Wow, now 3 out of 4 in that photo are dead. The game was funny, especially the interactions between the stars.
In 2006, Brett Somers told the Game Show Network (GSN) that many of the Match Game personnel were “relieved” when Dawson quit the show in 1978. Dawson was annoyed that a “star” wheel was added to select celebrities, as most contestants would choose him 3 to 1 over the other five panelists prior to the wheel’s addition (in fact, he himself admitted that he took the addition of the wheel as, as he put it, “a direct slight”). Richard had already been starring as host of Family Feud on ABC prior to leaving MG and had been trying to quit MG in order to focus on his “Feud” duties. Producers initially didn’t want to release him from his contract. Because of this, in later years of MG, Dawson could be seen as looking like he was sulking and didn’t want to participate. Dawson left the show in 1978.