- Afternoon game show which combined elements of two classic game shows "Match Game" and "Hollywood Squares" into one.
- An hour-long combo of two classic quiz shows, hosted by Gene Rayburn and Jon Bauman. In the Match Game half, a group of celebrities would be given a sentence with a missing word, which they would then have to fill in. The contestants would then give their own answer, and scored points according to how many celebrities gave the same answer. In the Hollywood Squares half, the celebrities, seated in squares in a tic-tac-toe arrangement, would give their answers to questions on various subjects. The contestants would then have to guess whether or not a celebrity's answer was right. Contestants guessing correctly would gain control of the square. Gaining control of three squares in a row would win the game.—Jean-Marc Rocher <rocher@fiberbit.net>
- "Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour" married elements from the two classic game shows in a star-studded one-hour format. Rayburn hosted the "Match Game" segment, while Bauman, best known for his stint on "Sha Na Na," presided over "Hollywood Squares." Two new contestants played "Match Game," where the format was similar to the 1973-1982 run...a funny fill-in-the-blank statement is read. It was up to the contestants to try to match the five celebrities and co-host Bauman. One point was scored for each match; three rounds were played, with celebrities matching in earlier rounds sitting out the later rounds. The high-scorer after three rounds (or after a tie-breaker, if necessary), advanced to the "Hollywood Squares" version to meet the returning champion. Two more celebrities were introduced and Rayburn took his seat in the "Hollywood Squares" panel. "Hollywood Squares" was played just like the classic NBC game show of tic-tac-toe and celebrity bluffs, with these exceptions: each contestants' mark was worth $25; an incorrect judgement in agreeing or disagreeing with a celebrity always meant the opponent claimed the box, even if it meant the game (in the original format, the contestant had to earn wins himself), and the first game was worth $100, with each subsequent game worth $100 more than the previous one. The contestant in the lead when an undefined time limit expired was champion and went on to play "Super Match." As before, Rayburn read a simple fill-in-the-blank phrase (e.g., "Chicken *blank*"), and the contestant called on up to three celebrities to provide suggested answers. The contestant could then choose one on them or reject them all and give their own answer. Matching the most popular response was worth $1,000, with lesser answers worth $500 and $250; not matching any of the given answers still netted the contestant $100. In the "Head-to-Head Match," played immediately afterward, the contestant chose one of the eight celebrities (or Bauman), each of whom had a concealed multiplier in front of him/her. Four of the multipliers were 10s, four were 20s and one was a 30, meaning a possible jackpot of $30,000. One more fill-in-the-blank statement, with an exact match required, was read. If both the contestant and celebrity matched, they won whatever they were playing for. At the end of the show, the celebrity having the 30 multiplier was announced.—Brian Rathjen <briguy_52732@yahoo.com>
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By what name was Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour (1983) officially released in Canada in English?
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