Here's where I waste far too much time dissecting six minutes of game show history. But hey, it beats following politics - at least in Game Show Land capitalism is still en vogue.
In the 1977 season a contestant on the Match Game had to complete the following statement: "Dumb Dora was so Dumb she sent her cultured pearls to BLANK". His answer: "school".
The first two panelists answered 'college' and were awarded a match. Charles Nelson Reilly was then rejected for the answer "Scuba Diving School" but when he complained the contestant got a point.
Follow me so far?
Then we get to the bottom row of contestants. A celebrity is awarded a match for 'Finishing School' but its quickly reversed without explanation. Then Richard Dawson's identical answer was rejected outright, and all hell broke loose.
Like the title of the post implies, you ain't gonna see this schtuff on Jeopardy. Pure. Unscripted. Unrehearsed. Genuine. Mayhem.
My take on it? The game had a longstanding rule against matching what they termed a "specific" with a "general". Meaning if you said Notre Dame and the celebrity wrote down "Cathedral", you were S.O.L. In this case "college" should have been rejected outright. The other answers could have gone either way, but by that point the judge just plain lost control.
Thus, the "School Riot".
Published writer, compulsive reader, Old School Whovian, Match Game enthusiast, NKOTB fan, data hoarder, and - surprisingly, given that list - married with four kids. Welcome to my take on life, fatherhood, entertainment, and whatever strikes my fancy. Enjoy!
Haha!
ReplyDeletePriceless. I do love that show....
XOXO
That poor game contestant lost on silly technicalities!! He should have got them ALL!! LOL!!
ReplyDeleteOh my God, that is hilarious. I loved that show, and is it bad that I had such a crush on Richard Dawson? This clip is part of the reason why. "I'm not taking my card down." He was such a rebel! :)
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