The Sad But True Story of Gene Rayburn, the Host of ‘Match Game’
If you’re like me, when you hear the name Gene Rayburn, you think about the 1970s game show Match Game. This was the show to watch if you enjoyed really funny people sharing their wit through over-the-top, sarcastic comments and humor that was full of double entendres. Gene was the ringmaster of this game show circus and, truth be told, I couldn’t get enough.
Born Peter Eugene Genic, Gene’s first brush with notoriety was in radio; while working at WNEW in New York, Gene helped pioneer what we all know now as the morning drive-time format. You know, a little bit of news, a little bit of music, and a whole heck of a lot of humorous chitchat between the hosts. This type of radio show is ubiquitous now, but way back in the late 1940s and early 1950s, this was a completely novel idea.
Everett Collection
After success in radio, television came a-knocking — The Tonight Show, to be exact. During the early years of that iconic late-night talk show, when Steve Allen was the host, Gene worked as the announcer for that program. But after a while, Gene felt the itch to do something more. That’s where game shows came into the picture.
In 1955, Gene took on his first game show hosting gig, for the series Make the Connection. Soon after, Gene hosted Do Re Mi. Similar to Name That Tune in format, the game show was originally a bit of a dud, until the producers gave Gene free rein to do whatever he wanted to do with the show. And you know what? He went crazy with overhauling the format. Gene was a master of connecting with people, whether it be the game show participants or other cast members on the show. So, Gene ad-libbed more with those contestants, he made the decision to make the house band visible instead of hidden behind a curtain, and he added a ton of his trademark wit to the show. And just like that, the show was no longer a dud
During the 1960s, Gene would host the original version of Match Game on NBC (1962-69), which was heavily influenced by the very popular game show Password. In this version of Match Game, contestants, which included celebrities, were part of a team. While Match Game had a good run, it was ultimately canceled, and I’ve got to think that when that happened, Gene’s innovative mind moved into high gear. How could the show be improved? What could he have done differently?
Everett Collection
And of course, we all know what happened. Like a phoenix, Match Game rose from the ashes to become a very popular game show during the 1970s airing on CBS. This version (1973-79) was different. Contestants were on their own, no teams this time, and the celebrity guests were some of the funniest people in showbiz, especially Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly. I loved the back-and-forth banter that routinely occurred between them. Richard Dawson was good as well. Come to think of it, all of the guests were just great. And holding down the fort, keeping things somewhat sane, was Gene. Sure, he could be funny as well, but you know what? He knew he had to pick and choose his moments when surrounded by all of these really funny people.
Now, on to the sad part of the story. After a tremendous run during the 1970s and early 1980s in syndication, where Match Game was one of the most popular programs on daytime television and even in the evenings for a while, it was finally canceled in 1984.
While Gene found other projects to keep busy with, his heart was always with Match Game. He loved being part of that show, and he was always hearing about potential revivals. During one of those moments in the mid-80s, when there were talks about maybe bringing Match Game back with Gene as the host, Entertainment Tonight highlighted Gene’s 69th birthday during its nightly birthday segment. After that, according to Gene, things changed in a big way.
Allen Ludden, Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, Gene Rayburn, Dolly Read Martin, Richard Dawson and Betty White. Everett Collection
At the time, journalist Gary Alan Roser quoted Gene as saying: “After that … it just dried up. There’s no doubt in my mind that it killed the deal.”
A few years later, talks regarding a Match Game revival would start anew. This time, it actually came together, with a new version debuting in 1990. However, throughout development, Gene’s phone calls were ignored. The new, Gene-less version of the show was not a hit and only ran one season.
In October of 1999, Gene appeared in person to accept a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. A month later, he was gone.
Whether he was as a radio personality, a late-night talk show sidekick or a game show host, Gene Rayburn was one of a kind. He was a true innovator who was always looking for new ways to connect with people. When you couple that with the fact that the man was just a heck of a good person, an adoring husband to his wife Helen (they were married for 56 years), a caring father, an honorable member of the U.S. military, a fan of marching bands … well, the list goes on and on, but you get the idea. Gene Rayburn was the real deal.
Game Shows
September 2024
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