G'day, mate.
Take a looksee here at this Australian game show, Blankety Blanks, and try to tell me if it doesn't look the least bit familiar.......
Yes, this Blankety Blanks, produced by Reg Grundy, is based on the popular Match Game, right down to the matching stage set. Unfortunately, it lasted a year and a half, launching in January 1977 and finishing in the fall of 1978. The series would return twice, each for about the same length of time, in the 80's and 90's. With the current revival of Match Game having begun a 2nd season earlier this week, I thought this might be worth a look. Host Graham Kennedy wasn't close when it came to interaction with the panel to emulating his American counterpart, Gene Rayburn.
By the way, this won't ever be confused with a Bob Stewart-produced Blankety Blanks, which predated this series by 2 years, and ran for 2 1/2 months in 1975 on ABC, hosted by Stewart's go-to MC, Bill Cullen.
Rating: B.
Now go back to YouTube and check out the British version, also called Blankety Blanks, which had an even longer run in England, going through several MCs, and at times even rowdier than the US Match Game.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll do that, Mike. Thanks.
ReplyDelete