A very kind friend gave me the four disc DVD boxed set of The Match Game. We watched as much as we could – which was three discs last night. During the pilot episode, 1973, the males on the show were Gene Rayburn, Michael Landon, Richard Dawson and Jack Klugman. I said, “wow, how weird, all the men on the show are dead.” Though I would have sworn otherwise, it turns out I was only half right. Thanks to Wikipedia, I now know that neither Jack Klugman or Richard Dawson are dead. Whoops.
Here are some other fun facts I learned.
Michael Landon – had nine children
Richard Dawson – married a contestant from Family Feud
Gene Rayburn – was the only child of Croatian immigrants.
Charles Nelson Reilly – he joked on a reunion gathering for The Early Show about the exact phenomenon I mention – everyone thinking he was dead. Turns out now he is.