The Match Game format, usually known as Blankety Blanks, has been a hit in many countries. Perhaps the best translations have come from Australia and Great Britain.
Australia
Blankety Blanks originally aired from 1978 to 1981 on the Ten Network. Hosted by comedian Graham Kennedy, it became a primetime mega-hit. Game play was unchanged from the American version, except for a top possible prize of $1000AUS in the Head-to-Head Match. (No star wheel here.) Regular panelists included Stuart Wagstaff,
Noeline Brown, and comic "Ugly Dave" Gray.
There have been two revival attempts; in 1985 with host Daryl Somers and Noeline back on the panel, and in '96, with emcee Shane Bourne. Both revivals, which aired on the Nine Network, flopped. (Note: BB, like MG, saw a regular go on to host his own game show, as Ugly Dave Gray later presided over Celebrity Tattle Tales -- yep, the same as our Tattletales.) Kennedy hasn't done much television since the show ended, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been asked.
Great Britain
Blankety Blank bowed on BBC1 in 1979 and was, perhaps, an even bigger hit there than MG was in America. Hosted by Terry Wogan until 1983, then by Les Dawson until 1991, BB's format deviated slightly from the American standard. There were no returning champions; two sets of two players each played two rounds, with the winner advancing to the SuperMatch -- at this point, only the Audience Match was played. The top three answers payed off in 150, 100, or 50 points (called "blanks") - which could be redeemed for rather small prizes of descending crappiness (The Beeb never gave away big prizes on their game shows, until Weakest Link offered
£10,000 in 2000). Whichever winner scored higher in the SuperMatch then played a Head-to-Head Match for a prize roughly twice as nice as the one they'd won before.
Blank came back in 1998 with Lily Savage (played by a cross-dresing Paul O'Grady) as the host. The game was deemphasized to focus on Savage's antics (not unlike Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life); however, a rather decent vacation was now offered as the grand prize. BBC1 dropped the new version in 2000, but ITV quickly snapped it up.
The hallmarks of BB throughout all versions were the catchy/annoying theme song ("Blankety blank Blankety blank *boom boom* blankety blank blankety blank..."), and the consolation prize of the ages: a Blankety Blank checkbook (sorry, chequebook) and pen!
