Game Show Network Rings in the Holidays

Business Wire, Dec 17, 2001

Entertainment Editors & Television/Cable Writers

CULVER CITY, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Dec. 17, 2001

Tune in for Four Days of Xmas Classics Featuring "I've Got a Secret," Airing Dec. 21-24, Special Xmas Day Repeats of "12 Games of Christmas" With Host Betty White and "Merry Blank-a-Thon's" Best of "Match Game"

Game Show Network gets an early start on the holiday cheer with four days of "I've Got a Secret" Christmas specials, Christmas Day encore repeats of "12 Games of Christmas" with host Betty White and the "Merry Blank-a-Thon Match Game" marathon. The 24-hour cable network devoted exclusively to game shows and interactive game play is giving every game show fan the perfect holiday gift.

Holiday schedule and episode descriptions:

"I've Got a Secret" will air Dec. 21-24, 2001, from 4 to 6 a.m. ET/
1 to 3 a.m. PT

Friday, Dec. 21, 2001

Time              Description (Original Airdate)

4:00 a.m.   Host Garry Moore along with contestants and celebrity
            panelists Henry Morgan and Bill Cullen sing holiday songs
            (12/12/56)
4:40 a.m.   Shows highlight ends with celebrity panelists Bill Cullen,
            Henry Morgan, Bess Myerson, Betsy Palmer, Jack E. Leonard
            and host Garry Moore playing bells accompanied by the
            Salvation Army band in Christmas caroling (12/18/61)
5:20 a.m.   Host Steve Allen presents his guests, who will perform
            their secret musical talents. Celebrity panelists include
            Bill Cullen, Henry Morgan, Bess Myerson and Betsy Palmer
            (12/20/65)

Saturday, Dec. 22, 2001

4:00 a.m.   Full celebrity line-up includes Jane Meadows, Steve Allen,
            Faye Emerson and Bill Cullen in a holiday-themed episode
            (12/21/55)
4:40 a.m.   Contestants include a couple celebrating their anniversary
            Christmas Eve, another couple marrying Christmas Eve and a
            guest who built a Christmas tree out of toothpicks.
            Celebrity panelists Carol Burnett, Bill Cullen, Henry
            Morgan and Bess Myerson (12/21/60)
5:20 a.m.   Contestants perform musical talents for holiday show.
            Includes boy with tuba and soda pop bottle musician.
            Celebrity panelists Bill Cullen, Henry Morgan, Bess
            Myerson and Betsy Palmer (12/16/63)

Sunday, Dec. 23, 2001

4:00 a.m.   Celebrity guest Paul Hartman surprises panel member Henry
            Morgan with Morgan's mother kissing Santa on stage.
            Celebrity panelists Joan Bennett, Bill Cullen and Jayne
            Meadows (12/23/53)
4:40 a.m.   Holiday themed line-up (12/24/58)
5:20 a.m.   Salvation Army band opens show with "O' Christmas Tree,"
            children open gifts onstage. Celebrity panelists Bill
            Cullen, Henry Morgan, Bess Myerson and Betsy Palmer
            (12/24/62)

Monday, Dec. 24, 2001

4:00 a.m.   Audience member includes woman that wrote to New York Sun
            asking, "Is there a Santa Claus?" Celebrity panelists Faye
            Emerson, Jane Meadows, Bill Cullen and Henry Morgan
            (12/22/54)
4:40 a.m.   Show features children and family members of the show's
            staff and a Christmas card guessing game with Henry Morgan
            acting as host. Celebrity panelist Faye Emerson, Jane
            Meadows and Bill Cullen (12/25/57)
5:20 a.m.   Christmas-themed episode. Celebrity panelists Bill Cullen,
            Henry Morgan, Bess Myerson and Betsy Palmer (12/23/59)

Christmas Day Schedule - Dec. 25, 2001

"12 Games of Christmas" is scheduled to run Christmas Day, Dec. 25,
2001, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET/ 5 to 11 a.m. PT, immediately repeating
2 to 8 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m.to 5 p.m. PT. Betty White hosts this fun event
featuring the most memorable holiday moments on 12 all-time favorite
game shows. White won an Emmy Award in 1983 for hosting her game show,
"Just Men!," still the only woman to win in this category. Her
background in game shows also dates back as a substitute host on her
late husband Allen Ludden's game show "Password."

"12 Days of Christmas"

Time              Description (Original Airdate)

8:00 a.m.   "Wheel of Fortune" -- Pat Sajak and Vanna White,
            Christmas-themed episode (12/25/92)
8:30 a.m.   "Tattletales" -- host Bert Convey, guests Bill Daily, Lynn
            Redgrave, Grant Goodeve (11/20/83)
9:00 a.m.   "Password Plus" -- host Allen Ludden, guests Carol
            Burnett, Bert Convey (12/25/79)
9:30 a.m.   "Body Language" -- host Tom Kennedy, guests Lucille Ball,
            Isabelle Sanford, Richard Simmons (12/6/84)
10:00 a.m.  "To Tell The Truth" -- host Lynn Swann, guests Rip Taylor,
            Kitty Carlisle, Hank Ketcham (12/25/90)
10:30 a.m.  "The Dating Game" -- host Jim Lange with special guest HR
            Pufnstuf (12/5/72)
11:00 a.m.  "Card Sharks" -- host Jim Perry (12/23/78)
11:30 a.m.  "Super Password" -- host Bert Convey, guests Jamie Farr,
            Shelley Smith (12/24/84)
12:00 p.m.  "Match Game" -- host Gene Rayburn, guests Richard Dawson,
            Jack Cassidy, Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers, June
            Lockhart (12/8/73)
12:30 p.m.  "Family Feud" -- host Richard Dawson (11/19/79)
1:00 p.m.   "Beat the Clock" -- host Monty Hall, guests Ronnie Schell,
            Johnny Brown, Joyce Bulifant (11/29/79)
1:30 p.m.   "I've Got a Secret" -- host Garry Moore, guests Faye
            Emerson, Carol Burnett, Bill Cullen, Henry Morgan
            (12/28/60)

Repeating at 2 to 8 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m.to 5 p.m. PT


"Merry Blank-a-Thon" will follow from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET/ 5 to
9 p.m. PT and repeating at 12 to 4 a.m. ET/ 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. PT.
Packaged in a four-hour event, Game Show Network has selected eight
all-time favorite episodes along with select remarkable moments of
"Match Game."

"Merry Blank-a-Thon"

Time              Description (Original Airdate)

8:00 p.m.   Episode No. 95 featuring Shirtless McLean Stevenson,
            Richard Dawson, Nancy Dussault, Brett Somers, Betty White,
            Robert Vaughn (10/20/73)
8:30 p.m.   Tune in to see a high-strung contestant on episode
            No. 120; panelists include Bert Convey, Richard Dawson,
            Gail Fisher, Lee Meriwether, Charles Nelson Reilly
            (12/15/73)
9:00 p.m.   Episode No. 549 with fed-up Avery Schreiber eating one of
            his answer cards. Other panelists include Joyce Bulifant,
            Richard Dawson, Avery Schreiber, Lana Wood (8/25/75)
9:30 p.m.   Panelists Richard Dawson, Allen Ludden, Dolly Martin,
            Betty White, Brett Somers, contestants and Gene Rayburn
            all dance in episode No. 520 (6/29/75)
10:00 p.m.  Audio and technical difficulties in Episode No. 578 make
            this show a laugher. Panelists include Patty Duke, Patti
            Deutsch, Brett Somers, Scoey Mitchell and Charles Nelson
            Reilly (9/20/75)
10:30 p.m.  Episode No. 128 features outrageous contestant Marlena
            making a memorable appearance; panelists Morey Amsterdam,
            Fannie Flagg, Juliet Mills, Greg Morris and Richard
            Dawson (12/23/73)
11:00 p.m.  Betty White strips down for the Match Game panelist in
            episode No. 1156; other celebrity panelist include Barbara
            Rhoades, Avery Schreiber, Richard Dawson, Brett Somers
            (1/8/78)
11:30 p.m.  Panelists Julie Harris, Richard Dawson, Fannie Flagg,
            Charles Nelson Reilly and William Shatner, who makes a
            bold and funny "Boobie" reference in episode No. 594
            (10/19/75)