Match Game (2016-2021)

This is chronicling the 2016 version of ***Match Game***.

## Game Format

This version goes back to square one by using the format of the '73-'82 shows. This show is an hour long with two games with two different contestant played per show.

Two contestants compete in this new version of the classic comedy game show. The object is to match the answers of as many of the six celebrity panelists as possible on fill-in-the-blank statements.

The main game is played in two rounds. In each round, one contestant is given a choice of two statements labeled either "A" or "B". Alec then reads the statement. While the contestant ponders an answer, the six celebrities write their answers on index cards. After they finish, the contestant gives his/her answer. Alec then asks each celebrity — one at a time, beginning with #1 in the upper left hand corner — to respond. In this version, instead of shapes, the celebrities have indicator lights on either side of their names. When a celebrity sticks his/her answer in the slot they light up in white. When a match is made, the boxes turn green and when no match is made, the boxes turn red.

The statements are written with bawdy, double entendre answers in mind. A classic example: "Did you catch a glimpse of that girl on the corner? She has the world's biggest \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_."

The contestant scores a point for each celebrity who has written down the same answer (or reasonably similar as determined by the judges; for example, "rear end" could be matched by "bottom", "behind", "derrière", "fannie", "hiney", etc.) up to a maximum of six points for matching everyone. The stars, however, can only be matched once per game. After play is completed on one contestant's question, Alec reads the statement on the other card for the opponent, and play is identical.

The round two questions are generally easier, and are usually puns that have a "definitive" answer (for instance, "Did you hear about the new religious group of dentists? They call themselves the Holy \_\_\_\_\_.", where the definitive answer would be "Molars"), whereas round one usually has a number of possible answers. This is to help trailing contestants pick up points quickly.

The player who matches the most celebrities at the end of the game is declared the winner. If the score is tied after Round two is completed, then the Tie-Breaker Round is played. The July 17, 2016 show showed the third slate with the middle part blurred out. This may indicate that the tie breaker was played but only the "B" question was televised.

The winner of the game goes on to play the $25,000 Big Money Super Match.

### Super Match

The winner of the game goes on to play the (Big Money) Super Match, which consists of the Audience Match and the Head-To-Head Match segments, for up to and including $25,000. The Super Match is now playing on a monitor housed by a setup similar to the one from 1973 to 1978.

#### Audience Match

A two-to-four-word fill-in-the-blank phrase is given, and it is up to the contestant to choose the most frequent responses written down in a poll of a recent studio audience. After consulting with three celebrities on the panel for help, the contestant chooses an answer they like the best, or one of their own that they think of themselves. The answers are then revealed; the most frequent response to the poll is worth $5,000, the second-most frequent $3,000, and the third-most frequent $2,000. If the winning contestant did not match at all, s/he still won $1,000.

#### Head-To-Head Match

The contestant then has the opportunity to win five times what s/he has won in the Audience Match (the maximum total of either $25,000, $15,000, $10,000 or $5,000) by matching another fill-in-the-blank response with a celebrity panelist of his or her choice. In order to win the money, the contestant has to match his/her chosen celebrity's response exactly; this means that multiple forms of the same word, e.g. singular or plural, are usually accepted whereas synonyms will not be. If successful, he/she wins the big money.

## Special Episodes

So far, in this version, only three episodes had special-themes in its 5th season from 2020 until 2021.

### Shooting Blanks

On May 31, 2020 at the start of season 5 from the very first episode it had a different opening spiel where you had to "get ready to match the suspects" as the five detectives (excluding Mario Cantone) from the world of crime drama television featured Jennifer Esposito, Adam Rodriguez, Angie Harmon, Michael Chiklis & Melissa Fumero. In addition, this episodealso had a share of controversy for being "Tone Deaf" for airing a cop-themed episode amid protest for the late George Floyd along with including handcuffs and other prison-related props.

1. ↑ 'Match Game' Season 5: ABC Slammed as 'tone deaf' for airing cop-themed episode amid George Floyd protest

### 58th Episode Celebration

On September 24, 2020 in its sixth episode it had a 58th Episode Celebration where the six celebrities who joined the festivities with Baldwin were Jerry Ferrara, Constance Zimmer, Chris Sullivan, Caroline Rhea, Ross Matthews & Dascha Polanco. Additionally, the supermatch bonus round was a little upgraded where each of the three amounts ended in $58 in order to celebrate its 58th episode so basically instead of $2,000, $3,000 & $5,000 they were $2,058, $3,058 & $5,058 as the top prize for the head-to-head match was 5x to $5,058 or $25,290 in the second half of this version.

### Match Gala

On July 21, 2021, in its tenth episode it had a Match Gala where "It's the most glittering night of the game show season" as the six panelists for this episode were: Mario Cantone, Vivica A. Fox, Antonio Brown, Hilaria Baldwin, Fred Armisen & Christie Brinkley.

## Cancellation

On April 1, 2022it has been announced by ABC that *Match Game* with Alec Baldwin won be returning for a six season along with news of the cancellations of*Card Sharks* (with Joel McHale), *The Celebrity Dating Game* & *The Hustler*.

1. ↑ 'Match Game' with Host Alec Baldwin Not Expected to Continue on ABC
2. ↑ Alec Baldwin's 'Match Game' Cancelled at ABC, Along with 'Card Sharks' and More as Network Firms Up Summer Plans (EXCLUSIVE)

## Gallery

Match Game on ABC Promo 1 - Premieres June 26th
## Links

* Official website
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* Twitter
* Program description by FremantleMedia