Martin Short’s Surprise Reveal: How the Comedy Legend’s Latest Move Has Fans Buzzing

Comedy icon Martin Short is back in the spotlight—and search interest is soaring—thanks to a trio of headline-grabbing moves that have fans and award-watchers talking. On July 23, ABC rolled out its latest revival of the classic game show “Match Game,” handing hosting duties to Short, who opened the premiere with a rapid-fire monologue and signature physical comedy that instantly set social media ablaze. Early overnight ratings place the debut among ABC’s top unscripted launches of the summer, while clips of Short’s ad-libs are racking up millions of views on TikTok and X. The timing couldn’t be better for the 74-year-old entertainer. Emmy ballots were mailed just days earlier, and industry pundits now predict Short could become the oldest performer ever to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his turn as Oliver Putnam in Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.” If voters follow the buzz, Short would eclipse Alan Alda’s 39-year-old age record in the category. Awards momentum is already building. In February, Short captured his first individual SAG Award for the same role, though a bout with COVID-19 forced him to accept remotely—a moment that became one of the ceremony’s most-shared clips. With the SAG win now on his résumé and “Match Game” introducing him to a fresh, multi-generational audience, analysts say Short is positioned for a rare late-career awards sweep. Meanwhile, production on “Only Murders” Season 4 is slated to wrap in August, with insiders hinting at “major stunt casting” after last year’s Meryl Streep guest arc reignited the show’s cultural cachet. Hulu has yet to confirm a premiere date, but executives privately note that Short’s renewed visibility is “a marketer’s dream” for the streamer’s fall lineup. Search trends reflect the surge: queries for “Martin Short Match Game host,” “Martin Short Emmy 2025,” and “Martin Short age” have spiked over 900 percent week-over-week, according to public SEO tools. Entertainment bloggers are already handicapping who might join him behind the celebrity panel desk—Kristen Wiig and Kenan Thompson top the rumor mill—while ticket-lottery websites report ten times the usual requests for studio-audience seats. Whether he’s lampooning blanks on “Match Game” or sleuthing around the Arconia, Martin Short is proving that staying funny—and staying busy—are the best remedies for Father Time. With an awards season narrative building and a prime-time game show perch secured, the Canadian-born legend may soon add “record-breaking Emmy winner” to a résumé that was already stuffed with laughs, Tonys, Emmys, and a comedy-world reverence few can match.