Blockbuster Matches

Began a sunny morning with one of my major projects for this week - clearing the many leftovers from my birthday and Easter out of the fridge. I had the last of the turkey bacon, lemon rolls, and strawberry compote for breakfast while watching Split Second. We had two gentlemen playing against a woman who had been there before, but lost due to Monty coming in too fast with a question. She had no problems winning this time! She didn't get the car and opted to return at the last second.

Blockbusters continued the game between the former All-American Women's League player and the mother and daughter. It was a close race, but the baseball lady made it through in the end. She had a rocky start with the bonus round, but finally blasted through and won $5,000. Two brothers gave her a run for her money later.

Switched to Roku's classic musical channel for Coney Island while making coconut-banana muffins for work this week. I go further into this turn of the 20th century-set vehicle for Betty Grable at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Coney Island

Decided I'd try a different cookie recipe as I pulled the muffins out of the oven. I had rum flavoring left, along with raisins from the carrot cake last week. Added chocolate chips and made Rum Raisin Cookies. While I did burn the bottoms of the first batch, the rest came out perfectly, soft, sweet, and chewy.

Had coconut pancakes for lunch while watching The Odd Couple on Hulu. Felix is dying to appear on the early 70's ABC version of "Password" in season 3. When he learns that Oscar knows host Allen Ludden and his wife Betty White (themselves), he talks him into joining the show as a celebrity. Oscar wants his current girlfriend to play, but it turns out she's not too bright, and Felix ends up joining them. Not only do they play against the genuinely good White (who did indeed meet and marry Ludden after appearing on the show in the early 60's), but Felix keeps giving Oscar clues that are too long and difficult for his buddy to understand.

(This episode is notorious among game show fans for being one of the last vestiges of the early 70's ABC Password still in existence. It's apparently what the show was actually like, right down to the real set, host, and game play being used. The vast majority of this version of Password was eventually erased and taped over, reportedly by the Richard Dawson Family Feud.)

(Oh, and I'm glad I was off today. It started storming around noon and would thunderstorm off and on through late afternoon.)

Moved on to I Dream of Jeannie at the Roku Channel while cleaning up from lunch and baking. The third season episode "My Master, the Weakling" leaves Tony and Roger in the hands of a sadistic drill sergeant (Don Rickles) who makes them work out until they can barely move and run laps in the blistering heat. Shocked at his behavior, Jeannie makes him more like his sweet old aunt who gave out pie and hugs. Trouble is, their unit is about to go on a survival trek through enemy territory...and they're going to need his real survival skills and a pinch of Jeannie's magic to get out of there alive!

Worked on writing for a while after doing the dishes. Gary Scarlet and Sarah Red Riding Hood arrive as Charles and Richard return to the Merry Men's house. After they get over their initial shock of seeing Orson in his troll form, they admit that they heard about the ball and are there to help. Gene's about to outline their plan for attack when they hear another knock at the door...and this one is a bit more surprising...

Finished the night with the next Match Game marathon. Sweet bespectacled Bill Cullen is known as "The Dean of Game Shows." He hosted 23 shows in 30 years, including Blockbusters, despite having a bad leg from a childhood bout with polio and a motorcycle accident. His very first week in 1973 also featured "Mama" Cass Elliott and Brett Somers' grouchy then-husband Jack Klugman and was probably one of the best from that year. He also figured into a memorable week where a sweet middle-aged gentleman won off Richard and got so excited, he showed off high kicks that Fred Astaire would have envied. He also turned up several times in the later 1983 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, including on Christmas week with Lyle Waggoner, Jay Leno, and Phyllis Diller.

Here's the entire marathon, so you can play along with the "Dean of Game Shows," too! And keep an eye on the Match Game Productions channel, as tomorrow at 3 PM Eastern will be the purrrfect marathon for former Miss America and Catwoman Lee Merriweather.

The Best of Bill Cullen on Match Game Marathon 1973 - 1983