Publisher Bennett Cerf replaced Untermeyer as a regular panelist in 1951, and comedian Steve Allen replaced Block in 1953. Mark Goodson, Arlene Francis and John Charles Daly appeared on-camera in 1975 having a conversation that introduced the old kinescope clips. Dorothy Kilgallen, the razor-tongued syndicated columnist of "The Voice of Broadway," was on the panel from its inception and was easily the show's most fervent game player -- prone to anxiety, I understand, when she was on a losing streak. A YouTube channel features all 757 episodes of the CBS run of What's My Line?, plus extras featuring WML regulars, various compilations of clips, and several "lost" episodes that were never included in reruns. It was preserved and digitally converted for release. )[16] In the early years of the show, the questioning was the same as it was for regular contestants, but starting with the April 17, 1955 edition, panelists were only allowed one question at a time. It was worth being dead tired on Monday morning. [18][19] In its early years, business suits and street dresses were worn by the host and panelists, but by 1953, the men normally wore black suits with bow tie (a few guests in fact wore black tie) while female panelists donned formal gown and often gloves. After Kilgallen's death in 1965, she was similarly not replaced with a permanent panelist, and for the show's final two years, the panel consisted of Cerf, Francis and two guests. An audio-only excerpt from the otherwise lost episode #866 (June 18, 1967) can be heard in an LP called The Age of Television. J.E. aired on September 3, 1967; it was highlighted by clips from past telecasts, a visit by the show's first contestants, a challenger from the New York unemployment office, and the final mystery guest, who was John Daly himself. He accepted and shot a pilot shortly after What's My Line? Comedian Bobby Van ended up hosting Showoffs. Exceptions to this dress code were on the broadcasts immediately following the deaths of Fred Allen[20] and Dorothy Kilgallen,[21] in which the male cast members wore straight neckties and the women wore simpler dresses. Additionally, starting April 17, 1955, the panel stopped taking initial guesses. suffered an insurmountable loss when Dorothy Kilgallen died suddenly and mysteriously from an overdose of barbiturates in 1965 (probably a suicide). kinescopes until July 1952, when Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, having realized it was occurring, offered to pay the network for a film of every broadcast. [37], Beginning with the first Wednesday episode (#005; April 12, 1950, and continuing until around 1951), the show was broadcast from the now demolished CBS Studio 51 (Maxine Elliott's Theatre, aka Maxine Elliott Theatre, 109 W. 39th St., NY). Five-day-a-week syndicated revival of one of Goodson-Todman's most durable and longest-lived formats: A celebrity panel determines which of three contestants is the actual person associated with a given story. Sep 9, 2020 - I loved watching this show when I was growing up. Four members of the studio audience were lined up on stage, and their occupations were printed on cards. Allen correctly guessed the guest's occupation when Daly could not restrain his laughter in response to Kilgallen asking, "Is it bigger than a breadbox?"[14][15]. Soon, other panelists were asking this question as well. [5] In such instances, there would often be two shows a day; the "taped" one, followed immediately by the "live" one. An audio-only portion of episode #079 from December 2, 1951 (only has part of Game 1 with Mrs. Virginia Hendershot as the Steam Shovel Operator from Bound Brook, NJ) exists. [17] As Cerf admitted in the episode broadcast on November 27, 1966, his wife, Phyllis, was frequently told the name of the mystery guest beforehand. Arlene Francis was a stylish actress of stage, screen and TV and easily provided the show with its warmth and witty one-liners, not to mention slightly off-color double-entendres. [37], CBS announced in early 1967 that a number of game shows, including What's My Line?, were to be canceled at the end of the season. However, the show was developed as a reality show and had no panel or game elements. (TV Series 1950–1967) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. on Amazon.com, Title: As Daly occasionally noted, "Ten flips and they (the panel) are a flop!" Upon his departure, Bennett Cerf took over this position. Gentlemen you wanted to emulate. Beginning with episode #517 through episode #829 (June 12, 1960 – September 4, 1966), the show used CBS Studio 52 (254 W. 54th St., NY; the future Studio 54). Many of the guests were painfully out of their element here and couldn't hold a candle to the pros. Produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS, the show was initially called Occupation Unknown before deciding on the name What's My Line? Bennett Cerf wrote that the network had decided that game shows were no longer suitable for prime time, and that the news was broken by The New York Times on February 14[43] before anyone involved with the show was notified. [citation needed] The first panelist would be introduced by the announcer following the show's introduction, and each panelist would introduce the next in turn, with the last introducing Daly. This version became a staple of local stations' afternoon and early evening schedules, especially from the 1971–72 season onward, when the FCC forced networks to cede one half-hour to their affiliates. As he wrote in his book, Fates knew, but did not tell viewers, about the production costs that would have gone to waste had his company acceded to the demands, some coming from station managers, to scrap the Cerf videotapes.[54]. However, despite frequent requests by the panel, particularly Arlene Francis, such demonstrations rarely occurred as according to executive producer Gil Fates, Daly was not fond of this practice.[29]. The set, designed by veteran Goodson-Todman art director Theodore Cooper, was predominantly blue and featured walls behind the panel and host areas tiled with illustrations representing various occupations. Major stars (Barbra Streisand, Joe DiMaggio, The Supremes, Dustin Hoffman) would appear for added thrills. announcer Johnny Olson was the announcer, and Bob Barker was the host for the show which ran for two seasons on CBS. [4] The original series, which was usually broadcast live, debuted on Thursday, February 2, 1950, at 8:00 p.m. Search for "What's My Line?" Appearing as panelists were Robert Q. Lewis, who had been a panelist on the original What's My Line?, and Pamela Mason, who had been a mystery guest. The original What's My Line? With David Jacobs, Isobel Barnett, Kenneth Williams, William Franklyn. As of April 12, 2008 the New York mystery guests have been George Wendt, Moby, Natalia Paruz and Tony Roberts. Allen left in 1954 to launch The Tonight Show, and he was replaced by comedian Fred Allen (no relation),[10] who remained on the panel until his death in 1956. Check out some of our favorite Hollywood couples who found romance together on screen and in real life. The programming department at CBS turned down the idea[56] but ABC bought it. Panelists were required to probe by asking only yes-no questions. Although using first names at other points, Daly usually addressed using surnames when passing the questioning to a particular panelist. game show, shortly before both finally returned to television in triumph with The Joker's Wild. From May 20, 1952 to August 27, an NBC Radio Network version was produced on Tuesday nights with the same cast as the TV version. [28], The program began with Daly and panel entering from off-stage as they were introduced. Clifton Fadiman,[7][8] Eamonn Andrews, and Random House co-founding publisher and panelist Bennett Cerf[9] substituted on the four occasions when Daly was unavailable. During his tenure, Hal Block sat in the final seat and began the practice of introducing Daly with a pun. Sometimes, two mystery guest rounds were played in an episode, with the additional round usually as the first round of the episode. Droll Bennett Cerf was the stocky, avuncular publisher from Random House whose relaxed, ingratiating style was a special treat -- known best for inundating the audience and panelists with groan-producing jokes.The glue, however, that held it all together was the erudite moderator John Charles Daly, a respected journalist and newscaster on his own and remarkably eloquent when put on the spot. And for very good reason. The show finally went off the air in 1967, and though it quickly returned in syndication with panelist Arlene Francis, it had lost all its charm and elegance. The producers considered the revival a merger of What's My Line? Abbreviations: AF: Arlene Francis, BC: Bennett Cerf, DK: Dorothy Kilgallen, FA: Fred Allen, HB: Hal Block, LU: Louis Untermeyer, SA: Steve Allen 1 1950 2 1951 3 1952 4 1953 5 1954 6 1955 7 1956 8 1957 9 1958 10 1959 11 1960 12 1961 13 1962 14 1963 15 1964 16 1965 17 1966 18 1967 [57] In the process of viewing and editing the films for the special, they accidentally damaged or destroyed several kinescope films which spanned the entire run of the original series, including a few that did not make the final cut of the retrospective. 26 sums of money, 26 suitcases and one question: Deal or no deal. began on British television in 1951, and the original intention was for Eamonn Andrews and Gilbert Harding to chair the programme on alternate weeks. Other episodes sustained only partial damage, such as a 1965 episode that is mainly damaged during the mystery guest appearance of Marian Anderson. The production debuted in New York at the Barrow Street Theatre on March 24, 2008 for an announced run of six shows. [37], Episode #397 (January 12, 1958) was a special Hollywood episode broadcast from CBS Television City (7800 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA). It was, and is, unparalleled in style, wit, and sophistication. That was pretty late for an elementary kid on a school night. (In the first episode, the mystery guest was New York Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto. Watch. What's My Line? Steve Allen, a one-time regular, is credited with introducing into the American vernacular, "Is it bigger than a bread box?" Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Marvelously witty and a master of the English language, he was quite astounding (and artfully verbose) at times when having to give an explanation to a "yes" or "no" answer. She was terribly missed, considering she was part of the "family" from the very first telecast. [37][41], Episode #323 (August 12, 1956), in conjunction with the 1956 Democratic Party Convention, was a special Chicago episode broadcast from the studios of CBS owned-and-operated WBBM-TV (630 N. McClurg Ct., Chicago, IL). It is on the list of longest-running U.S. primetime network television game-shows. If I was lucky, I could cajole my mother into letting me see "Camera," but "What's My Line?" Written by (TV Series 1968–1975) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. - Season 5, Episode 4: EPISODE #174 - TV.com", "Audio of Hawkins interview with Cerf from Youtube", "What's My Line? A panelist chosen by Daly would begin the game. Often Daly would need to clarify a potentially confusing question, but he had a penchant for amusingly wordy, long-winded replies that often left panelists more confused than before, which Danny Kaye once parodied as a panelist. There was also a "mystery guest", usually a famous person; the panelists had to wear masks when questioning this person and the guest usually disguised his/her voice. [citation needed] Non-celebrities include the lifelong Los Angeles-area resident who challenged the panel with her line, afterward reminiscing how 43 years earlier she had traveled to New York, where Arlene Francis identified her as a meter maid. "Eyes on the Prize", Steve Allen's birth name was Stephen Valentine Patrick Allen, while Fred Allen's birth name was John Florence Sullivan, What's My Line (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), list of longest-running U.S. primetime network television game-shows, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, http://www.tvguide.com/news/greatest-game-shows-1066568.aspx, "What's My Line? This FAQ is empty. Only a portion of episode #191 (January 24, 1954) w/Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis as mystery guests exists, and was shown in What's My Line? When a question was answered no, questioning passed to the next panelist and $5 was added to the prize. is known for its attention to manners and class. and included audio from the mystery guest segment featuring Betty Grable from that now-lost episode. Only questions that could be answered with a "yes" or "no" were allowed. He would also amiably chide the panel[22] if they began a conference without first asking him. Only questions that could be answered with a "yes" or "no" were allowed. [6] The cast and crew began taking "Summer breaks" from the show in July 1961, through July 1967. Lou's girlfriend Hillary lives across the hall. At the time of Blyden's death, a handful of new episodes of What's My Line? [37] The last episode aired in black & white was taped on July 17, 1966, and the last episode to be produced there in black & white aired live on July 24. The amount of the prize was tallied by Daly who flipped up to ten cards on his desk. Contestants compete for prizes and cash, including cars and vacations, in games that test their knowledge of consumer goods pricing. Panelists and guests who appeared on the original TV versions and on the stage version include Shelley Berman, Lee Meriwether, radio commentator Michael Jackson, Jayne Meadows, Nanette Fabray, Joanna Barnes, Julie Newmar, Margaret O'Brien, and Marty Ingels. After airing alternate Wednesdays, then alternate Thursdays, finally on October 1, 1950, it had settled into its weekly Sunday 10:30 p.m. ET slot where it would remain until the end of its network run on September 3, 1967. Originally an American show, What’s My Line? This album, which was put out by RCA Records in 1971, featured interviews with TV personalities about the medium's first 25 years. Her formal gowns were quite extreme for a game show but always an attention-getter. See more ideas about what's my line, celebrity names, game show. The contestant entered by writing his or her name on a small sign-in board. In 2000, a pilot was shot with host Harry Anderson for CBS, but was later turned down in favor of the reality show Survivor. 55 online? After the first four episodes, the show gained its initial sponsor when Jules Montenier paid to have his product, Stopette spray deodorant, featured in advertising on the program. I recently saw this series again on "Game Show Network" and madly taped many of these classic episodes that instantly brought back fond memories of a time when something as minor as a silly little game show aimed for class.In Buffalo, where I was raised, the show came on at 10:30 p.m. on Sunday nights, right after "Candid Camera." Regular announcers included Lee Vines, who served from 1950 to 1955; Hal Simms, from 1955 to 1961; Ralph Paul, whose tenure was confined to 1961; and Johnny Olson, perhaps the best known of Goodson-Todman's television announcers, whose tenure began in 1961 and ran until the show's cancellation in 1967. What's My Line? All original series shows were recorded via kinescope onto film, but networks in the early 1950s sometimes destroyed such recordings to recover the silver content from the film. The syndicated edition had two regular panelists for its entire run, with comedian Soupy Sales joining the returning Arlene Francis. Mystery guests have included Ed Begley Jr., Stephen Bishop, Mr. Blackwell, LeVar Burton, Brett Butler, José Canseco, Drew Carey, Andy Dick, Michael and Kitty Dukakis, Hector Elizondo, Nanette Fabray, Peter Falk, Caitlyn Jenner, Larry King, Kathy Kinney, Bruno Kirby, Tara Lipinski, Lisa Loeb, Shelley Long, Leonard Maltin, Rose Marie, Wink Martindale, Sally Struthers, Rip Taylor, Judy Tenuta, Alan Thicke, Dick Van Patten, Lindsay Wagner, Wil Wheaton, Noah Wyle, and Sean Young.[58]. Add the first question. The series first aired on January 2, 1955. Panelists had the option of passing to the next panelist—or even disqualifying themselves entirely if they somehow knew the contestant's occupation or identity, in the case of a mystery challenger, before the round. [40], Episode #225 (September 19, 1954) was a color edition of the show, broadcast live from CBS Studio 72 (on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Broadway at 81st St., NY). Take a look back at the TV series that took home Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series in the categories of Drama and Comedy. [55] Just days after disbanding their technical crew, Goodson and Todman pitched the idea of a retrospective network special to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the program's CBS debut, called What's My Line at 25. Mystery guests would usually attempt to conceal their identities with disguised voices, much to the amusement of the studio audience. On these occasions, a guest panelist would take their spot. (1950–1967) Episode … Sometimes I would cover my own eyes to see if I could guess who it was. Unlike its predecessor, the syndicated What's My Line? ... What's My Line? In Los Angeles, panelists have included Carlos Alazraqui, Alison Arngrim, E.G. 1 Season 1 (1968–1969) 2 Season 2 (1969–1970) 3 Season 3 (1970–1971) 4 Season 4 (1971–1972) 5 Season 5 (1972–1973) 6 … NOTE: This post replaces an earlier version that had significant a/v dropouts. episode guide includes recaps for every episode from every season and a full list of where you can watch episodes online instantly. "What's My Line?" 55 is available for streaming on FremantleMedia North America, both individual episodes and full seasons. This predated the show's eventual move to color by 12 years. [30][31] After Montenier sold Stopette to Helene Curtis,[32] the series was sponsored by a variety of companies which were either regular or rotating. in his 1972 film Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, with the segment "What Are Sex Perverts?" Where do I stream What's My Line? It also included a segment in which Vint Cerf's son Bennett (named after the panelist) appeared as a guest. Five-day-a-week syndicated update of the longtime CBS game show, wherein celebrity panelists guess occupations of the contestants. had yet to air in certain markets; by the fall of 1975, the last of these episodes had aired across the United States. Seasons 5–7 were hosted by Larry Blyden and announced by Chet Gould. [45], The 876th and final CBS telecast of What's My Line? At the time, syndication involved tape-sharing among stations that aired a series, a practice referred to as "bicycling." As the questioning rotated, a panel member asked questions, and the guest would answer either "yes" or "no." The cover of the book features the photos of panelists Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, Dorothy Kilgallen and host John Daly. For the 1973–74 season, the show's set was changed. Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions. Daly had always been the emergency mystery guest in case the scheduled guest was unable to appear on the live broadcast, but this had never occurred. The regular panelists were under contract and were paid "much more," according to Fates. Use the HTML below. Beginning in 1955 Daly simply greeted and seated the contestant, who later met the panel at the end of the game. Frequent sponsors in the 1960s were Kellogg's cereals, Allstate Insurance, and Geritol. The mystery guests were no slouches either. Such questions asked were: "Does your work take you outdoors?" There, company employees Gil Fates, Bob Bach, Pamela Usdan and Bill Egan[56] worked round-the-clock for three days to compile the 90-minute special under deadline pressure from ABC network official Bob Shanks. Cerf's introductions of Daly were generally straightforward in his earliest years on the show, but as time went by Cerf expanded these introductions, often telling long jokes which he tied to Daly in some way.[29]. Even as a child Bennett Cerf always struck me as the most impressive of gentlemen and it's nice to have my childhood impressions confirmed as an adult. What's My Line? If you are old enough to have seen the show when it first appeared on TV, you'll get a kick out of viewing some of its episodes again. Episode summary", "Summary at TV.com of show with contestant who made breadboxes", "Oh, the Civility! With regular team members like Soupy Sales, what could one expect?If I could turn back the hands of time, I'm sure I would set it for 10:30 p.m. on Sunday evening. But Dorothy always gave it her all and those of us who were major game enthusiasts related to the competitive spirit in her. : TV's Most Famous Panel Show, to send a form letter response to fans who had written complaining about the late Bennett Cerf's failure to disappear, some saying the television stations were using poor taste. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The panel was still introduced from left to right, as they had been before, and Blyden was introduced last. With Wally Bruner, Johnny Olson, Arlene Francis, Soupy Sales. This prompted producer Gil Fates, who recalled the situation in his book, What's My Line? This was the time of year that production companies and syndicators would try to sell new and continuing series to local stations, and Viacom and Goodson-Todman found themselves unable to secure contracts with enough stations to justify continuing producing the program beyond the current campaign. This is an unofficial release of public domain episodes, and it is unclear if an official release will occur.[62]. had ended, Goodson-Todman struck a deal with CBS's syndication arm, which in time became the present-day Viacom, to syndicate a new weekday videotaped edition. They succeeded in giving a simple little parlor game show some poise and dignity. That was a magic half-hour for me, whether my mother knew it or not. Normally, however, it was a well-known entertainer or personality (Johnny Carson, Joey Bishop, Tony Randall, Gore Vidal, Zsa Zsa Gabor) who was there to promote a book or upcoming appearance.For some reason, one of my favorite parts was the introduction of the panelists and moderator ("Let's meet our What's My Line" panel!"). "What's My Line?" The show featured a panel of four celebrities who questioned the contestants. "[35][36], The first four episodes (#001 – #004; February – March 16, 1950) were broadcast live from a converted loft at the former CBS Studio 41 Grand Central Studios at Grand Central Terminal (15 Vanderbilt Ave., NY). As such, while What's My Line? The Los Angeles version of the live show went on hiatus when van Straaten relocated to New York, then resumed in June 2007. [63] Some are off-the-air home recordings of rebroadcasts. A contestant won the top prize of $50 by giving ten no answers, or if time ran out, with Daly flipping all the cards. is one of the longest-running game shows of all time, beginning in 1950 on network television, and reaching all the way to 1975 … One of the first rotating sponsors, which actually came before Montenier's sale of Stopette to Helene Curtis (who continued to sponsor the program after the purchase and still promoted Stopette in their advertising), was the Remington Rand Corporation, who used their time to promote their line of electric shaver and computer such as the UNIVAC. The moderator and panel's desks were not brought over, as they had been for the Chicago special.[42]. [49] In 1971, production of What's My Line? A typical episode featured two standard rounds (sometimes a third, and very rarely a rushed fourth) plus one mystery guest round. What's My Line? Guest panelists were paid $750 (equal to $7,970 in 2019[33]) as an appearance fee. Starting in July 1959 and continuing for 8 straight years, until July 1967, when John Daly was due to appear in Moscow, the show would occasionally record episodes onto quadruplex videotape for playback at a future date. Released by Dot in 1955, audio recordings of eight "mystery guest" segments from the original Daly era can only be heard. From November 2004 to July 2006, Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten produced one-hour live stage versions of the show at the ACME Comedy Theatre in Los Angeles, California, titled What's My Line? and its 1950s spinoff, I've Got a Secret, which resulted in noticeable changes from the original. An attempt at an eighth season did not get off the ground as not enough stations were willing to pick up the series for an additional year. Created by Mark Goodson, Bill Todman. Episode #195 (February 21, 1954) only exists among collectors as a second-hand kinescope, as the official kinescope is missing from the Goodson-Todman archive. They were joined by one "special guest" each week (after regular Fred Allen died in 1956). For the first few seasons, the contestant would “sign in” by writing their name(s) on a chalkboard, and meet the panel up close for a casual inspection, and the panel was allowed one initial “wild” guess. The game uses celebrity panelists to question contestants in order to determine their occupation, i.e. McKillop
32 Grams Of Oxygen Has How Many Molecules, Mcpedl Rtx For Android, Discovering Our Past A History Of The World Test, Respawn 900 Australia, Axial Capra Skid Plate, Std Statistics Worldwidehow To Make An Exclamation Mark Banner In Minecraft, 2004 Subaru Wrx Oem Headlights, What Is Good For Diarrhea, Rossi Model 62 Sa Serial Numbers,
