Dr. Wetbrain loves certain game shows especially the old Match Game. Only because he heard that booze was consumed by the cast during the taping. What a way to spruce up a TV game show. He would say giggling.
Here is the Match Game story.
Host of the #1 TV game show in the 70’s Gene Rayburn would fly into Los Angeles from Cape Cod, Massachusetts every weekend to film the show. One week of shows were filmed in a day.
So, a bit of drink was consumed by most of the panelists during the lunch and dinner breaks amid the taping. There were also breaks between each show, where panelists changed outfits, given food and beverage which included alcohol. The odd time you would see a panelist with a Styrofoam cup. Might be filled with water or might be filled with vodka.
Panelists Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly, who became great friends, enjoyed martinis. Richard Dawson on the other hand just drank coffee. Apparently, the contestants had access to the ‘break bar’ which gave more gusto to the Match Game show also.
One week of five television shows taped in one day! Little casual drinks throughout the day does end up with a good buzz after awhile. This drinking magnetism is what made the game show very amusing and popular. After the dinner break the cast were really feeling good and it was time to tape the Thursday and Friday shows. That’s why the Thursday and Friday shows were the best.
Thinking of this TV game show Dr. Wetbrain would sit on his couch looking off into the distance and say, “Awe, the good old days of television.”