Match Game 76 (Episode 836) (Nipsey Russell Returns) (Richard's "Muddy" Win)

This is odd but Nipsey Russell returns to Match Game for the first time since episode 485 of Match Game 76. This is almost 400 episodes produced that Nipsey missed.
Nipsey Russell, Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Richard Dawson, and Patti Deutsch

[@kevansf]

H/H match update and preview of the week ahead: ... This is now week 168 of our favorite classic game show (the final week will be 291). These episodes were taped on October 16, 1976 and first aired in mid-November of 1976. All old friends and familiar faces on this week's panel! Our stalwart regulars are joined by: ~~~Semi-regular Patti Deutsch, returning after two weeks away for her 27th week (of 42). Patti has played the H/H only twice so far, but she matched once already. ~~~Nipsey Russell, here for his 13th week (of 28 total). It's been too long since his last visit - episodes 481-485, in fact. Nipsey has been chosen 7 (!) times for the head-to-head, but hasn't yet scored a match. (Richard had a similar experience, scoring his first match only on his ninth (!) attempt, in episode 58.) ~~~And finally, Dr. Joyce Brothers takes the fourth seat for her third week (of 4 total). She last played MG back in episodes 556-560 and hasn't yet been selected to play the head-to-head. King Richard reigned supreme in the H/H Match Segment again last week, playing all six times, but with only two matches. Reviewing the past 23 weeks, Richard has played 92 times. Everyone else combined played 23 times. (Brett had 8 opportunities, Charles 7, Fannie 6, Betty 1, and Lynn Deerfield 1.) Percentage-wise, Richard played 80.0% of the time over those past 23 weeks. I'm sad Charles didn't get a shot last week, thus breaking his 5-week streak of H/H participation. Since he's wearing the accuracy crown this week (he has the best track record of this week's panelists when it comes to actually matching the contestants in the head-to-head), I hope he is chosen again before the week is done. I'd also love to see Patti play the head-to-head match again this time! She gets a lot of grief in the comments section (part of it based on her role as a sixth-seater), but she's actually a smart player and has proven she can match in the head-to-head. Nipsey really needs to score his first H/H match! He's been absent for a while, but he's a significant part of the Match Game family. His 28 weeks on the show put him at number 9 on the list of most-frequent panelists (not bad considering three regulars and four semi-regulars take up most of the spots ahead of him). Also, Nipsey has a long run on the program: first appearing in episode 61, his final appearance will be episode 1430, just a few weeks before the final curtain drops on Match Game '79. My biggest wish for the week is just to see some variety. I find it boring when Richard plays every single time. We already know how he does (his accuracy score has long been stuck between 38 and 42 percent, and I really don't envision it moving outside that range again), so it would be interesting to see some others have a chance. Plus, several other panelists offer a much higher statistical chance of actually matching. (But, as they say, past performance does not guarantee future results.) Anyway, whatever happens in the H/H this week, I plan to just sit back and enjoy some 1976-style ________! ~~~Today's action: (Random observation: Due to the oddities of game-play, Nipsey doesn't get to answer a question today until 14:00, when the show is already two-thirds over! -- Last week's first-seat panelist, Jimmie, had matched both contestants in the first round, so Nipsey had to sit out both of those questions. He did get a little poem in though, and got called on for an audience match suggestion, so at least he wasn't totally ignored.) Well, I have to say it... Dr. Joyce Brother's "Boob" wins a second game for our champion! Today's audience match question: "Mud________ " (My thoughts: Wrestling, Pack, in your eye) The celebs: Richard (Pack), Joyce (Pies), Nipsey (Puddle) The choice: Pies The answers: Puddle, Pack, Pie Even though she took Joyce's answer and won $500, I would still bet that she'll stick with Richard even after they didn't match last time. (Which is a shame, I bet Dr. Brothers would be a good player in the head-to-head.) I win my bet. This is Richard's seventh consecutive H/H question, and he's matched two of them so far. Reviewing his recent performance, Richard has matched 11 of his 33 most recent attempts (33.3%). Today's H/H question: "Denver _______ " (I'll say Colorado. It seems like the most generic, well-known possible answer. A second choice might be a Denver pro sports team, but the way teams have moved around and been added over the past 47 years, I'm not 100% sure which teams were playing there back in 1976.) The contestant is giggling and practically collapsing onto our host (sorry, "star"), while Richard wastes no time putting down his answer. The camera doesn't stay on Richard the whole time he's writing, but it looks like quite a few letters. He files the card then appears to read something Patti has written. "Omelet," says our champion, to the groans of the studio audience, reminiscent of the response she got to the answer she gave yesterday (Music "instrument".) --- Of course there's a chance she'll match Richard, but I think it's a fairly small one this time. As predicted: "Colorado" No match today. *(And Brett and Richard trade places yet again!)* ~~~Here's our updated leader board showing the 11 celebs with at least 3 H/H matches, ranked by accuracy: (Note: An asterisk before a celebrity's name signifies that she has "retired" from the show and her H/H stats are now complete.) (Note: For tied scores, I consider the one with the greater number of matches to be higher; if the matches are equal, the celeb who first achieved that score goes on top.) Orson Bean - 100% (4 wins in 4 attempts). Gary Burghoff - 83.3% (5 wins in 6 attempts). TIE: (*)Jo Anne Worley - 75% (3 wins in 4 attempts). TIE: Joyce Bulifant - 75% (3 wins in 4 attempts). Charles - 51.7% (31 wins in 60 attempts). TIE: Betty - 50.0% (18 wins in 36 attempts). TIE: Fannie - 50.0% (13 wins in 26 attempts). Jo Ann Pflug - 44.4% (8 wins in 18 attempts). Brett - 40.9% (27 wins in 66 attempts). -- 40.90909% Richard - 40.9% (209 wins in 511 attempts). -- 40.90019% Bert Convy - 33.3% (5 wins in 15 attempts). *These stats include every head-to-head match from episode 1 through 836, excluding the lost/missing/damaged episodes: 31, 32, 33, 311, 312, 313, 324, 325, and 645. (As per MatchGameProductions, these episodes "are nowhere to be found and also aren't in the Goodson/Todman Library. Sadly, looks like they are lost forever!")

[@kristabrewer6736]

Joyce did REALLY good!

[@beckydutra6543]

Shocked everyone. 😲 and they practically gave her the money.

[@revinevan87]

i love Patti

[@ccbsnyc]

I think the Prince Paul referred to in the beginning was Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. Gene Rayburn was partially Serbian and he and Paul had kindred nationalities. Prine Paul also had a substantial art collection. I can't identify a Belgian Prince Paul in this time period, although one may exist.

[@jjryan1352]

This show was taped May 31, 1976, and that Prince Paul died on Sept 14, 1976 at age 83. About a 4-month difference for his trip. Certainly possible though, he died in Paris, not so far from Brussels.

[@Ace_Hunter_lives]

I think we can assume it's not the same Prince Paul who produced the first three De La Soul albums :)

[@donaldleroy6502]

Mary was a real honey, a bit loony but still 🔥

[@mlg1948]

A BIT looney?😁😀😀

[@eddieafterburner]

I like ‘em a bit off their rocker, but even she was a bit too much of a handful for me.

[@susanbezio1529]

Mary was very affectionate. Couldn't keep her hands to herself.

[@JPMasonDun]

She was kind of a ditzy nut. Hope she could find her way home. I know that may sound harsh, but I’ve never seen anyone so out-of-control.

[@rockaway2k]

She should’ve kept some of those answers to herself! 😆

[@Julie-sl8ul]

​@@JPMasonDun How could her husband, family & friends stand her 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@johnrhabe7105]

mary looks like leif garret

[@beckydutra6543]

Wt?? Haha

[@reesaserik3759]

How can you not know Denver Colorado? It is the only town in Colorado that I know and I am horrible at Geography. Omelet? I was totally taken aback by that answer. I never knew there was an omelet named Denver. Wow. Just learned a piece of useless information. You never know.

[@beckydutra6543]

Lol, but Denver omelets are good. 😊

[@ItsMefromSnuffys]

LoveJoyces oranges and yellows together

[@ttintagel]

I'm sorry but "Denver omelet" is a perfectly cromulent answer.

[@CousinOresama]

Not so much when Colorado is acceptable.

[@branagain]

It embiggens us all.

[@stellarjay3314]

😄👍

[@eddieafterburner]

It was cromulent if you are corporeally corpulent.

[@MrMatteNWk]

Wait a minute, the irregular who sometimes sits in seat 6 plays Krabappel? I've been calling her Crandall!

[@jjryan1352]

Mary looks like a cross between Olivia-Newton John, Goldie Hawn, Cindy Snow from Three's Company, and Shirley Temple. Did these contestants come straight from central casting? They are so fun.

[@diverbob33]

She is a real breath of fresh air!

[@kevansf]

With a dash of Doris Day thrown in.

[@Julie-sl8ul]

DAMN, I WANTED TESSIE TO WIN 😢

[@halffasthaiku7526]

Denver omelet!!!!!

[@eddieafterburner]

10:47 I’d give anything to know what was going through Richard’s head here

[@DoloresRoberts-hy5uy]

I feel for Mary's husband.

[@tinadewberry5669]

Lots of livck

[@oneail89]

Lots of FreeMasons in the audience.. Eastern Star reference

[@kashiefcrain3860]

Chitlins on the glass ☠️

[@jjryan1352]

Under glass. As in fancy presentation.

[@randydellinger2996]

As a scientist, it is not possible for the human body to consume a keg of beer in one sitting. But what the heck, let’s give it a try.

[@TommyLamont-vf4un]

You are Definitely Not A Canadian. Get with the Program.

[@musicloverme3993]

All he had was a SCRATCH!

[@lynnjamesallen1171]

Patty doesn't really try to match the contestants

[@wcwindom56]

Hope they keep MAry for awhile she is entertaining and hot

[@CousinOresama]

But OMELET?!? Just stupid.

[@CousinOresama]

What the hell is a Denver omelet?

[@CousinOresama]

Yes, I Googled it. Still a stupid answer.

[@beckydutra6543]

It's an omelet with eggs and other stuff, 😄😄

[@sdlively27]

ROFL! Love ya Patti! ;0)

[@Julie-sl8ul]

Her LAPD husband probably had some words with Mary...

[@johniringan8460]

Dumb omelette.

[@aracelyguerrero360]

Why do they keep bringing patty back. She sucks. Doesn't even try to match and she's NOT funny. She must know someone.

[@kristabrewer6736]

It's the Produces' fault. They know how she deliberately loses for the contestant. The sad part is, they don't care any more than she does :(

[@patcrites5274]

Patti is a good player & she usually matches the contestants

[@eddieafterburner]

You misspelled “Brett”.