Matches 'n Mates

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Matches 'n Mates
Presented by Art James
Narrated by
  • Bob McLean
  • Dave Michaels
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes130
Production
Running time30 Minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Syndication
ReleaseJanuary 16, 1967 (1967-01-16) –
September 1968 (1968-09)

Matches 'n Mates is an American game show hosted by Art James that aired in first-run syndication from 1967 to 1968.

Contents

Developed by Taft Broadcasting and produced by Nick Nicholson and E. Roger Muir, [1] this was the first of four programs Nicholson and Muir agreed to make with the broadcaster. [2] [3] [4] Unlike most syndicated game shows of the era which were normally filmed in Los Angeles or New York City, Matches 'n Mates was taped at WJW-TV in Cleveland, Ohio, [5] and at WAGA-TV in Atlanta, Georgia, throughout 1967. [6] [7] The show was developed in late 1966 in a weekly format at WDAF-TV, Taft's station in Kansas City, Missouri. [2] [3] 20th Century-Fox Television served as distributor. [4]

Personnel from WJW and WAGA assisted in the show's production. WJW announcer Bob McLean (later the host of a variety show for CBC Television [8] ) announced the Cleveland tapings, [5] while WAGA announcer Dave Michaels announced the Atlanta tapings. [9]

Gameplay

Matches 'n Mates was a word game in which two husband and wife teams attempted to match questions to answers in order to reveal letters of a mystery word called the "Hidden Item". [5] One member of each couple, in turn, calls out a letter between "A" and "I" and an incomplete statement was read ("To paint a fence you would use..."). The other member called out one of twelve numbers, each representing a different answer. If the statement and answer matched, a letter or space was revealed on the nine-space Hidden Item Board. The first team to identify a Hidden Item won the round, and the first team to win three rounds won the game and a bonus prize. [9]

Episode status

Approximately 130 episodes were taped and distributed by 20th Century-Fox Television. [9] [10]

References

  1. ↑ Hevesi, Dennis (October 28, 2008). "E. Roger Muir, 89, Dies; Backed Howdy Doody". The New York Times. p. 17B. Archived from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "Nicholson-Muir, Taft to produce four shows". Broadcasting. Vol. 71, no. 20. November 14, 1966. p. 78.
  3. 1 2 Wagner, Joyce (October 16, 1966). "WDAF Rolls Forth in Plans To Produce Daily Game Show". The Kansas City Star. p. 4H. Retrieved January 29, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 "Taft color series offered through 20th Century-Fox". Broadcasting. Vol. 72, no. 2. January 9, 1967. p. 69.
  5. 1 2 3 Flanigan, James B. (January 9, 1967). "Big Studio Here Taping New Show". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. 31. Retrieved January 29, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Jones, Paul (March 24, 1967). "Want to Be on TV Quiz? You Can—Right Here". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 13. Retrieved January 29, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Jones, Paul (April 24, 1967). "TV Games Rely On Contestants". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 10. Retrieved January 29, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Metcalfe, Clarence (April 29, 1978). "McLean has enjoyed a varied career". The Ottawa Journal. p. 14:TV Journal. Retrieved January 29, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 Schwartz, David; Ryan, Steve; Wostbrock, Fred (1995). The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows (2nd ed.). New York, New York: Facts on File. pp. 124–125.
  10. ↑ "TV program distributors and Chicago locations: 20th Century-Fox Television, Inc". Broadcasting. Vol. 74, no. 13. March 25, 1968. p. 100.
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