THE REAL MATCH GAME STORY: BEHIND THE BLANK to Air on Sunday, November 26

THE REAL MATCH GAME STORY: BEHIND THE BLANK to Air on Sunday, November 26

GSN Will Run a 'Match Game' Marathon of Classic Episodes Saturday, November 25

SANTA MONICA, Calif, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, November 26 (8:00 - 9:00 PM, ET), GSN will pay homage to one of the game show greats with an original special THE REAL MATCH GAME STORY: BEHIND THE BLANK, narrated by Jamie Farr. A marathon of "Match Game" classic episodes will air Saturday, November 25 (8:00 - 11:00 PM, ET).

Interviewees include panelists Richard Dawson, Brett Somers, Marcia Wallace, Betty White and Jimmy Walker; numerous staff members from the classic series and one of the last interviews given by the series' legendary host, Gene Rayburn.

"Match Game" started out as a run-of-the-mill, fill-in-the-blank game show. The questions were simple and contestants had to fill in the blanks: "Every morning, John puts _____ on his cereal." Faced with cancellation because of low ratings, producers and panelists decided to kick it up a notch and have fun until the end of the season.

Host Rayburn rattled off questions packed with sexual double entendres, unusual for the 1970s. The racy questions made it to the air, the celebrities made it a point to 'play dumb' and the results were hilarious. The ratings shot through the roof and CBS un-cancelled the series. "Match Game" became the highest-rated game show in daytime from 1974 to 1976.

"Match Game" redefined the modern game show. It went against convention, appealed to a younger, hipper audience and ushered in a new era of television. The special takes a look at "Match Game" from its rise to fame until its end in 1979 and celebrates one of the most beloved game shows on American television. The original "Match Game" series continues to air as part of the GSN line-up in the mornings, afternoons and evenings.

THE REAL MATCH GAME STORY: BEHIND THE BLANK is produced by Asylum Entertainment. Frank Sinton ("Anything to Win," "Beyond the Glory") serves as executive producer.

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming and interactive game playing. The network features game shows, reality series, documentaries and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN features over 133 hours per week of interactive programming, which allows viewers a chance to win prizes by playing along with GSN's televised games via GSN.com. Now reaching more than 60 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

-GSN-

Source: GSN

CONTACT: Shannon Peterson of GSN, +1-310-255-6937, speterson@gsn.com

Web site: http://www.gsn.com/

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