# How did Brett Somers get a spot on Match Game? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439 "2004-11-07T02:13:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Blackacre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@Blackacre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackacre)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/1 "2004-11-07T02:13:25Z")
Hiya peeps! Anyone know how Brett Somers ascended to Charles Nelson Reilly’s foil on Match Game? Any information would be appreciated! BA ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/2 "2004-11-07T02:37:07Z")
Since this is about the Arts(assuming _The Match Game_ falls into that category :eek: ) I’m moving this to Cafe Society. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![cstamets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/3 "2004-11-07T02:42:31Z")
At the time, she was married to Jack Klugman. They want Klugman on Match Game. He said he would only do it if his wife could be on it, too. They liked her so much, they kept her around. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/4 "2004-11-07T02:46:13Z")
Wow. When I saw the question, I was sure that it was unanswerable. This board never fails to amaze me. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/5 "2004-11-07T03:02:05Z")
First appearance of Brett Somers on the 1970’s version (there was one previous, and three future, versions): 3rd week (July 16-20, 1973). Charles Nelson Reilly was also on the panel. **cstamets** ’s story seem apocryphal: Klugman appeared on the first week of episodes. The seating of Somers upper center-Charles Nelson Reilly upper right does not become permenant until the 22nd week of shows (December 12-14, 17-18, 1973), but when it does, Somers is on the program nearly every week, and Reilly only having a prolonged abscense from late 1974 to mid-1975. ([This is my source](http://www.matchgame.org)) ---
**Author:** ![Legolamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@Legolamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legolamb)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/6 "2004-11-07T03:14:00Z")
I thought the story went that Jack Klugman was to do the show and was unable to do it so Brett stepped in for him. ---
**Author:** ![cstamets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/7 "2004-11-07T04:40:20Z")
> [@Governor Quinn](#): > > First appearance of Brett Somers on the 1970’s version (there was one previous, and three future, versions): 3rd week (July 16-20, 1973). Charles Nelson Reilly was also on the panel. > > **cstamets** ’s story seem apocryphal: Klugman appeared on the first week of episodes. > > ([This is my source](http://www.matchgame.org)) I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply Klugman and Somers appeared on the show at the same time, but I guess that is sort of the way it comes out when re-reading. Klugman’s condition for appearing on the first week of shows was that Somers would appear at a later date. At least, that’s the story that I’ve heard several times, and has been repeated at the following web sites, among others. [http://www.chris-lambert.com/MG/BioBrett.html](http://www.chris-lambert.com/MG/BioBrett.html) [http://www.brettblankedonmg.5u.com/index.html](http://www.brettblankedonmg.5u.com/index.html) [http://www.tvparty.com/gamematch.html](http://www.tvparty.com/gamematch.html) ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/8 "2004-11-07T07:00:37Z")
Since posters who know what they’re talking about have already answered, can I just quote from Saturday Night Live? “Former ‘Match Game’ host Gene Rayburn died this weekend. The family is asking that instead of flowers, well-wishers send BLANK.” ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/9 "2004-11-07T07:44:49Z")
For those who were saying “this weekend?” Gene Rayburn actually shuffled off this mortal \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ [five years ago this month](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0713073/). ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/10 "2004-11-07T21:17:25Z")
I said ‘BOOBS’, Gene. ---
**Author:** ![saramamalana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/11 "2004-11-07T21:44:21Z")
It always drives me nuts when the best word to fill in the blank has an obvious sexual innuendo and the contestant gives a lame-ass answer. Better still is when the audience boos them! ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/12 "2004-11-08T18:18:35Z")
Dumb Dora was so dumb! How dumb was she? She was so dumb she thought **Blackacre** was a BLANK! ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/13 "2004-11-08T18:23:19Z")
Trench in the Pacific Ocean visited only once in 1960? ---
**Author:** ![Blackacre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@Blackacre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackacre)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/14 "2004-11-09T18:27:32Z")
Thanks for the info mates! Cheers! BA ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-brett-somers-get-a-spot-on-match-game/273439/15 "2004-11-16T00:15:53Z")
My favorite ‘dumb dumb’ moment one was The Scot on the Rocks question, when the contestant said the dumb waiter sent a real {Scot}.