Make the Connection

Make the Connection is an American game show, sponsored by Borden, that ran on Thursday nights from July 7 to September 29, 1955 on NBC. Originally hosted by Jim McKay, he was replaced after the first four episodes by future Match Game host Gene Rayburn for the final nine episodes. The series was a Mark Goodson-Bill Todman 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, 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 made one of her earliest game show appearances as a panelist on the series. White would later be a frequent panelist on every version of the Rayburn-hosted Match Game.

Directed by Bill Todman, Mark Goodson, Make the Connection leans on a strong ensemble — Gene Rayburn, Jim McKay — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1955.