What's My Line? questions

[irismason42]

1) When did the show eliminate the "Wild Guess" format and replaced it with the "1 free guess" format?

2) When did the show eliminate the "1 Free Guess" format?

3) Was the "1 Free Guess" Format the same play as the "Wild Guess" format?

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'irismason42\' date=\'Jun 13 2004, 05:52 PM\'] 1) When did the show eliminate the "Wild Guess" format and replaced it with the "1 free guess" format?
2) When did the show eliminate the "1 Free Guess" format?
3) Was the "1 Free Guess" Format the same play as the "Wild Guess" format? [/quote]
 Wow, for once *I* get a chance to be all Zachish on everybody.

Unless I misunderstand your question, the "wild guess" and the "one free guess" are the same thing.  Each panelist got a chance to make a wild, free guess as to a contestant's occupation before the questioning began.  

The exact date that the feature began is probably lost to the dozens of shows that no longer exist from the earliest days.  I believe the first time it was done successfully was by Arlene on September 14, 1952.

The last time they used the "wild guess" was on April 10, 1955.  The next week saw the only two major rule changes the show made in seventeen years:  Dropping the free guess, and changing the rules of the Mystery Guest round to one question at a time rather than asking until they got a "no".

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Jun 13 2004, 05:24 PM\']Unless I misunderstand your question, the "wild guess" and the "one free guess" are the same thing.  Each panelist got a chance to make a wild, free guess as to a contestant's occupation before the questioning began. 

The exact date that the feature began is probably lost to the dozens of shows that no longer exist from the earliest days.  I believe the first time it was done successfully was by Arlene on September 14, 1952.

The last time they used the "wild guess" was on April 10, 1955.  The next week saw the only two major rule changes the show made in seventeen years:  Dropping the free guess, and changing the rules of the Mystery Guest round to one question at a time rather than asking until they got a "no".[/quote]
The wild guess was there on the first show in 1950, which GSN has aired a few times.

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 14 2004, 02:40 PM\'] The wild guess was there on the first show in 1950, which GSN has aired a few times. [/quote]
 Not that I doubt you, but I was under the impression that all of the earliest episodes were gone.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Jun 14 2004, 04:24 PM\'] [quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Jun 14 2004, 02:40 PM\'] The wild guess was there on the first show in 1950, which GSN has aired a few times. [/quote]
Not that I doubt you, but I was under the impression that all of the earliest episodes were gone. [/quote]
 No, they've aired the premiere episode a couple of times; and IIRC, this was the first show GSN ever broadcast.

[TwoInchQuad]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Jun 14 2004, 01:24 PM\'] Not that I doubt you, but I was under the impression that all of the earliest episodes were gone. [/quote]

There are a few kinnies from 1950-1952 still extant (including as previously mentioned the first show), but by and large most of the first two years are indeed MIA at this point.  

For at least a portion of that time, though, the program was only on every other week, so the loss (in terms of overall numbers) isn't as bad as it could've been.

-Kevin

[Steve Gavazzi]

[quote name=\'TwoInchQuad\' date=\'Jun 14 2004, 06:00 PM\'] For at least a portion of that time, though, the program was only on every other week, so the loss (in terms of overall numbers) isn't as bad as it could've been. [/quote]
 And that, of course, begs the question:  what was on during the "other" weeks?

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'Steve Gavazzi\' date=\'Jun 15 2004, 04:34 PM\'] [quote name=\'TwoInchQuad\' date=\'Jun 14 2004, 06:00 PM\'] For at least a portion of that time, though, the program was only on every other week, so the loss (in terms of overall numbers) isn't as bad as it could've been. [/quote]
And that, of course, begs the question:  what was on during the "other" weeks? [/quote]
 I looked in my TV reference books and couldn't readily find the answer, but I did find out that the show that WML replaced was called "The Front Page" which starred that well known actor, John Charles Daly! (Betcha didn't know that.)