Parodies and Appearances

The success of (The) *Match Game* has provided plenty of opportunities for various shows and movies to make parodies or have their characters make appearances on *MG* as part of a (sub)plot.

## Parodies

### Family Guy

In the episode Mr. Saturday Knight, Chris is seen watch a rerun of *The Match Game* with Gene Rayburn reading a question to the panel "Forget Freddy was so forgetful, every time he tries to remember someone's name he drew a \_\_\_\_\_!"

### Homestar Runner

In the 2003 episode "Email the Show" it was used as a commercial bumper music is partially lifted from the show's theme music. In the 2006 episode called "Email 4 branches" where the show was renamed to *The Show AM* alluding to *Match Game'*s rebranded title as *Match Game P.M.*.

### MAD TV (2016)

The short-lived 2016 reboot on *The CW*, parodied the Baldwin version of *Match Game* in two parts with Arnold Schwarzenegger (Piotr Michael), Britney Spears (Carlie Craig) and Scott Baio (Amir K.) representing the red states and Lena Dunham (Chelsea Davidson), Rihanna (Lyric Lewis) and Kanye West (Jeremy D. Howard) representing the blue states. The contestants were Lupe "Baby Joker" Suarez (Michelle Ortiz) and Carol Fitty (Mo Collins). In the first half, Baldwin (Adam Ray) ask the question "Dumb Dora the Democrat was so dumb (HOW DUMB WAS SHE?!) she said the only thing we have to fear is \_\_\_\_\_!" Baby Joker answers "The Eastside Flaccos". Some of the answers she receives includes "A Woman President" (Baio), "Online Shaming" (Dunham) and nothing from West. Rihanna though manages to match Baby Joker because she read the tattoo on Baby Joker's arm that says "Death to the East Side Flaccos". Baby Joker has one match as they head to commercial break. In the second half, Baldwin who clearly doesn't want to be there as he is reciting his career stats to the audience asks Carol "Ridiculous Rita the Republican was so ridiculous (HOW RIDICULOUS WAS SHE?!) she said Read My Lips. No New \_\_\_\_\_!" Carol's answer is an unintelligible garble "Sizz Good News". She gets answers like "Surprise Babies" (Schwarzenegger), "No New Children" (Spears) and "Game Show Remakes" (Rihanna). West ends up getting Carol the win because his campaign director is named "Sizz" and he has "Good News". The show will continue on tomorrow because according to Baldwin, ABC has decided to air *Match Game* every night of the week until the end of time.

### Mystery Science Theater 3000

It made a reference to *Match Game* and Crow T. Robot does a one-man show (Give 'em Hell Blank) about *Match Game*. playing as Gene Rayburn as well as all six panelists including Nipsey Russell and Charles Nelson Reilly. He closes with an unusually somber monologue (as Rayburn) about growing old.

### The Price is Right

*MG's* sister show *The Price is Right* has parodied *Match Game* was one of the showcase segment on December 12, 2007 episode. They also played the theme song in a 2009 episode.

### Remote Control

A modified version would occasionally be seen played where host Ken Ober's questions would generally be raunchier than *Match Game* standards and the contestants scored points for matching either co-hosts Colin Quinn, Kari Wuhrer or musciain Steve Treccase.

### RuPaul's Drag Race

Their version is called *Snatch Game* since season two where the queens imitate their favorite female celebrities on the panel while two celebrity contestants usually the special guest judges for the episode, try to fill in the blanks and match the queens.

### Saturday Night Live

This from April 7, 2001 was originally an "Inside the Actor's Studio" skit with future host Alec Baldwin as Charles Nelson Reilly. The second one from May 10, 2008 was called *It's a Match* where a bunch of drunk celebrities are questioned by a detective plays at about the host's murder backstage and answer according to its rules.

### The 7th Annual TV Land Awards

In the opening number, host Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) plays as Charles Nelson Reilly in a brief parody of *Match Game*.

### The Simpsons

In the episode Bart Gets Famous, it is implied that the set of *Match Game 2034* would be similar to the post-modern atmosphere of *The Jetsons*. The panelists that appeared were: Billy Crystal, Farrah Fawcett-Majors-O'Neil-Varney, The I Didn't Do It Boy, Ventriloquist Loni Anderson, Spike Lee and the lovely and vivacious head of Kitty Carlisle. In the episode Elementary School Musical, Bart and Homer search for evidence on the Internet that can release Krusty the Clown from the International Court of Justice. They find a clip of him on *MyTube* appearing on an episode of *Match Game P.M.* where he confesses to self-mutilation.

### Victorious

In the 2012 episode called April Fools Blank it was called *Match Play* where the title character Tori Vega (Victoria Justice) ran onto the set of this parodied game show to which Sikowitz (Eric Lange) was the host's and Tori's friend was the panel. Like *Match Game* the host reads a statement with a blank at the end near or near the end and the contestant must then fill in that blank with a word or phrase he/she thought any of the celebrities would say. If the contestant's answer matched any of the panelists, he/she won $5,000. However, each time there was no match. The Dancing Lobster appeared and attacked the contestant down to the ground. On this playing, the question was "Dumb Debbie (as opposed to Dumb Dora) was so dumb (HOW DUMB WAS SHE?!) she didn't realize April first was April Fools \_\_\_\_\_!". Tori's answer was "Day" (the obvious one) but due to the crazy nature of that episode, none of the panelists said "Day", causing Tori to be attacked by the lobster six times minus two (explanation later) and losing $5,000 because of it. The answers the panel gave as follows: Andre (Leon Thomas III) "Lobster", Jade (Elizabeth Gilles) "Berry", Robbie (Matt Bennett) "Foot", Cat (Ariana Grande) "Blank" (The Dancing Lobster was not brought out for that, because Cat misunderstood the question), Beck (Avan Jogia) "Onion Rings", Trina (Daniella Monet) "Cut to the Next Scene" (Which [truth in advertising] sent Tori and Trina to their living room for the next scene and the remainder of the episode).

### Weird Al Yankovic

For his 2009 album "Alpocalypse" (Parody of the term "Apocalypse"), a parody song appropriately titled "*CNR*" which itself was a parody of the 2007 song called "*Icky Thump*" by "The White Stripes", he depicts the late Charles Nelson Reilly as if he were Chuck Norris, their was even a brief mentioning of former host the late Gene Rayburn.

### Will & Grace

In the episode, the main characters are watching eight back-to-back episodes of *Match Game '73* with Karen Walker (Megan Mullaly) humming the theme song and remarking how she loved the Game Show Network.

## Appearances

### GSN

In 2006, *Match Game* was ranked #1 as one of *The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All-Time*, the special was hosted by Bil Dwyer.

### The Life of Reilly

Mentioned numerous times in the dialogue by Charles Nelson Reilly.

### I Love the 70s Volume II

In July 2006, *Match Game* was mentioned as a topic in the 1973 Episode".

### Married with Children

In the 1991 episode "You Better Shop Around (Part 2)" the title and panelist was mentioned by Jerry Mathers (a.k.a. "The Beaver") says: "Can it be true? Can *"Match Game PM"* not use another celebrity? Am I truly lower than "Charles Nelson Reilly"?"

### 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments

In December 2005, the "School Riot" episode from *Match Game '77* was mentioned in which Debralee Scott and Richard Dawson are revolting when the judges did not accept "Finishing School" as a match for "School". It was raked #82 on the list.

### TV Guide

In 2001, *Match Game* was ranked #10 as one of *The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All-Time*.

### Vicki Lawrence

She has made multiple appearances on *Match Game*. Even as a semi-regular in the 1990 ABC version and the 2003 WMS Gaming slot machine.

### Wheel of Fortune

In this episode as part of "Mexico Week" that aired on March 8, 2000; one of the puzzles in round 1 was *"The Match Game"* under the category of "Classic TV". After a contestant named Jason Dodge solves it, he gets a puzzler type puzzle that was related to the puzzle that he just solved for five seconds as he successfully solves "Gene Rayburn" under the category of "Proper Name" he gets $3,000 as his reward to add to his $1,400 he already won previously which gives him a grand total of $4,400. After the round 2 puzzle was solved which was "A Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace" under the category of "Event" by a contestant named Bill Bauer, then a promo for the vitamin *Centrum* (and its companion *Centrum Silver*) was promoted via a voice over courtesy of *Wheel's* long-running co-host Vanna White, a brief clip of the show was played during a commercial break.