THE MATCH GAME 1962 PILOT EPISODE

This is the pilot of the classic episode of The Match Game hosted by Gene Rayburn with guests Peggy Cass with teammates Arthur Trudeau and Ronni Smith and Peter Lind Hayes with teammates Mary Pidgeon and Rick Mainzer enjoy the episode

[@travis7310]

This is so different from the '70s version! If it weren't for Gene Rayburn as host from the beginning, it probably wouldn't have lasted!

[@bradcrawford1998]

I agree 100% Gene Rayburn was a GREAT host. So funny and entertaining 😊

[@David-yw2lv]

As the show went on it became name something and surveys to fill in the blanks.

[@kenhenderson1762]

Gene Rayburn had a hit radio show on WNBC in New York and was signed to a 20 year contract with NBC in 1952. They later assigned him to be Steve Allen's announcer/sidekick on the first version of The Tonight Show. When Steve left that show, Gene was assigned to host various NBC game shows that didn't last until Match Game clicked in 1962. He also was one of the hosts of NBC radio's Monitor weekend program. When Match Game was cancelled in 1969, Gene again was assigned to host more short-lived game shows for NBC until his contract expired in 1972. The next year he was hired to host the new version of Match Game on CBS.

[@johnsjohnson448]

Wow. Johnny Olsen announced on the original version too. Thanks for sharing.

[@ChadQuick270W]

Nice to see this with the original commercials intact as they would be on a kinescope. Thanks for sharing this with us 👍

[@KCGeno]

This was the demo for the show. This pilot was never aired until GSN ran it several years ago. A few cosmetic changes were made before the first NBC broadcast of “The Match Game”.

[@travis7310]

Gene Davis It was included as a bonus on The Best of "Match Game" DVD set.

[@nyccatholic2765]

Great Show with Great Memories & Thanks for including the original VINTAGE 1962 Commercials!!

[@pencils812]

Notice how Gene asks the men what they do for a living and asks the women where they live. Sign of the times.

[@readytogo3186]

Yes!

[@susanb2015]

I wish it was like that now. I wouldn't have been thrown out of my home waiting to hopefully die.

[@benhallums2951]

This is WNBC (-TV) COMCAST NBCUniversal 4 New York, NY! "From New York City, (NBC-TV Presents/It's Time to Play) 'The MATCH GamE' (This Portion of 'The MATCH GamE' is Brought to You By...) (and now Here's Your Host/With The Star of 'The MATCH GamE') (Mr.) GENE RAYBURN."

[@marika8642]

Bought to you in living color. Wow. We've come a long way.

[@michaelwascom62]

I watched the original Match Game in living black and white! Color TV was too expensive for my folks' budget!

[@Tazzman225]

LIVING COLOR! Not just any color. It had to be living! 😂

[@brianarbenz1329]

@@Tazzman225 Today, the color still lives, while all else is dying. :(

[@yvonnepeters1914]

That's weird, I remember hearing that initial theme music, but never seen the show. I was busy being a kid. Thanks for the posting.

[@Mollysky1]

Wasn't it the Dating Game musical intro?

[@yvonnepeters1914]

@@Mollysky1 No.....

[@Jeff98177]

It's interesting how Gene asked the male contestants what they did for a living, but asked the female contestants where they were from. Sign of the times. I'm glad the format changed, but that they kept Gene!

[@LogicMind99]

You look at an episode of match game in 1962, it’s such a stark contrast to an episode from say 1975, amazing how times change so quickly

[@David-yw2lv]

Naming things became Family Feud material in 1976.Surveys became Card Sharks m.o. a few years after.

[@robertpeters2741]

Back when we only had 3 channels to choose from.

[@ronrondon9780]

it is true but some more are independent station added

[@ChadQuick270W]

And something good on all three.

[@tj.espygil4544]

I was 7 years old. I watched it. I enjoyed it. The best celebrities they ever had were Orson Bean and Jane Mansfield.

[@cindyrussell1581]

Right and kids complain today.

[@brianarbenz7206]

And we had to walk over to the set to change the channel. Oh, the spartan existence we endured.

[@David-yw2lv]

This was a favorite of mine back then.Several aspects of the original game were transferred to Family Feud and Card Sharks.I remember Ironized Yeast and Haley's MO.I always wondered what MO stood for

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

Brought to you in living tones of gray!

[@pacz8114]

Man, Mary Pidgeon is one hott bird!!

[@butterbean3676]

🤪🤪🤪

[@ciabattatom521]

Right up there with the Coo-Coo Pigeon Sisters (or is that Cuckoo?)

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

Peter Lind Hayes lived to 82 years old. Married to Mary Healy for 58 years. She was in show business for over 50 years. She lived to 92.

[@herestoyoudoc]

Damn, Bromo-Quinine. I am just old enough to remember that stuff. It also had phenolphthaline, so that stuff cleaned you out at both ends. 🤣

[@pam8615]

I remember watching it when I was younger..my mom always watch it..

[@phoch2331]

I'd come home from school and hear the music to Match Game, the show in the '70's. My mom would tell us to go upstairs and get changed; then, we could watch Match Game. We ran upstairs, got dressed in play clothes, and sat in front of the TV from 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. What an amazing, innocent time. So grateful.

[@scottburton9701]

This version was a far cry from the one that became far more popular in the 70's.

[@jeffschwartz4t.o.council-j132]

The name of the song is "A Swinging Safari" and it was in the Top 40 charts around 1962.

[@brianarbenz1329]

Ronni Smith tells us she lives in East Orange, N.J. Gene asks her, "And what brings you to New York today?" Oh, just doing a little shopping, and I thought I'd duck into this studio at random and see if perchance there's a game show going on.

[@iamweave]

Intro questions asked. Men: "What do you do for a living?" -- Women: "Where is your home?"

[@Fireball409]

As Steve Harvey would say to Rick, "Is that your real voice?" 😂

[@nyccatholic2765]

The Late 50s thru the early 60s was FAB! And, with such truly WHOLESOME INNOCENT SIMPLE FUN, this fab show depicts that ever-missed Space Age Era!🇺🇸 Much Thanks for sharing this Rare Vintage Gem!🇺🇸

[@comedyshorts2]

Arthur Trudeau appeared on Password in 1962

[@harrykargenian110]

Yes he did, I remember that name.

[@fflubadubb]

I totally remember this original theme music .

[@jeremiahjohnson1513]

Watching this just shows how important Gene was as host. His impish personality was perfect for the show as it evolved into more of a freewheeling format and became just a framework that allowed the celebs to goof around and improvise with each other. The elements are there but bringing in a couple of contestants and having a panel of celebs definitely improved on things. A stodgier host and we might never have had the Match Game for all those years. The revival with Alec Baldwin actually wasn't bad but after his incident on that movie set it cancelled.

[@shivasirons6159]

Thats how defined roles were, gene asked the men what they did for a living and asked the women where they're from.

[@byrd56]

I think the original "Match Game" didn't go color on NBC until 1965.

[@robertpeters2741]

This is the original "Match Game" and it was in "color"

[@johnread7440]

@@robertpeters2741 Steve is right. Maybe this pilot was in color, but the series originated in black and white.

[@dwightpowell6673]

Why no black contestants ?

[@robertsprouse9282]

1963..

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@stephenmitchell663, shortly after that, about three months or so, I SAW THE MATCH GAME IN COLOR on my parents first ever, COLOR TV..on day one of having one in our house. It was 1963..

[@tripjet999]

Brought to you in living...black and white. (too bad someone didn't use COLOR film or better yet, save the color videotape!)

[@trekkiejunk]

They didn't actually record it on tape at all. This is was recorded in the studios by a process called kinescope. They would use another camera to record the telecast image off another camera. That's why the picture is so soft and blurry. Similar idea to you holding a camera up to your TV to record a show. If you look at old television that's in black in white, if the image is fairly sharp, it was recorded on either film or early video tape. If the picture is really soft, with very extreme blooms of black and white, and not much shading, then that was kinescope.

[@dimitriberozny3729]

Gene’s microphone looks like a can opener!!

[@xmttrman]

It appears a mic meant to be worn from a lanyard was attached to piece of plastic, quite awkward.

[@robertszvetics210]

IN LIVING COLOR MY EYES MUST BE GOING

[@trekkiejunk]

It was broadcast in color, but was only recorded in kinescope, which is not only black and white, but a severely downgraded process of recording old television programs.

[@trekkiejunk]

Unfortunately, it appears this only survives in in this kinescope capture, but i bet that set would have looked glorious in NBC's ''living color.''

[@kmccamis]

🤣 swingin safari

[@brianarbenz7206]

The guy designed checkbook covers. Obviously, if he's still around, he'd be out of a job today.

[@christopherangel6690]

This set was very colorful

[@pgh45rpms]

:Pilot aired Wed., Dec. 5, 1962

[@JasonDelarosa2000]

Now I see why the 1970s version was a quantum leap ahead of this original; as Bob Eubanks said "New York people were really stern and there was a little more relaxation and filthy dirty questions allowed on the west coast."

[@andrewfernandez4609]

it was in color but who recorded it had a black and white set.

[@trekkiejunk]

Ummmm....no. There was no home recording in 1962. This was recorded in the studios by a process called kinescope. They would use another camera to record the telecast image off another camera. That's why the picture is so soft and blurry. Similar idea to you holding a camera up to your TV to record a show.

[@JILL0704USA]

Bromo Quinine actually worked!

[@gericummings6122]

Wow, the Original MG !

[@GeorgeMaster-xg7lg]

If I heard correctly, the studio was used for Saturday Night Live

[@gericummings6122]

Funny, when Peggy Cass called Gene Lassie!

[@tomripsin730]

Whatever that theme music is, I remember hearing it occasionally back in the 60's. Anybody know what it's called?

[@markmontieth8815]

Swingin Safari

[@tomripsin730]

Wow. Thanks. I didn't expect anyone to actually know that.@@markmontieth8815

[@KristyHepburn]

The Match Game (Aug 5, 1962)

[@fjccommish]

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!

[@user-kp2zm7xg7z]

I was born in 1961.

[@trekkiejunk]

Ok, and?

[@honeycone71]

Who is the guy in the commercial for Haley's M-O??? I know he's an actor and I recognize that voice, but I cannot remember his name. It's killing me.

[@zorenxam4693]

Swinging safari . How cool

[@Mollysky1]

Does anyone know the name or composer of the intro music score?

[@phylliswatson8231]

That Bromo Quinine tasted like death

[@gericummings6122]

When did they switch from raising their hands, to a light bar lighting up, when they were done? What year?

[@gericummings6122]

When did they switch from points-to- dollars, straight to dollars?

[@romerjusu3804]

That's what Living Color looked like in 1962 ? That's the year I was born

[@trekkiejunk]

The broadcast would have been in color. This was recorded in the studios by a process called kinescope. They would use one camera to record the telecast image off another camera. That's why the picture is so soft and blurry. Similar idea to you holding a camera up to your TV to record a show.

[@pamelaparr7088]

I came up with Lassie, Rin Tin Tin! Hahahaha

[@ciabattatom521]

I immediately thought "Clifford the Big Red Dog." Then, when I tried to think of something more relevant to their time, I was stumped.

[@rynwin1]

I wonder...did bromo quinine aka hydrochloroquin help with colds??

[@toddwacha5108]

There's Johnny Jacobs in the Haley's M-O ad!

[@williamdunphy352]

Todd Wacha 24:22 Where Johnny Jacobs begins the commercial. Johnny did all those Chuck Barris game shows & the original "The Joker's Wild".

[@Mafon2]

8:30 - well, my answer was Fido >_>

[@NessLover94]

The intro music was also the used as the intro music for Vi i femman (We are in 5th grade)!

[@xmttrman]

Billy Vaughn's version of Bert Kaempfert's "A Swingin' Safari".

[@guskund3971]

You got pt 2?

[@nsnopper]

Where do I buy that Bromo Quinine?

[@nsnopper]

@@robertsprouse9282 😂😂😂😂

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@nsnopper, where is my initial response, the one you are responding to..? Faceybook is censoring, again?

[@nsnopper]

@@robertsprouse9282 It disappeared! How did that happen?

[@tomlovejoy1534]

Looks like the NBC peacock 🦚 forgot to colorize this episode!

[@trekkiejunk]

The broadcast would have been in color. This was recorded in the studios by a process called kinescope. They would use one camera to record the telecast image off another camera. That's why the picture is so soft and blurry. Similar idea to you holding a camera up to your TV to record a show.

[@davidfahey5068]

No where as good as the 70's version

[@otrdriverchris]

If you can tell me a game show host better than Gene Rayburn I'd like to hear it.

[@robertsprouse9282]

The late, great BILLY WOMBGANS..

[@GeorgeMaster-xg7lg]

​@@robertsprouse9282I would have said either Peter Marshall or Bob Barker.

[@Fireball409]

​@@robertsprouse9282 WHO IN THE WORLD IS THAT?!?

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@Fireball409 , lol.. 1920’s baseballer..

[@trekkiejunk]

Richard Dawson, no question. He was the #1 king.

[@AllenFreemanMediaGuru]

Quinine: This medicine may cause very serious unwanted effects and should only be used for patients with malaria. (Did you notice at the very end of this pilot they didn’t have all the credited names listed.)

[@gericummings6122]

I was wondering about the quinine...

[@davidfahey5068]

Ok

[@ABCEasyas--]

It’s not in living color

[@trekkiejunk]

The broadcast would have been in color. This was recorded in the studios by a process called kinescope. They would use one camera to record the telecast image off another camera. That's why the picture is so soft and blurry. Similar idea to you holding a camera up to your TV to record a show.

[@therealhotshot70]

The new game "Blank Slate" is a ripoff of classic Match Game

[@gruntherblendin388]

Not quite the most exciting game show...

[@kennethmalecki7570]

The 70s version was way better 60s boring

[@adamsmith2331]

What a horrible structure. I’m so bored. 70s version kills this.

[@Fadamor]

5:14 "Fulton, the inventor of the steam engine." Sorry Gene, Robert Fulton didn't invent the steam engine. What he did - with help from Robert R. Livingston - was develop the first commercially successful steamBOAT: The "North River Steamboat" - later renamed the "Clermont". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Fulton#Career_in_the_United_States_(1806-1815)