The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: bwood on April 10, 2025, 01:29:44 PM

Title: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: bwood on April 10, 2025, 01:29:44 PM
I noticed a week or so ago that, out of nowhere, the ABC Match Game facebook page updated their cover photo.
Historically, they updated them off and on with air times during the seasons and then change them to a more neutral photo after the season is completed. They don't change them 5 years later.

People noticed the change and started commenting. Someone in the comments on the new cover photo change says it is coming back with a different host, etc, etc but I just thought it was someone stirring the pot.

Today, I noticed they have went through the entire page and scrubbed EVERYTHING ever posted on the main feed, leaving only profile pictures and cover photos. All other posts have been deleted and it is now just a shell of a page.
This leads me to believe something is in development.
Anyone heard anything?
I understand it's strictly speculation but that's not something they normally go do.
Many of the old ABC game shows still have a Facebook presence with posts that are years old since the last update.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: TimK2003 on April 10, 2025, 05:44:55 PM
^^ It's plausible, seeing the recent success of Hollywood Squares on CBS.  Perhaps ABC wants to have a celebrity game show with a "party" atmosphere again as they used to have two shows on the schedule ‐‐ MG and TTTT -- where the celebs more or less controlled the show.

ABC still has Pyramid, but that show doesn't run so much on celebrity hijinks. 

Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: NickintheATL on April 10, 2025, 09:30:54 PM
I would not read too much into this. ABC still spruces up and even posts from older social media channels from time to time.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: steveleb on April 10, 2025, 10:39:35 PM
I am sworn to secrecy re details, but I will confirm indeed new production with occur shortly and new episodes will air at some point—likely in 2025.  As ABC is currently planning the entire season ahead, with summer ‘25 impacted by it, and no longer being bound strictly by “off-season” orders, the specifics will likely be withheld for a few weeks.  Alec is not the host and it will not tape in NY or LA.  Beyond that, I can’t offer more lest my impeccable source get angry with me—I can’t afford to lose still more friends.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BrandonFG on April 10, 2025, 10:47:10 PM
Might wanna delete that then. People in this group aren't exactly good at keeping secrets. :P
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: steveleb on April 10, 2025, 11:30:13 PM
I shared what I was specifically told can be shared.  Beyond that speculate all you want.  Unless you’re a true current insider I doubt anyone will guess, and jn that case I’m off the hook.  Happy hunting.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: vtown7 on April 15, 2025, 06:24:56 PM
And the lines are now open! Casting is available for US and Canadian residents, films in Montreal in June.
https://www.thebrunchstore.com/matchgame?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR6JncMsni-tl2EfKMLATRUMXbuE1EDycjPvCD2knoeOPI3GpkQYtoArCrlC6Q_aem_qbAULKMmiD6hT0vRt3hpEg
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: NickintheATL on April 29, 2025, 02:12:28 PM
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/martin-short-host-match-game-reboot-abc-1236381525/

Martin Short will be your host.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: Kevin Prather on April 29, 2025, 02:21:28 PM
Hopefully Steve Martin will pop in as a guest once in a while.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: TimK2003 on April 29, 2025, 02:47:24 PM
I like the choice, as I believe Martin will keep things under control vis a vis Alec Baldwin...

...I must say.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: tvwxman on April 29, 2025, 03:12:04 PM
I love Martin Short.

That said, I'm not sure I see him playing the straight man to the comedians on the panel.

That said - I think it's a good hire nonetheless.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BrandonFG on April 29, 2025, 03:26:27 PM
I'm not against the hire if Martin doesn't upstage everyone as he's done on other shows. I don't see this being the type of role where he goes into manic Jiminy Glick mode, but you never know.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: TimK2003 on April 29, 2025, 07:51:31 PM
I'm not against the hire if Martin doesn't upstage everyone as he's done on other shows. I don't see this being the type of role where he goes into manic Jiminy Glick mode, but you never know.

Visions of Jackie Rogers Jr. and a new "contestant interactive"  star wheel went through my mind when I heard the news.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BillCullen1 on April 30, 2025, 08:38:32 AM
I love Martin Short.

That said, I'm not sure I see him playing the straight man to the comedians on the panel.

That said - I think it's a good hire nonetheless.

Agreed. Looking forward to the results of this.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: NickintheATL on April 30, 2025, 02:02:11 PM
Debut of Match Game and other returning ABC game shows have been announced (times are Eastern/Pacific):

THURSDAY, JULY 10
8:00-9:00 p.m.              “Celebrity Family Feud” (season premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m.            “Press Your Luck” (new episodes)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23
8:00-9:00 p.m.              “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” (season premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m.            “Match Game” (series premiere)
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BrandonFG on June 19, 2025, 08:32:59 PM
Selena Gomez posted a few on-set selfies to her IG. Set looks a little smaller, but mostly appears the same.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLFuhoKOoYM/?img_index=2
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: Matt Ottinger on June 19, 2025, 08:45:22 PM
The complete roster of celebrities have been announced:

https://www.tvinsider.com/1197820/match-game-returns-host-celebrity-contestants-premiere-date/

I had hoped that Martin Short would be able to call in favors from his really famous friends.  Aside from Selena and other OMITB castmates (but not Steve Martin), the only other celebrity with a connection to Short seems to be his old SCTV pal Andrea Martin.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BrandonFG on June 19, 2025, 09:08:07 PM
That list claims Andrea Martin appeared on the 70s version, and I'm intrigued for dubious reasons. That's news to me.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: NickintheATL on June 19, 2025, 09:44:54 PM
That list claims Andrea Martin appeared on the 70s version, and I'm intrigued for dubious reasons. That's news to me.

Voiceover: It was false.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BrandonFG on June 19, 2025, 10:47:43 PM
Okay so I wasn't going crazy*. Good to know.

*/This time
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: calliaume on June 21, 2025, 11:32:39 PM
I had hoped that Martin Short would be able to call in favors from his really famous friends.  Aside from Selena and other OMITB castmates (but not Steve Martin), the only other celebrity with a connection to Short seems to be his old SCTV pal Andrea Martin.
Selena Gomez is a pretty solid get. I doubt Steve Martin would do the show; he hasn’t done a game show since the Marshall version of Hollywood Squares in 1977.

It would have been nice to see Maya Rudolph, but she’s not on the list. Most of the people with whom he did SNL wouldn’t be worth putting on today, except maybe Billy Crystal (EDIT: and Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BrandonFG on June 22, 2025, 08:14:02 AM
With this being in Canada, I wonder if Martin could pull a few SCTV names to the show? I dunno if Eugene Levy or Catherine O’Hara would be considered “too big” with Schitt’s Creek becoming so big in recent years.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: Matt Ottinger on June 22, 2025, 01:59:07 PM
With this being in Canada, I wonder if Martin could pull a few SCTV names to the show?

You'd never get them all to do it, but it is theoretically possible to fill all six chairs with SCTV alum.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: Neumms on June 22, 2025, 02:52:51 PM
As much as I loved SCTV—and still do—the cast is at their best doing characters and impressions, not sitting somewhere being funny as themselves how, say, Bill Murray is. I hope the questions give Marty Short characters to play with as Gene Rayburn did.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: Stackertosh on June 22, 2025, 04:11:29 PM
more pictures on reddit, I wonder if Martin will have a stick Mic or not.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OnlyMurdersHulu/comments/1lgq9gd/match_game_little_omitb_reunion/
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: cmjb13 on June 22, 2025, 04:34:31 PM
more pictures on reddit, I wonder will Martin have a Mic or not.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OnlyMurdersHulu/comments/1lgq9gd/match_game_little_omitb_reunion/

He’s wearing one in the pics.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: Kevin Prather on June 22, 2025, 09:24:05 PM
more pictures on reddit, I wonder will Martin have a Mic or not.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OnlyMurdersHulu/comments/1lgq9gd/match_game_little_omitb_reunion/

He’s wearing one in the pics.

Alec wore one even though he carried the stick mic.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: tvwxman on June 23, 2025, 06:54:39 AM
Doesn't look like doors for Martin's entrance - tho that might be a promo thing?  Looks like a full riser.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BrandonFG on June 23, 2025, 09:43:01 AM
Looks like the logo will slide in either direction the way it did on Baldwin’s version. The one photo at the end seems like Martin can still enter from a little hallway.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: clemon79 on June 25, 2025, 02:52:51 PM
I wonder will Martin have a Mic or not.

He's just gonna shout really loud.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: calliaume on June 25, 2025, 06:01:03 PM
I dunno if Eugene Levy or Catherine O’Hara would be considered “too big” with Schitt’s Creek becoming so big in recent years.
Using Wikipedia as a source (I know), O'Hara and Short only overlapped for three episodes of SCTV. Levy and Short did a bit over one year together.

I fear both of them are in the "we don't do game shows" category -- a quick glance at IMDB shows nothing at all for Levy, and just celebrity Millionaire and a Whose Line episode for O'Hara.

A shame neither Neil Patrick Harris or Jason Alexander seem to have been invited back.

Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BrandonFG on June 25, 2025, 06:12:14 PM
Using Wikipedia as a source (I know), O'Hara and Short only overlapped for three episodes of SCTV. Levy and Short did a bit over one year together.
IIRC Martin came in towards the end of the NBC era, which would've been around 1981 or so. Everything you said tracks.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: trainman on June 26, 2025, 01:46:12 AM
Using Wikipedia as a source (I know), O'Hara and Short only overlapped for three episodes of SCTV.

Although it seems like more because of the way things got chopped up for the syndicated rerun versions.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: Jsach on June 26, 2025, 10:45:37 AM
more pictures on reddit, I wonder will Martin have a Mic or not.
No stick mic.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: whewfan on June 27, 2025, 07:10:29 PM
I dunno if Eugene Levy or Catherine O’Hara would be considered “too big” with Schitt’s Creek becoming so big in recent years.
Using Wikipedia as a source (I know), O'Hara and Short only overlapped for three episodes of SCTV. Levy and Short did a bit over one year together.

I fear both of them are in the "we don't do game shows" category -- a quick glance at IMDB shows nothing at all for Levy, and just celebrity Millionaire and a Whose Line episode for O'Hara.

A shame neither Neil Patrick Harris or Jason Alexander seem to have been invited back.

It may be that neither found it worthy to fly to Canada to do the tapings. I think we'll still get a nice selection of panelists, but I know some are loyal friends of Martin Short, and of course he knows a lot of people.
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: mmb5 on June 28, 2025, 07:40:45 PM
Short did do some Definition in his home country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vrdgtCw2rk
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: SRIV94 on June 29, 2025, 05:12:55 PM
I'm not against the hire if Martin doesn't upstage everyone as he's done on other shows. I don't see this being the type of role where he goes into manic Jiminy Glick mode, but you never know.

Visions of Jackie Rogers Jr. and a new "contestant interactive"  star wheel went through my mind when I heard the news.

Chocolate babies?

/"Thanks for remembering!"
Title: Re: Match Game returning to ABC?
Post by: BrandonFG on June 29, 2025, 06:33:31 PM
Short did do some Definition in his home country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vrdgtCw2rk
Love the aviators. :P