What's My Line?

[Chas]

It seems insanely simple, but it's funny and entertaining. Kinda makes you wonder why the contemporary TV industry can't equal this. In my opinion, anyway.

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[Tomasso]

A few years back GSN aired the entire runs of both WML and To Tell the Truth, back to back. Both great game shows though I preferred WML mainly for the mystery guest segment. And Arlene Francis was by far the best panelist and quite the wit.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think the reason you don't see anything like WML today is that today's celebrities lack the urbanity and the sophistication to make such a program work. Look at the class of celebs appearing in the clips above and try to imagine the same type of program being done with modern personalities. "Two down, eight to go, and we move to Miss Lohan. Uh, will someone please pick Miss Lohan up off the floor?"

My all-time favorite WML mystery guest has to be Salvador Dali, who answered every question with "Yes."

 

[skyvue]

The wife and I love What's My Line. We tivo'd it nightly on GSN, and yes, Arlene Francis really was the MVP of that show. There were many times when it seemed the panel was stumped, but Arlene would pick up some tiny nuance in one of the guest's answers and hone in on his or her career.

We both like Arlene so much that I bought my wife a signed copy of her 1960 book, That Certain Something The Magic of Charm, for her birthday a couple of years back. My wife read the book and said it was actually quite instructive and informative. She's been using some of its techniques ever since.

I also bought her a signed copy of one of Bennett Cerf's joke books, but, though she appreciated the gift, I don't know if she's ever cracked that one.

 

[Tomasso]

Here's some WML weirdness. I believe Henry Morgan was canned after this show.





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[LocktownDog]

"Two down, eight to go, and we move to Miss Lohan. Uh, will someone please pick Miss Lohan up off the floor?"

lol lol lol

I can go home now. That will be the best line of the day.

 

[Atomic]

I'd never seen this show, but I was cracking up! I watched a few more on youtube with Vincent Price and such. Very funny, I wish TV game shows today were as entertaining as this.

 

[Chas]

Up here in Canada we had "Front Page Challenge" which was similar, except that prominent Canadian journalists formed the panel, IIRC. This wonderful excerpt was when Malcom X guested. I used to watch it as a kid, though it lacked the humor of it's American counterpart. I certainly do like live television, because the unexpected can and does happen.

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[shopgirl61]

A few years back GSN aired the entire runs of both WML and To Tell the Truth, back to back. Both great game shows though I preferred WML mainly for the mystery guest segment. And Arlene Francis was by far the best panelist and quite the wit.

Oh lordy yes! We were living in Alaska a few years ago and I had dish network, it aired at 10pm, on the nights it was on my 2 kids and I would have ourselves some genuine family time as we all watched it together along with bowls of popcorn. truly, it was not only entertaining but educational as well... i was homeschooling at the time and my kids would get quizzed. my son now 16 yo really liked Bennet Cerf while my dd and I LOVED watching the ladies fashions!, why oh why did it get pulled from gsn?

 

[LizzieMaine]

The Time God Appeared On "What's My Line."

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I used to watch this lineup every nite. That is good, quality entertainment.

A few years back GSN aired the entire runs of both WML and To Tell the Truth, back to back. Both great game shows though I preferred WML mainly for the mystery guest segment. And Arlene Francis was by far the best panelist and quite the wit.

 

[Slim Portly]

A Duke, a King, and a First Lady. What a charming group of people. Thank you for sharing these delightful clips with us.

 

[Wally_Hood]

I think the reason you don't see anything like WML today is that today's celebrities lack the urbanity and the sophistication to make such a program work. Look at the class of celebs appearing in the clips above and try to imagine the same type of program being done with modern personalities. "Two down, eight to go, and we move to Miss Lohan. Uh, will someone please pick Miss Lohan up off the floor?"

My all-time favorite WML mystery guest has to be Salvador Dali, who answered every question with "Yes."

You have identified the problem exactly. No one is clever anymore, FL'ers exempted, and what we have in place is crassness. We have ceased being well-read and thoughtful.

 

[Chas]

What I particularly like about WML is that the guests with recognizeable voices (ie. Satchmo) had to find a clever and funny way to disguise their distinctive voices for the show to work. I suppose the show's producers helped them with that, but the cleverness and urbanity of the guests comes through.

Are these shows available on dvd? If not, they should be.

 

[Tomasso]

It's interesting that the men wore black suits with bow ties rather than tuxedos. I wonder why......

 

[skyvue]

You have identified the problem exactly. No one is clever anymore, FL'ers exempted, and what we have in place is crassness. We have ceased being well-read and thoughtful.

Oh, there are still clever people today, and there was crassness then (Jerry Lewis, anyone? Buddy Hackett?).

The key was the type of people who made up the panel. Only one seat was generally filled by a humorist or comedian.

You had a syndicated newspaper columnist, the (admittedly quippy) head of a publishing house, and an erudite, well-spoken, and charming entertainer who worked in television, radio, and theatre. The fourth chair was filled by a variety of people after Steve Allen and Fred Allen had their brief stints filling it.

Frank Rich, to name just one, could fill a seat. Dadvid Sedaris or David Rakoff would do nicely in another. I could see Bonnie Hunt or Ellen Degeneres in one of the chairs. Perhaps Sarah Vowell. Ira Glass. David Letterman could ably fill the Steve Allen role. Stephen Fry, who actually has a panel show that's not so far removed from WML.

Ted Koppel might work in the John Charles Daly moderator role. Brian Williams is clever and well-spoken and could do it, too. Not to mention Jon Stewart or Keith Olbermann. Even Bill Maher or Oprah.

I also think NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" kind of carries on the old panel show tradition, too, and pretty successfully.

 

[Fletch]

Here's some WML weirdness. I believe Henry Morgan was canned after this show.

Henry Morgan was canned after every show.

I may have that wrong. He may have been caned after every show. lol

 

[stillsparkling]

I love watching clips of this show on YouTube! My favorites are the episodes with Jimmy Stewart and Ginger Rogers. Also, the episodes with Jack Benny are hysterical!

 

[Wally_Hood]

Oh, there are still clever people today, and there was crassness then (Jerry Lewis, anyone? Buddy Hackett?).

The key was the type of people who made up the panel. Only one seat was generally filled by a humorist or comedian.

You had a syndicated newspaper columnist, the (admittedly quippy) head of a publishing house, and an erudite, well-spoken, and charming entertainer who worked in television, radio, and theatre. The fourth chair was filled by a variety of people after Steve Allen and Fred Allen had their brief stints filling it.

Frank Rich, to name just one, could fill a seat. Dadvid Sedaris or David Rakoff would do nicely in another. I could see Bonnie Hunt or Ellen Degeneres in one of the chairs. Perhaps Sarah Vowell. Ira Glass. David Letterman could ably fill the Steve Allen role. Stephen Fry, who actually has a panel show that's not so far removed from WML.

Ted Koppel might work in the John Charles Daly moderator role. Brian Williams is clever and well-spoken and could do it, too. Not to mention Jon Stewart or Keith Olbermann. Even Bill Maher or Oprah.

I also think NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" kind of carries on the old panel show tradition, too, and pretty successfully.

Food for thought. Thanks-

By way of NPR, the local NPR station ran some BBC programs like My Word and My Music that showcased wit, style, and clever humor.