CHARLES NELSON REILLY: 1931-2007

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I have some very sad news to report to you all. Charles Nelson Reilly, best known as one of the regular panelists on the game show "Match Game" has died at the age of 76. He passed away of pneumonia.

Ironically, Gene Rayburn, the host of "Match Game" hired him as an understudy in a version of the play "Bye Bye Birdie" years before he was on "Match Game."

Perhaps the best thing he was known for was faking contestants out and making them think he did not have the right answer in the "Big Money Super Match." For example, if a statement was "Russian _______" and a contestant said "Russian Roulette" he would most often say "I came within an eyelash of saying Russian Revolution, but I said Russian Roulette!"

The reason why I am writing an obit to him is because he has the definitive AS personality. He was very silly, but he had a heart of gold!

Charles was a great man, very kind, consideratw and talented all at the same time!

Rest in peace, Charles! You will be missed!

Yes, I read about this morning in the newspaper. It was very sad. I was suprised because I didn't know he was sick for a while. It was a strange thing that my Mom last night asked me if he was still living and I said yes but when I read the newspaper I found out otherwise.

I loved The Match Game and I think Charles Nelson Reilly was really great on it. I got a kick out of him and he helped the contestants out on the show. I'm sure him and Gene Rayburn up in Heaven must be having a good time.

Rest in Peace Charles Nelson Reilly!

He had been sick since January.

One thing that I forgot to mention that he did was he starred on "Lidsville," a Saturday morning kids TV show created by Sid and Marty Krofft. This was before H.R. Pufnstuf, of course (1971.) It was about a rather interesting land where everyone wore hats. If you touched a hat while you were in your own home, you were whisked away to this land.

As for Charles, he was active before his death. His life was portrayed in a broadway musical called, "The Life of Reilly."

He is one of those people who worked until he just couldn't work anymore, and for that I envy him. There are not many people like that around here anymore.

He was a great man with a very nice personality, and he will be missed!

And yes, I hope he's on "Match Game" in the sky!

Wow. Just heard about that from your post.

As a Match Game fan in all seriousness, I'll definitely miss him.

And unfortunately, all he could do since January was sit in his bed!

That will just go to show you, every revival of "Match Game" in the near future will be very different!

Wow, he suffered from pneumonia since January! That's terrible. Pneumonia can be fatal and pretty bad, even in 2007.

He was supposed to appear on TV several months ago, but he couldn't because he was bedridden!

I have been watching the Match Game marathon all day. I like that show.

You get GSN?

I hate to tell you this, but "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" has replaced "Match Game" as the most popular show on that network even though they will always have both!

However, "Match Game" is still very popular, and that was a very nice way to pay tribute to Charles!

I love the Match Game. I think it's better than Who wants to be a millionaire. I watched most of the Charles Nelson Reilly tribute this weekend. It was really nice of GSN to do this. It would of been a little better if they ran this tribute most into the night, rather than ending it at 7pm.

Charles was on Win, Lose or Draw, Super Password and a whole bunch of other game shows, but Match Game was his most popular.

It was very fitting that they do a tribute to him!

Yes, I think I saw the episodes when he was on Super Password. He was also on Body Language, I saw some of those episodes too.

I think he helped someone win big on Super Password. I don't remember who it was, though!

It wasn't the guy who was wanted for tax evasion, was it?

Tim

Not Patrick Quinn, I think it was a lady named Jill.

I don't know who he was, but I'll pay my respects anyway.

Rest in Peace Charles Nelson Reilly.