Sunday, June 04, 2023

Dolls on National Game Show Day

It was so late by the time I finally got up, I had breakfast while watching Match Game '73. The last day of Buzzr's National Game Show Day marathon kicked off with a repeat of the show's first episode. I think they meant to show the last episode of the series...but the Match Game Syndicated episode they showed was the last one of the second syndicated season in 1981, not the series. It was still funny as heck, with Betty White in Brett Somers' seat, Bart Braverman running off with the pretty winning contestant, Bill Daily bringing over stairs so no one will be shorter than the contestant, and Joyce Bulifant nervously answering "Fairy __" in the Head-to-Head. 

Went straight into dressing the dolls for June after the shows ended. Felicity wears her new petticoat under her blue and white rose-print dress. Whitney's in a purple cabbage rose print dress from Our Generation Retro, with purple netting under the skirt and shiny purple shoes Lauren gave her. Molly's Birthday Pinafore dress is sleeveless and is more appropriate for summer than her actual birthday in April. Kit gets her Yellow Flowered Print dress with the beige strap shoes. 

I couldn't decide what Barbara Jean should wear, so she's in her original purple and pink paisley minidress with the velvet trim and lace skirt. Lace tights from one of the Our Generation outfits replace the stockings that are really too fragile for her to wear. Ariel celebrates Pride Month and is working on her skating in a rainbow terrycloth jumper and plastic roller skates. Jessa sports a simple magenta t-shirt and jean capris with clogs. Samantha looks very grown-up in Rebecca's beautiful Lace Dress with the drop waist and pink bows and the matching white shoes. Josefina wears her lovely white, tan, and maroon Weaving Outfit. 

Let Buzzr run as I worked on the dolls. Tattletales kicked off with three great couples, comedians Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, dancers Elaine Joyce and Bobby Van, and TV and stage actor and artist Dick Gautier and his mouthy wife Barbara Stuart. I'd seen this episode before, including the story of how Bobby met Elaine in a singles bar. 

I recognized nothing in the Tattletales finale they played...because, first of all, it wasn't the finale of the 1970's version. It was the finale of the revival that ran from 1982 to 1984. And of course, this was a themed week with couples from CBS soaps of the time, so I knew no one besides host Bert Convy. Frankly, I didn't even think their stories were all that funny.

Password Plus was vastly more interesting. I've seen the first episode of that one before, with Elizabeth Montgomery and her husband Robert Foxworth playing like gangbusters and Allen Ludden hosting. By the time the show ended in 1982. Ludden had died of cancer and was replaced by his good friend Tom Kennedy. Audrey Landers didn't do too badly, but this was never Tom Poston's game. He really flubbed the Alphabetics, doing two illegal clues there. 

The first episode of Super Password from 1984 featured a far more interesting soap star, Gloria Loring, along with beloved Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak. Bert Convy had his other major hosting hit here. I just saw the hilarious series finale from 1989 on Friday, with Betty White and Christopher Hewitt of Mr. Belvedere. Betty White gets to destroy the hated Ca$hword question holder, and I don't think anyone else could have gotten away with destroying studio property besides her.

I was less interested in the first two and last two episodes of Classic Concentration, so I decided to get out and stretch my legs instead after eating a quick lunch. The weather remained the same as yesterday, cloudy, windy, damp, and deliciously cool, probably in the lower 70's. Made a brief stop at Dollar General for a Coke Move Zero before strolling down to the back entrance of Newton Lake Park for a nice walk. We badly need rain. Everything is looking so dry, from the dusty yellowish leaves to the parched, cracked dirt road. 

The last thing I expected to see as part of Buzzr's marathon were the first two and last two episodes of Match Game '90. They've run this show twice, on Halloween weekend and Veteran's Day. It's never been a regular part of their schedule. Makes me wonder if they intend to add it anytime soon. Sally Struthers, then doing the voice of Rebecca on Tail Spin, and Joe Alasky, who did the voice of Plucky Duck on Tiny Toon Adventures, appeared with Charles Nelson Reilly during the first week. Charles was joined by Nell Carter, Brad Garrett, and late soap star Jacklyn Zemen during the last week.

Worked on writing next. Joyce coaxes the little dog into her purse with a granola bar, then manages to sneak him past the guard. She's hoping one of the panelists will know what to do, or will know a shelter who will take him. She is, however, worried about their producer Ira Skutch fussing over him being there...

Broke for a shower at 7, then had a roast beef sandwich for dinner. Finished off the night watching the second Match Game marathon this weekend revolving around panelists who appeared on MASH. Jamie Farr made his only Match Game appearance on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, where he and Jon Bauman fielded many nose jokes. McLean Stevenson turned up that week, too, and was sarcastic as ever. 

My favorite of McLean's appearances on the 70's Match Game was that wild week in '73 with Nancy Dussault. He kept trying to kiss everyone after contestants won and claimed he borrowed his suits from the other guys. Loretta Swit also turned up late in '73, with Morey Amsterdam and dancer and game show hostess Ruta Lee. Swit even fielded a question about what Hot Lips lost on the operating table. Swit appeared through '78. Gary Burghoff would turn up until the second-to-last syndicated season, even after he left MASH. 1974-75 wasn't the last time he took Charles' seat. He took over it briefly for a week during the syndicated era, too, when Charles was away directing an opera. 

Celebrate more of of the greatest officers ever in Burbank or Korea with these very funny episodes!

No comments: