The Newlywed Game has been around since 1967, first on ABC on primetime with long-time host Bob Eubanks, and now with host Carnie Wilson on GSN. It has never had a gay couple on-board, however, though that ends today.
Today, on the Newlywed Game, Carnie Wilson will introduce George Takei and Robert Altman, who have been together 22 years, on a special celebrity edition of the eHarmony sponsored game show. Although, together 22 years, Takei and Altman were not married until last September, prior to Proposition 8's passing in California which modified the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
The Newlywed Game pits three newlywed couples against each other. Carnie Wilson (and previously, Eubanks) asks them questions that you might (or might not!) expect the couples to know about each other. The show has had some updates since the 1960's, with sex now being called sex or making love, rather than "whoopee," and with a daily eHarmony compatibility question.
We wrote about Takei and Altman's appearance previously, but had no idea it would occur so early in the season. The new season premiered yesterday, with Carnie Wilson still the host, though sporting new hair color, and a slightly different format.
As we indicated in our earlier story, Kelly Goode, GSN's programming chief, said she couldn't speculate on why gay couples were excluded in the past because GSN has only had the rights to the "Newlywed Game" for two years. She did add that the game's rules specify that the couple needed to have a legally-recognized marriage to appear. Carnie Wilson has actually been championing getting same-sex couples on the show.
George Takei's (and in case you were wondering, yes, that's Sulu from Star Trek) sexuality has been an open secret since the 1970s. Thus, we know his appearance before Carnie Wilson won't unnerve him, but perhaps representing same-sex couples as a whole will. He said:
"We're boldly going where no other same-sex couple has gone. We want to be seen in context throughout society as no different from other couples who preceded us, in the context of normalcy and commitment to each other."
Other celebrity couples on the show today include Christopher Knight (Peter on "The Brady Bunch") and Adrianne Curry ("America's Next Top Model"), and Damien Gurganius and Nicole Brewer ("The Biggest Loser: Couples 2.)" Clips from the episode have been being played on GSN as they advertised their new season. The episodes appear to be quite funny, and it appears we get to see Takei hit Altman humorously with an answer card.
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