How Old Were the Match Game Panelists?

Match Game was a game show that premiered in 1962 but gained popularity with the revamped version starting in 1973. Celebrity panelists helped contestants win money by answering fill in the blank questions. Many of the panelists were reoccurring and appeared on the show for years.

Read on for more information about our favorite Match Game panelists, including how old they were when they appeared on the hit show.

Gen-Xers: do the panelists look younger or older than you thought? Tell us in the comments.

How Long Did Gene Rayburn Host Match Game?

Gene Rayburn first started hosting Match Game in 1962 when he was 45. That version on the show ended in 1969. The version most Gen Xers+ know ran from 1973 - 1979. In this photo Rayburn is approximately 57 years old.

Was Gene Rayburn Married to Brett Somers?

No, Gene Rayburn and Brett Somers weren’t married. Rayburn was married to his wife Helen for 56 years; Somers was a couple with Jack Klugman. While we often associate Somers with Match Game, Klugman was on the first week of episodes in 1973. It seems likely he encouraged producers to have his wife on the show. He’s around 52 years old in this photo.

What Happened Between Brett Somers and Jack Klugman?

Brett Somers and Jack Klugman separated at some point after the revised Match Game premiered, and divorced in 1977 according to Wikipedia.

While Klugman was on the show first, Somers stayed on for the entire run (of that version). She is about 49 years old in this photo.

Was Richard Dawson on Hollywood Squares?

While Hollywood Squares was another popular game show at the time, Richard Dawson was not the host or a recurring guest. Dawson, who had just been on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, was tapped to be a regular panelist on Match Game after Laugh-In was cancelled. Dawson was so popular on the show the producers signed him up as the host for their new show Family Feud in 1976, when he was 44.

Was Charles Nelson Reilly on Hollywood Squares?

Yes! Charles Nelson Reilly did appear on Hollywood Squares when it was combined with Match Game in 1983. The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour only lasted one season.

Reilly was on Match Game for many years, taking breaks occasionally to film a movie or perform in theater. He’s approximately 43 in this photo.

Was Nipsey Russell on Hollywood Squares?

Yes, famous Match Game panelist Nipsey Russell did make an appearance on Hollywood Squares in 2003. It was his last TV appearance.

He was on many game shows during his career including Password, To Tell the Truth and Pyramid. He’s about 55 in this photo.