I’d love to have an excuse to interview more of the cast!

Here’s the pilot episode with the original show intro someone uploaded to YouTube…

 

The Longest & Strangest TV End Credits You’ll Ever See

Keep in mind, the end credits were already going for 45 seconds for the studio audience when this begins (the billboards ran during most of that time).

The split screen promo comes on early in the credits but only lasts 15-seconds...

 

I’m pretty sure this is from a later episode of Match Game 1998 (the start has the second version of the opening), which made the unexpectedly fast end to the game even more surprising.  It left tons of time to fill.

This was the early day taping - I remember the two large morning groups, all having a good time.

This type of ending happened frequently on the show, which is why I loved going.  Every single person credited in this long end sequence made the tapings an incredible experience to have on just a random day off from work.

Vicki Lawrence, Rondell Sheridan, Judy Tenuta, Nell Carter, Joshua Morrow, Paul Boland & of course Michael Burger all starred in this episode.

Not sure which production company now owns this show:  MG Productions, Inc, Mark Goodson Production or Pearson Television.  Whichever one it is, I hope they release the full run to Tubi or another streamer.

 

DISCLAIMER:  I only upload episodes of TV series that are completely unavailable in any format (not currently broadcast, streaming or available to purchase in any way) for archival purposes.  If the show suddenly becomes available, all files will be deleted.

Lost TV Sanctuary: Match Game (Syndication 1998)

My Favorite Day to be in a Game Show Audience

I’ll be mostly spoiler free here.  If you watch these episodes, put yourself in the audience's perspective.  One fun aspect of this taping was the audience was able to interact with the show and the celebrities quite a bit.  Judy Tenuta especially was always talking with the audience, even during the show.

 

I went to about 5 tapings, which was 35 episodes.  I was in the audience for these first two episodes (taped in October or November 1998), which then aired Thanksgiving week.  Most episodes aired out of order because 7 episodes were filmed in a day in two sessions, leaving 2 extra episodes each week.  Despite the craziness of one of these episodes, it was a really fun day to be there.

 

I never got to meet the celebrities, but they all seemed cool (there was only one at a different taping that was unpleasant, but no one on this day).

 

The show was recorded in real time (30 minutes).  The commercial breaks & between episode segments were always fun.  But the most fun was the end credit sequence - it was usually wild and went on forever (it was still going for the audience while the sponsor commercials aired).  Judy even joked in one episode about the theme getting stuck in her head.

 

Some things to note for these episodes…

Airdate: 11-25-98 (Wednesday) Mike vs Shaunna

• This is one of the later episodes in the show’s run (same with the other 2 episodes uploaded).
  
  
• At the start, you can see (it looks like) Jason George in the background running to his spot backstage.
  
  
• Notice Nell Carter at the end of the 2nd segment - she seemed like a really nice person and this moment shows that perfectly.

Airdate: 11-27-98 (Friday) Alex vs Micki

• A kind-of continuation from the previous episode.  While each episode was stand-alone and meant to air a little mixed, it’s obvious this one was recorded next.  References to that happen throughout.
  
  
• A producer’s yell can be heard at one point - and she really was a little freaked out by what Michael Burger did.
  
  
• The last 5 seconds of this episode resulted in a fun (it was pre-social media, so really was just funny) interaction after the taping ended with the show’s producers - for both a celebrity and the audience.  Think of how the audience is right in front of and below the stage - and everyone realized it at the same time!

Unknown airdate:  Lyne vs Terry

• A fun episode with a really cool end with the audience.  Pretty sure I wasn’t at this taping, but things like this happened quite a bit on this show.
  

I had such a great time at these tapings, so much so that I tried out to be a contestant on Hollywood Squares and Greed about a year later (it didn’t work out though).  But no other game show taping could ever compare or top this.  Not even The Price is Right (which was also taped in the same building).

 

While many Match Game fans disliked this version of the show, it was my favorite - and not just because I saw it live.  Everything about this version - the host, panelists (minus one), contestants, announcer / warm-up, and the production & episode format of the show - was perfect.

 

Unfortunately no one seems to be airing this version of Match Game.  Maybe because of the different production company.  I’m hoping all the episodes end up on a streaming service somewhere - I’d love to see the full series.

 

Here's the three episodes described above on the Internet Archive.

 

RIP to both Nell & Judy - both seemed genuinely nice and helped make this show awesome.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER:  I only upload episodes of TV series that are completely unavailable in any format (not currently broadcast, streaming or available to purchase in any way) for archival purposes.  If the show suddenly becomes available, all files will be deleted.