Match Game is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelists to fill-in-the-blank questions. Beginning with the CBS run of the 1970s, the questions are often formed as humorous double entendres.
Gene Rayburn (center) hosting a prime-time Match Game special episode, 1964
Charles Nelson Reilly (pictured in 2000) was a regular panelist from 1973 to 1991.
McLean Stevenson became a regular panelist during its final season in syndication.
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a host, who explains the rules of the game as well as commentating and narrating where necessary. The history of the game shows dates back to the late 1930s when both radio and television game shows were broadcast. The genre became popular in the United States in the 1950s, becoming a regular feature of daytime television.
United States Armed Forces participate in Wheel of Fortune with Pat Sajak.
1938 radio quiz show Whiz Kids on WHN Radio in New York
Note For Note, a New Zealand game show from around 1960
Tupla tai kuitti (1958–1988), a Finnish game show with show host Kirsti Rautiainen (left) and competitor Markku Kivekäs (right) in 1965.