C is for Cullen

Given the "new normal" that's come to pass in recent months, most of us are probably watching a little more TV than we used to. Around my house, we've recently discovered the vintage game show Blockbusters, which aired on NBC's daytime schedule from 1980 to 1982. Visit YouTube if you want to see some episodes.

This Goodson-Todman production revolves around a giant game board consisting of linked hexagons. Competing players try to win spots on the board by being first to answer an array of quiz questions, ranging from pop culture to world history, knowing only that the correct response begins with a certain letter of the alphabet. Overseeing the proceedings is the man commonly described as TV's best-ever game show emcee, affable and witty Bill Cullen.

One of the mysteries surrounding this engaging game is why it wasn't a bigger hit, running less than two years. For answers, I turned to a book I'd been meaning to read for awhile anyway, Adam Nedeff's Quizmaster: The Life and Times and Fun and Games of Bill Cullen (BearManor Media). It offers a satisfying chapter on this show's history in particular, as well as a thoroughly researched and highly readable account of Cullen's life. If you like a dose of tragedy in your biographies, this probably isn't the book for you. Despite a childhood bout with polio that left him with a permanent limp, Cullen was a happy man, doing what he loved and more than satisfied with his lot in life. Interviews with the star's fans and colleagues help elucidate just what he did that made him so good at a job many would have thought any smiling guy in a nice suit could do.

So at least my TV watching is leading to more reading. That's a good thing, right? Except for maybe a little eye strain.

Betty White's "Men!"

Remember watching a game show called Just Men! hosted by Betty White? Yeah, me neither. That's probably because it lasted only 13 weeks on NBC, from January to April 1983. But despite its quick demise, Betty has a pretty terrific memento from the experience -- her Emmy Award as Best Game Show Host. She was the first, and thus far only, woman to be so honored, in a field long dominated by men.

As it turned out, losing this gig didn't turn out to be such a bad break. Always in demand, she went on not only to reprise her role as Ellen Harper in the sitcom Mama's Family, but to be cast in one of the biggest hits of her career -- The Golden Girls, for which she would be awarded yet another Emmy.

If you're curious to sample Betty's short-lived game show, you can watch an episode here.

Matchlessly Funny

Like several game shows of its era, Match Game flourished largely on the strength of its celebrity panel. When that group was carefully chosen, and working at full steam, the show was lively, spontaneous fun. Although the game was billed by announcer Johnny Olson as "star-studded," fame outside the daytime TV arena wasn't necessarily the key to success as a panelist.

One of Match Game's biggest draws was an actress and singer who was, before the show caught on, a pretty minor celebrity at best. Brett Somers (1924-2007), born 91 years ago today, was initially booked at the suggestion of her longtime husband, television star Jack Klugman. After cracking wise about his wife on early Match Game episodes, he suggested to producers that they bring her on for a week, so that she could have a chance to reply. That week-long booking turned into a nine-year gig, amusing audiences with the playful bickering between her and Charles Nelson Reilly.

Somers exhibited a great sense of humor about herself and her work, as shown in one of my all-time favorite exchanges on that show. The question, as read by host Gene Rayburn, began: "Sally had the most useless job in the world..." Before he could get any farther, Brett cut in with her weary reply, "No, she didn't."

You're missed, Miss Somers.

Ready to Match the Stars -- Again

"Matching" Brett Somers, Gene Rayburn, Charles Nelson Reilly

With major networks all but lost to reality TV, which has never held much interest for me, it's a happy circumstance that several digital channels have sprung up to serve viewers who still appreciate shows of the good old days. MeTV, Antenna TV, and others offer new chances to see shows that get little, if any, rerun play on local stations today -- Mayberry R.F.D, Perry Mason, Here's Lucy, and a good many more. This month, a new digital channel debuted for those of who still enjoy vintage game shows.

Buzzr fills its daily schedule with episodes of Match Game, Super Password, Family Feud, and even the original Let's Make a Deal, with "TV's big dealer, Monty Hall!" Of these, Match Game is my favorite, and Buzzr came along just as I was despairing of finding any more episodes on YouTube. I enjoy the amiable bickering of Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly, and it's always a good day for me when Betty White, Fannie Flagg, or Patty Duke Astin (as she was then known) is gracing the panel.

It does bother me a tiny bit when I see the type of advertisers that are, thus far, spending money to buy time on Buzzr. In just a few days, I've seen an awful lot of commercials for step-in bathtubs, medic alert bracelets, Medicare supplements, and burial insurance. Is someone, somewhere, trying to tell me something?