"The Hollywood Squares" was certainly popular during its run from the 1960s to the early 1980s. The game included celebrities in a giant tic-tac-toe set, who would provide answers to questions on various subjects. Contestants would be required to guess whether the answers provided by the stars were correct or incorrect in order to win each square.It sure sounds like fun, except the shows were scripted, and the stars were provided information about questions before each episode. Did you ever wonder how Paul Lynde was able to give such quick, snappy, and funny answers right after the question was asked? No, he wasn't a mind-reader and he wasn't a genius; he was provided information on each question before the shows, as were the rest of the stars. I was a little kid when this game show premiered in the 1960s, and it seemed like a lot of fun back then. I marveled at how the celebrities were able to give such quick, funny responses to questions when it seemed like they had just heard the questions for the first time. It turns out the whole thing was choreographed and phony. People who like and believe this show are the same people who think pro wrestling is real. Turn the channel.

Peter Marshall's Squares is the best. As the original is the best one. As Marshall did the best straight man training as he came from the comedy group, Noonan and Marshall.He plays it straight while the other celebs in the Tic Tac Toe squares play comedic to him. In particular straight man Paul Lynde. And Rose Marie, Morey Amsderdam, among the others.The contestants have to agree to disagree on which celeb is telling the truth. As the contestants have to decide also whether the celeb is bluffing or using a comedic answer with a straight face.Miss game shows like these. As there is not enough game shows on TV these days back in those days.Circle does get the square!

Six years after launching their first game show Video Village, Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley came up with a show that would eventually be the best comedy game show of all-time, Hollywood Squares. The game was really simple since it was based on tic-tac-toe. But what made the show stand out was the humorous bluff answers from the many stars who sat in the nine boxes throughout the show's 15 year run. Among the many celebrities who appeared on the show were Wally Cox, Cliff Arquette (as his Charley Weaver character),Rose Marie, George Gobel and in the center square, Paul Lynde. His quips were very funny and rescued the show from a slow start into a very funny show. Heatter-Quigley made the right choice in hiring Peter Marshall over Bert Parks as "The Master of the Hollywood Squares." Though he never hosted a game show he got better and better throughout the run and it paid off with a couple of Emmys. I really enjoyed the show, even the nighttime syndicated version that aired once (later twice) a week. It was a true game show classic and X got the square.

This is the original series. Peter Marshall, the straight man from the comedy team team of Noonan & Marshall is the host & master of the Squares. Paul Lynde most often was the center square. Charlie Weaver, Morey Amstersdam, Rose Marie, & many others made their tours during the shows 11 year run.This was a 5 day a week staple on NBC at 11:30 AM from 1965 to 1976 when it went off, one of many victims of the one hour New Price is Right. While it ran, it got a lot of viewers. A lot of the older generation actors & actresses alternated with newer ones to fill the 9 squares every week.If it were available now, there would be a lot of nostalgic moments for baby boomer's as Michael Landon, Jim Henson, George Goebel, & a host of others would appear on the program. The game itself was so harmless that at one point there was a children's version of the Squares running on Saturday morning NBC TV.This was a very popular way to fritter away 30 minutes & would get you 30 minutes closer to Let's Make A Deal too.