''Make the Connection'' is an American

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...

, sponsored by Borden, that ran on Thursday nights from July 7 to September 29, 1955, on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

. Originally hosted by

Jim McKay James Kenneth McManus (September 24, 1921 – June 7, 2008), better known professionally as Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist. McKay was best known for hosting ABC's '' Wide World of Sports'' (1961–1998). His introdu ...

, he was replaced after the first four episodes by

Gene Rayburn Gene Rayburn (born Eugene Peter Jeljenic; December 22, 1917 – November 29, 1999) was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the American television game show ''Match Game'' for over tw ...

for the final nine episodes. The series was a

Mark Goodson Mark Leo Goodson (January 14, 1915 – December 18, 1992) was an American television producer who specialized in game shows, most frequently with his business partner Bill Todman, with whom he created Goodson-Todman Productions. Early life and ea ...

Bill Todman William Selden Todman (July 31, 1916 – July 29, 1979) was an American television producer and personality born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest-running shows with business partner Mark Goodson, with whom he created ...

Production, and as such it had many things in common with the other panel shows developed by the company. Like ''

I've Got a Secret ''I've Got a Secret'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show, ''What's My Line ...

'', there were four celebrity panelists who were each given a timed period in which to ask questions. Each panelist that was stumped earned the contestants money.

Betty White Betty Marion White (January 17, 1922December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television, with a television career spanning almost seven decades, White was noted for her vast work in the entertainment indust ...

made one of her earliest game show appearances as a panelist on the series (her first on national television was a few weeks earlier on "What's My Line?"). The regular panelists were White,

Gene Klavan Eugene Kantor Klavan (May 4, 1924 – April 8, 2004) was an American disc-jockey, columnist and author. Early years Klavan was born in Baltimore, Maryland. and attended Baltimore City College (high school). His radio career began with brief stints ...

Gloria DeHaven Gloria Mildred DeHaven (July 23, 1925 – July 30, 2016) was an American actress and singer who was a contract star for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Early life DeHaven was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of actor-director Carter De ...

, and

Eddie Bracken Edward Vincent Bracken (February 7, 1915 – November 14, 2002) was an American actor. Bracken became a Hollywood comedy legend with lead performances in the films ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' and ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' both from ...

Rules

The object of the game was for the four celebrity panelists to "make the connection" between two people who would sit on both sides of the host. Each time a panelist failed to make the connection within 30 seconds, the contestant earned $25. The game ended after a panelist guessed the connection or the guest earned $150. Like many of its sister panel shows, it also featured the obligatory appearance by a celebrity guest, who would play the game as a contestant.

Episode status

Only a handful of the thirteen episodes exist, including at least one McKay episode and a Rayburn-hosted edition which featured an overly animated

J. Fred Muggs J. Fred Muggs (born March 14, 1952) is a Common chimpanzee, chimpanzee born in the African colony of French Cameroon that forms part of modern-day Cameroon. Brought to New York City before his first birthday, he was bought by two former NBC pages ...

, the ''

Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...

'' chimpanzee sidekick. GSN has occasionally shown an episode (mostly those hosted by Rayburn) in its "black and white" programming blocks. On September 11, 2017,

Buzzr Buzzr is an American digital terrestrial television, digital broadcast television network owned by Fremantle North America, a unit of the Fremantle (company), Fremantle subsidiary of RTL Group. The network serves as an outlet for the extensive li ...

aired a Gene Rayburn episode as part of its "Lost and Found" event. Another Rayburn episode, specifically the one featuring Muggs, aired on September 25, 2021, as part of the network's 6th annual "Lost and Found" marathon. Two episodes with Rayburn as host and Betty White as a panelist aired as part of that network's tribute to White on what would have been her 100th birthday (January 17, 2022); one featured

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...

, who gave a pie-throwing demonstration, and the other had golfer

Sam Snead Samuel Jackson Snead (pronounced English_phonology">sni:d.html" ;"title="English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d">English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an ...

, who played the trumpet, and

Gisele MacKenzie Gisèle MacKenzie (born Gisèle Marie Louise Marguerite LaFlèche; January 10, 1927 – September 5, 2003)
Accessed April 2010 ...

, who sang her current hit "Hard to Get". At the end of the latter. White noted that she already had three dogs but was willing to take a cocker spaniel that had gone unawarded.

External links

Game Show Utopia: Make the Connection (Rayburn version)September 1, 1955?, show, guests Fred Allen, Meredith Wilson on YouTube accessed 20180910''Make the Connection'' on IMDb
NBC original programming Television series by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions 1950s American game shows 1955 American television series debuts 1955 American television series endings American panel games {{US-game-show-stub