Get ready to MATCH the STARS!  From "Real People," Skip Stephenson, Brett Somers,

Charles Nelson Reilly, From "Days of Our Lives," Melinda O. Fee, McLean Stevenson,

and Betty White, as we play the star-studded, big-money Match Game!  And, here's the star of Match Game - Gene Rayburn!

HIGHLIGHTS:

The episode begins with Charles monkeying around with the color test dummy, "Zelda."

The panel has a couple of hearty laughs as the contestant, Beth gets spun out on the dais.  Beth is in the middle of her run for the money.  The audience match is "Sandra BLANK."   Beth chooses CNR first who offers "Dee." 

McLean is at a loss and offers his La Maz instructor, "Sandra Jaffee."  The irritable Skip Stevenson thinks of "Duncan."  She picks Chuck's answer and in fact gets the 500 dollars with it.  Then, it is a trip to the star wheel, where she spins for 5000, lands on a double, but gets the short end of the Skip.

She's playing for 10, 000 dollars and "Spread BLANK."   She comes up with "Spread the butter" like a genius.  Amazingly, Skip comes up with the better answer "Spread eagle."  No match, and she only gets her audience match money. 

The new contestant, Sandy is spun out.

Well, it's always been Sandy's dream for some reason to kiss McLean, so Gene leads her over to where he is sitting, and they have a tender moment  (McLean protests the whole time because he has a 'cold').

Not having the attention he craves, the evil Skip runs over to kiss Beth.

Brett (looking a little drunk) notices that McLean is blushing.  Betty suggests that Sandy spread the cold around to Richard Dawson, and there is derisive chuckling from the rest of the panel.

ROUND 1:  Sandy's Question:  (abridged) Mr. Bricklemeyer was the first man to cross a picket line.  Mr. Bricklemeyer was also the first to have a BLANK shoved up his nose.  Sandy has chosen "picket sign" as her answer.   Skip is the first and only one to have the matching response. 

Gene takes a sip of Brett's "club soda" which Charles points out is really Russian club soda (wink, wink).   Beth's Question:  Louise said, "You know you're at a really wild party when you see a BLANK in every room.  

There are no matches, but Chuck's butch voice and answer of "Chains hanging from the ceiling," are quite funny.  ROUND 2:   Sandy's Question: Sid said, this town is soooo small, the symphony orchestra is just a BLANK player.   Well, Sandy says "harmonica" which is not a bad answer, but no one matches.  Let me take this opportunity to state two things.  1. This question was unusually vague for a second round question, and had a lot of possible answers - I feel Sandy got robbed.  2. Skip Stephenson is the most annoying person I have ever seen on t.v.  His knack of not letting an on air minute escape without the sound of his voice makes me shudder.  Anyhoo... Beth's Question: Dumb Dora is soooo dumb (how dumb is she?), she can' remember how to close her BLANK.  The brainiac, Beth comes up with "eyes." 

Brett says "legs", which Gene doesn't find humorous at all. 

CNR surprises with "eyes." 

McLean also has "eyes."  The eyes have it being the obvious pun. 

Beth wins and they spin off Sandy to the dungeon.    Beth gets "BLANK Snyder" for her audience match.  Brett is so obnoxious, Beth has no choice but to pick her first.  Beth offers "Tom," Melinda offers "Duke," and Chucks spews "Arlen Dean."   Arlen Dean is apparently only known to him and Gene.  Beth chooses Brett's answer and indeed wins the 500. 

She goes up to the star wheel and spins for 5000 or if she gets double, 10,000.  She gets the 10,000, but also gets stuck with Skippy-pooh again.  The clue is "Jesse BLANK."   Her and Skip do match with "James."   She runs up and gets to hug her man, while her family has a conniption in the audience.

The syndicated Match Game ends without ever mentioning that it was the last show.  Perhaps the cast didn't know, or perhaps they just chose not to mention it.  This was Gene's last hosting of the most popular version of the Match Game. 

This episode was featured on Game Show Network's Y2Play special on New Year's Eve '99 which showed the last episodes of game shows introduced by the wily Charles Nelson Reilly.