Match Game PM - Allen Ludden on the panel (1980)

[@joeygagliardi7380]

Great Episode,, Allen and Betty a Real Class Act, She is still going at 97, God Bless her, and Allen Rip

[@Feroal2]

well said, indeed

[@40bpaula]

R.I.P Allen and Betty's still holding her own now at 99!

[@Redsoxfanmatt]

RIP Betty White :(

[@joeygagliardi7380]

@@Redsoxfanmatt Betty White is still alive and well,, why do you say RIP, perhaps you mean Allen Ludden RIP,, he is deceased. At any rate Happy New Year to All Here In 2021,, and All The Best in 2022.

[@Redsoxfanmatt]

@@joeygagliardi7380 Betty White died this morning.

[@AarHan3]

Nice to see The Luddens on the show. ☺

[@rwboa22]

And sitting next to each other.

[@tiffanymorgan6562]

This was a priceless video seeing the Luddens together before Allen passed away

[@StLawrencePlace]

This aired in December 1980 which is around the time Tom Kennedy was hosting Password Plus!

[@ts.elliot5870]

They did the firing squad question on the daytime series as well. Blindfolds was the consensus answer.

[@akampfer]

Reading the book "The Life (and Wife) of Allen Ludden, it said when he went in to have his cancer surgery, he knew at that time it was terminal. He decided to bury himself in his work including this appearance on Match Game. I'd have to wonder what he was thinking at this point.

[@thisravenhasflown010]

We all face death differently. These people were their friends, in a way they were surrounded by friends.

[@margaretbenner3713]

I d😅

[@randilevson9547]

​@@thisravenhasflown010 I agree 100%. Coping mechanisms present themselves in all ways and means. Nobody has the right to judge anyone for what they choose.

[@smittykins]

IIRC, Match Game PM was a once-weekly show, so they had to fit everything in a single 30-minute block(the later syndicated Match Game was a Monday-to-Friday show so they could stretch it out a little more).

[@ajk]

it was

[@hoss73ford]

Allen's passing the following year really surprised me (tho he was going thru health issues before) He certainly looked the picture of good health (he was 69 in 1980)

[@radioranch4949]

he was 63 not 69

[@Lisa-di1wi]

That's what I was going to say.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Allen Listen was diagnosed with cancer in 1980. He took a month off from Password Plus to get radiation and chemotherapy treatments; and Bill Cullen filled in for him. Unfortunately, the cancer came back, and Allen Ludden was just too sick to continue hosting Password Plus. Tom Kennedy took his place for the remainder of the show.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

I meant Allen Listen. Sorry.

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Allen Ludden's first wife, Margaret, also died of cancer as well. She died not too long after Password first debuted on CBS back in 1961. When both he and Betty White got married in 1963, she became a stepmother to his three kids by Margaret: Martha, David, and Sarah.

[@nestorsuan2182]

Such a wonderful show ! Love Jimmie !!

[@bradcrawford1998]

ALWAYS call on a comedian. Most are VERY smart, good speakers, and just pretty sharp people. Jimmy gave great answers, BOTH were #1 answers. He's a VERY smart and quick wit guy 🙂

[@helenlogsdon7822]

Love Jimmie, too

[@angelan2764]

I love Charles Nelson Riley he is too funny when he says Brett is upset because Joann Allen plays mother. Haha😆😅😹

[@kenretherford6428]

Want to chat??

[@rah62]

4:20 re Betty White's comedy lesson that words that have a K in it are funny, I recall Walter Matthau saying the same thing during Oscars one year, but he said words with a C are funny (itr's the same sound, basically).

[@sprogfree]

Yes, Allen was diagnosed in the summer of 1979. The exploratory surgery that led to the diagnosis included the removal of some of the cancer; which slowed it somewhat. Unfortunately, some was inoperable.

[@higgy04]

I have a book called The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows and there was a photo from this episode in the book.

[@angelan2764]

How can you get one?

[@matthartleyjr9180]

@@angelan2764 use your favorite search engine & search for the title to see what pops up

[@thexxit]

awesome, thank you for posting

[@shoredude2]

@269848 Due to the way that the show was syndicated, a 2 game set had to finish at the end of Friday's show. So they had to either stretch or squeeze as needed to fit into the time allowed.

[@MiaJamesloveofvintage]

Love = Betty & Allen

[@elizabethramirezsierra3700]

Rest In Peace Allen Ludden and Betty White

[@paullarue2010]

Great episode.

[@Jermster_91]

I am not how exact but they both appeared o the panel of Match Game in 1975

[@susanrice9439]

Their an episode where gene asked Betty how many episodes of the mary tyler moore show she had done and said three but Betty said in next breath that Allen and I are taking a little vacation we are going to maui in hawaii.

[@eyehatefarcebook11]

Allen had the coolest eyeglasses in his final years. I wish I knew who made them, I'd like a pair for myself.

[@mikehalterman1615]

Very nice to see Jonelle Allen! She's a great actress. I loved her on the soap Generations from 20 years ago.

[@RayNDeere]

No, they were on a panel together back in the 70s (It's on here somewhere). They were doing the Super Match and the contestant was picking the celebs and said "I haven't tried Betty", to which Gene quipped "I've Tried Betty..." Allen came down and feigned anger to the delight of the crowd.

[@ajk]

that wasn't in the Dawson seat though, which was what was stated

[@Tre404]

I think that's actually a good thing... if you were actually there, you'd be hearing the pens, right? It kinda puts you right there with the participants! At least that's how I look at it.

[@GarryMooreFan]

@Kate8790 That's a very interesting question. Depends on the taping date.

[@trevorpanno5371]

Allen Ludden usually sits next to Brett Somers when he appeared on “Match Game.”

[@libertubey2199]

Yeah, but the reason he sat next to Brett was because, obviously Richard Dawson was there in the center bottom seat. Once he left, it became another rotating seat. So, it was a pleasant surprise to see Allen and Betty next to each other. Having Jonelle Allen to his right didn't hurt, either.

[@jamesbonnen]

Jimmie Walker back in the 70's got Silvermaned. What happened was when Fred Silverman was the president of ABC programming was giving contracts to actors and actress from other networks after their shows they were on went off the air. So it gave them no real incentive to make the shows they were on better. Jimmie Walker did one show for ABC called At Ease , it lasted the summer of 1983

[@ts.elliot5870]

Don't forget that on his own Jimmy Walker can't carry a show IMHO. He was great on Good Times and he just a step above Kaye Stevens on MatchGame. In 2023 he's selling extended auto warranties on cable TV.

[@djdon60]

maybe, it, just, is having seen them , together, so many times but, I've, always, thought Allen & Betty made one of the finest-looking couples I've seen. Oh, my-just, was watching the show(only made my comment, following the 'open')but, Betty had the same reply, that sprang, to mind, immediately: obstetrician. Love you, Betty!(Don Adams was a prison warden?)

[@lingomaniac88]

4:46 I'm surprised we didn't hear a resounding "How useless is it?"

[@tvpmark]

Dan from Encinitas started slow, but he won the third round, did well in the Super Match thanks to Jimmie Walker, and then he doubled his money with Brett Somers. How funny was Janelle Allen with her "Loan Ranger" answer... :)

[@MrWilliamtom]

@Kate8790 I'm thinking it might be after. He was diagnosed in early 1980 and died in June, 1981. It's probably one of his last appearances outside of Password Plus. You have to figure, being a panelist on Match Game isn't exactly hard labor.

[@MegandRob]

Thank you Betty for loving loving animals.

[@judithlightrox]

betty is SO FUNNY! I can't stop laughing...."watch this ira"!

[@jackiwheeler6963]

"PFFFFFFT"!!!!!!

[@770WT]

The theme music seems watered down by this point . Miss the snappy 70's sound .

[@kingrama27]

It’s crazy to think Alan would be dead less than a year later...

[@tpir1972]

I wonder if this is also before or after Allen's stroke, in which Bill Cullen subbed for him on P+.

[@mariab6389]

It was before. Allen did not have a stroke. He went into a coma as a side effect of his medicine's raising his calcium levels.

[@testpattern701]

The panelists have different microphones than usual.

[@eyehatefarcebook11]

Weird...I notice different microphones on the panel.

[@32rodrick]

CBS Recorded at Television City Hollywood, CA

[@paullarue2010]

CBS owned this show, before ABC did. ABC still owns it now, with Alec Baldwin as host.

[@ts.elliot5870]

​@@paullarue2010CBS had the rights to the daytime show. In syndication they could sell to the highest bidder in each market.

[@joeygagliardi7380]

I totally apologize, I did not know until late last night. I had just read this week, that she was well and doing fine. thank You, and Now I can say Betty RIP, it is now !/1/22 Peace to all.

[@Ramubay]

An inflatable boat is closer to boat than a mask is to a blindfold. You can see through a mask so its just the opposite of a blindfold.

[@virg0_lem0nade]

well, eye masks exist. Sleep masks exist. Those are clearly what was meant.

[@chuckers40]

Bert did a great job with "Super Password", I wondered if "Body Language" had not come about, would Tom Kennedy been offered the job since he hosted "Password Plus" the last 2 years and did a good job. With that being said, I think Betty would have been in complete support if Tom Kennedy or Bert Convy. hosting "Super Password"

[@whewfan]

Tom was also doing nighttime Price is Right, so doing two shows was probably enough for Tom at that time, especially since by his own admission he was struggling with Price and trying to remember the rules to all the games. (If he was struggling, I never saw it. To me, he was very competent with Price) He did appear on SP for one week sometime in the run, I think around the time Wordplay was on the air.

[@kimberlygray699]

Gene called Brett miss bigmouth and I love it cause that is what she is

[@lynskyrd78]

I think everybody agrees that Brett is BIG Mouth...except for that one person.

[@tvtimetravel]

It's obvious Amy, the female contestant worked at Farrell's. Contestants are not allowed to say the name of their employers due to FCC regulations.

[@newstarcadefan]

***** Not only that...but then, Lawyers could come down from the raptors if they didn't pay for the publicity.

[@tvtimetravel]

I've seen a lot of Family Feud (Dawson version) contestants name their employers.

[@newstarcadefan]

***** That's true, though a lot has happened between 1980 to cause just only the names of schools and colleges to be mentioned

[@RaginRonic]

I think that would not apply to contestants on game shows who were born and living in Canada, because back then, Canadian businesses did not compete with U.S. businesses...kind of like me saying 'Well, I'm (my name), and I work at the Eaton's store at Jackson Square in Hamilton, Ontario.', because there were no Eaton's locations in the U.S. Same could be said if I mentioned their former flagship location on Yonge St. in Toronto. =P

[@40bpaula]

Ah Ha! I was wondering cause I knew she wasn't saying exactly what she wanted to say. I thought maybe she was covering up that she was a singing stripper or something.

[@kristabrewer9363]

This is the second time Betty and Allan were on here together (but the first time sitting side by side)

[@PikaDrewsGamingCorner]

I think this is the only time Match Game had both BEtty white and Allen Ludden on the same panel

[@kristabrewer9363]

It's the second time. This is the only time they sat together

[@TheBundychick82]

This was a wonderful episode Betty didn't like it when she said boat it wasn't a match but Brett said mask it was a match she is one crazy funny lady I don't know how she puts up with Charles nelson Reilly and jimmy walker and the rest were great too I'm from Australia and thank u

[@TheBundychick82]

A.D. yes that’s just the way I write sorry about the punctuation and commas as long as they know what I wrote

[@tpir1972]

I wonder if Allen would've done Super Password instead of Bert Convy, which he did good, if Allen hadn't died in 1981.

[@brycerushing4227]

Or perhaps Million Dollar Password rather than Regis Philbin if he was around in the 2000s.

[@MollyT119]

Tom Kennedy was approached about SP, but he was already offered Body Language, so they went with Bert, who is also a fine host, and he did a great job with it. MDP got on my nerve because it looked too much like Millionaire. I’d love to see Password come back, with the right host...no D-list comedians, and no gimmicks. Just play the game, with bigger money.

[@770WT]

@@MollyT119 Password wouldn't work today . The studio would look like a dark purple space station with cheap jokes .

[@MollyT119]

@@770WT it COULD be done, with the right host and right approach. It was done by Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight show for years, with a mock-up of the mid-60s set, and real celebrities. It never turned raunchy, no more than SP ever would have.

[@shaywhite172]

Yes,I think this is right after Allen Ludden's stroke and was diagnosed with stomach cancer so the late Bill Cullen.

[@brycerushing4227]

After Allen Ludden died in 1981, Tom Kennedy took over as host of Password Plus until NBC cancelled it in 1982.

[@libertubey2199]

It's funny how the entire six season run on "Good Times," Jimmy Walker never had an afro.

[@paullarue2010]

CBS had this show.

[@susanrice736]

Betty white was 59 years old when allen ludden and betty white found out allen ludden had cancer. Allen ludden was 63 years old when he passed away.

[@libertubey2199]

Interestingly , during the entire run of "Good Times", not once did Jimmy Walker have an afro.

[@40bpaula]

Well, I don't know. Whenever I saw him, he always had on a hat of some sort. Later on in the show, when he was an adult, he had a very short fro, very close to the scalp.

[@thisravenhasflown010]

Brett looks very classy. Love that look!!

[@susanrice736]

I think that allen and betty new something was wrong with allen but they didn't no what was wrong until allen had the surgery that when they found out allen had stomach cancer and it was inoperable and it was heartbreaking for betty because she was going lose the love of her life.

[@mixon270]

Buzzr should have left the fee plugs in for Match Game Pm

[@susanrice9439]

Betty White Ludden became a widow at age of 59 years old. Do to the fact that her. husband Allen Ludden had passed away from stomach cancer. In nineteen eighty one at the age of sixry four. From the stomach cancer. I think that Betty may had a difficult at time going home from work while shore Betty had her dogs and cat but had to be hard going to bed at night without her husband and soulmate beside her.

[@Kate8790]

I wonder if this was before or after Allen's cancer diagnoses.

[@MrCucucoco]

WHAT?! BRETT ACTUALLY MATCHED SOMEONE?! SHOCK!!!!

[@kristabrewer9363]

UM Brett Matched someone ALOOOT, thanks!

[@Ladywolf-du9lw]

Joe Gerner 🖕🏻

[@lynskyrd78]

For the first time ever!!!😂😃😁

[@virg0_lem0nade]

⁠@@lynskyrd78-- if you think that's true then this is your first time ever watching the show, haha.

[@GETENT]

What happened in the intro?????

[@jeffwilson6522]

It's annoying during the show you keep hearing over the microphones people writing.

[@RafNorth]

No this is the second time

[@johnalang]

"Boat" should have matched

[@boisegameshowguy]

John Lang Watch this Ira! 🌬💨🌊

[@PhilMelcher]

Allen also did "Chain Reaction" which wasn't a Goodson show that same year. Perhaps it was a way of thanking Bill Cullen (given it was taped before Bill subbed for Allen on P+)

[@whewfan]

Chain Reaction and PW+ were on the same network, and aired back to back with Wheel of Fortune and High Rollers. It was just a way to promote PW+ which was still a fairly new show at the time.

[@PhirePhlame]

Matthew Kaiser I thought Password had long established itself by that point. Or did it change networks when it went Plus? I'm too young to remember it from anything but GSN, unfortunately.

[@whewfan]

Password was indeed a popular game, but Password Plus was only on for a short time when Chain Reaction came along. I don't think Allen Ludden appeared on the show after returning to Password Plus, but I could be wrong. I think Bill Cullen appeared as a celeb guest on the week Allen returned so that the viewers could see Bill was PLAYING the game, so Allen had to be back. According to Adam Nedeff's book about Bill Cullen, the producers and everyone involved LOVED Bill and thought he was great at hosting. Despite appearing on PW+ before as a celeb, Bill didn't really know how to HOST the show. He needed only one runthrough before he picked up on the game. When Allen became too ill to continue, they didn't want Bill for a couple reasons. First, Bill was doing Blockbusters, and that game was too new to get a new host, and replacing Bill Cullen would've been a bad idea, no matter who they got. Also, they felt that Bill was perhaps a bit "too slow" in moving Password Plus along. They wanted someone that could move the game at about as fast as Allen did, and Tom Kennedy was really a great fit. Betty also endorsed Tom as a good replacement (she too loved Bill though) Tom pretty much gave Password Plus more of a "You Don't Say" vibe, which makes sense because You Don't Say had some similarities to Password.

[@kristabrewer9363]

He DID? Chain Reaction is a fairly new show.

[@eyehatefarcebook11]

Krista Brewer you must not remember the 80's much.

[@tomitstube]

all the editing ruined the show, it wasn't just the time change, a lot of the spontaneity was lost when they cut out all the goofing around and filled it with the extra game stuff.

[@francis1971]

At 8:18 the turning point

[@davidrice136]

Betty White was such a hottie. Yeah. I said it.

[@salvo6996]

Damn straight !!!

[@kristabrewer9363]

Everyone loved Betty White back in the day. Most still love her today; It's just a real shame that she turned into such a potty mouth

[@mlg1948]

Krista Brewer what on earth are you talking about? Rarely has there been so gracious and loving lady as she. God made a good one when he/she/it made her.

[@ts.elliot5870]

Grandma vibes dust it off and go for it.

[@SJAutomotiveDesign]

noticed that too. but anyway except for the "mask" one, every other answer was "blindfolds" so I guess it wouldn't matter much.

[@bdaddyn678]

Wow. Full end credits, product plugs, and no credits crunching. GSN, what happened to you???

[@keithhyttinen8275]

First question about "an autopsy". Makes me think Gene and the others didn't know of Allen's cancer. Look at the look on Betty's face when the camera is on her for a moment.

[@5star555555555]

@269848 very true!

[@lilbluefoxie]

15:47 forget old fashioned grrrreat

[@christophergaff2617]

Is Betty saying Allen needs to put out,

[@RedNekLvr22]

That's a good query. On face value one would think it would have been his to turn down, but Allen wasn't young when Pasword Plus was going on and I wonder if that would have been a factor in making a change at host when Super Password came along, However, I think Betty had enough gravitas along with Allen to make me believe that that if he had been physically able, he would have done it. All that being said, if he had declined it, I think Betty would have been completely in support of Bert.

[@leondillon8723]

I remember a drugstore with a female soda jerk. She would turn beet red when anyone ordered a virgin(cherry) coke. When picking people for suggestions, a female contestant said " I have not tried Betty." Allen Ludden said "I have tried Betty."

[@farooqghory5432]

He didn’t shake hands with jimmie

[@susanrice9439]

Mark muffs: Allen Ludden was not sixty nine years old. Allen Ludden was sixty three years old when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in the summer of nineteen eighty. Allen Ludden passed away that next summer that be the summer of nineteen eighty one at the age of sixty four years old.

[@Burrellfan1]

What was Inquizition?

[@zimjun7]

Calvin W Boaz The Inquistion was the interrogation from the Catholics with anyone who opposed their teachings. One was that they could not read the Bible on their own. they would find out the truth for one. There also was the Spanish Inquisition. Same thing similiar....

[@zimjun7]

Calvin W Boaz Oops! I see it. Game Show. Play on words...

[@kumppi]

+Calvin W Boaz Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition!

[@boisegameshowguy]

The inquizitor would ask multiple choice questions to participants in prison outfits, and they had three seconds to answer. After each round, one of the participants was told to screw off, until one was left. They earned freedom from further inquizition... and $500.

[@newstarcadefan]

@@boisegameshowguy yup, and the Inquisitor...nobody saw his face except for the contestants (including one whom was actually thrown off the show when she argued back).

[@40bpaula]

Oooo, they had some great consulation prizes on this one! Do you get a year's supply? I'd love those colossal pistaccios, the Tiger Milk protein bars and the makeup and lotion for bites and the like. Nice haul.

[@Crockerish]

They sure gave more chances and money on the night show

[@thomasclendaniel520]

Robert Grant one night a week vs. five weekdays? Plus higher ad revenues at night.

[@bluebear1985]

For the last question in round 3, for some strange reason, I would have said "dresses". At least that way, the man who is being executed will die laughing. I know it's a ridiculous answer, but I honestly never would have thought of the contestant's answer.

[@40bpaula]

Dresses was my first thought too, until Gene reread the question and I heard firing squad then I changed to blindfolds and dresses!

[@JosephHallas]

Allen Ludden died not long after. He seemed to know something was wrong then

[@kamronrhodes5151]

21,000

[@thebakerman1]

Oddly, Brett Sommers actually looks nice in this airing and isn't wearing her usual thick rimmed "Fat Boys" glasses and tacky clothes normally associated with her persona.

[@barbarapaton4005]

So nice for this show to go down without Dawson’s presence and snide remarks

[@fanboy2015]

Gene seemed bored at this point. The show had been going on for what, seven years?

[@wecantfightgravity]

I think he became bored after Richard Dawson left the show.

[@40bpaula]

@@wecantfightgravity I agree with you, there. Gene and Richard played off of each other so well. No one could fill in for Richard on that score.

[@daisycassidy2448]

Did the male contestant acknowledge Jimmy Walker's spot-on answers? I didn't see him thank Jimmy and that was just plain rude, especially after he went up and hugged Brett and had to bypass Jimmy to do that.

[@jenniferhansen3622]

Jonelle is such a pretty lady.

[@kamronrhodes5151]

Baby

[@Lisa-di1wi]

Sadly, Allen Ludden died the next year (1981). He didn't look sick. Did you know that he died on the same day as Natalie Portman was born? It was June 9, 1991.

[@bettygovaert2014]

You mean 1981 that was the that Allen died.

[@kamronrhodes5151]

10,000 double it up turns to 20,000

[@770WT]

Allen Ludden was very ill at this point .

[@kamronrhodes5151]

House or pet

[@lisab7977]

😲 gene calling Jimmie “Jimmie boy” yikes 😥

[@oneail89]

Allen Ludden was a handsome man

[@DSpeir-pi6tm]

Oh yes, Dan the real estate guiro that plays tennis and racket ball needs money :/

[@rolfbernserke4735]

Gene’s heart didn’t seem interested anymore

[@HelloooThere]

Gene seems bored

[@richardwhite5633]

Brett didn’t get anything j last night at the motel. That is why she is mad at everyone in the studio on match game.

[@3003-o3u]

That first guy had such bad teeth which is unacceptable when you make that much money

[@roberts.3098]

You don't know who Jimmy Walker is???

[@brookehanley3659]

Can tell you were not alive in the 1970's. I do not like your comment.

[@ts.elliot5870]

​​@@roberts.3098Don't judge people! They didn't have access to the cosmetic denistry we have now and they made so much less it wouldn't have been affordable for most.