WML Live!

[clemon79]

So I'm reading Wil Wheaton's blog this morning, and I came across this little bit that may be of interest to you Southern Californians.

Apprently he's gonna be a panelist at ACME Comedy Theater's presentation of "What's My Line -  Live On Stage!" hosted by "Beat The Geeks'" own J. Keith van Straaten. It's an improv version of the game, totally unscripted....they actually do play the game and the production is said to be done in the 1950's style.

Looks like it's an ongoing thing, too...Wednesday nights at 8, with the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks, for the rest of the year.

The whole scoop is at J. Keith's site, so you locals should go check it out and tell us how it is. I'd be all over it if I lived down that way.

[Matt Ottinger]

Pardon the play on words, but I'm very, very "geeked" about this.  

These are young people who see the inherent comedy potential in a fifty-four year old format and who sound like they're going to play the game for real.  Their celebrity panel has decent cred for this sort of thing, and presumably was selected on the basis of being able to play and be quick-witted, something the more recent televised remakes didn't seem to care about.  They even went and found a vintage panelist, though not one many people would remember.

Aside from the fact that they appear to be playing fast and loose with somebody else's intellectual property, I think this is a fabulous thing.  Wouldn't it be wild if this became the Next Big Thing in the LA comedy scene, and THEY get right what CBS got so horribly, horribly wrong a couple years back?

If this was during the summer, I would SO be there.  Between QuizBusters tapings and school, there's no way.

[clemon79]

It does sound like a ton of fun. I hope it succeeds so it can be a regular thing, and that Fremantle doesn't get dicky about it, because I could be convinced to plan a vacation about attending such an event, especially if a Jeopardy taping or something was worked into it. (I dunno if I'm getting up at no 3:00a to see TPiR.

[zachhoran]

They even went and found a vintage WML panelist, though not one many people would remember.

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Danny Goldman, I would assume he is from the Bruner/Blyden era.

[chris319]

Refresh my memory here: WML? is currently owned by CBS/Viacom?

WML? is the easiest game show to play at home because it requires zero preparation. Just make up an occupation and start the questioning.

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Nov 1 2004, 06:44 PM\']Danny Goldman, I would assume he is from the Bruner/Blyden era.

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Obviously, since it said he appeared in 1968.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Nov 1 2004, 04:44 PM\']They even went and found a vintage WML panelist, though not one many people would remember.

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Danny Goldman, I would assume he is from the Bruner/Blyden era.

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If this wasn't an "I SIMPLY HAVE TO POST" moment, I don't know what is.

[Steve McClellan]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Nov 1 2004, 12:00 PM\']Wednesday nights at 8[/quote]
Okay, Forum. I need some advice. I'm taking a date to this Wednesday's J! tapings. She probably wouldn't be interested in WML? (She's a one-game-show gal). Do I:

1) Realize there will be five more opportunities in the future, and calmly keep my plans intact,
2) Convince her to go with me, probably angering her to the point she'll never want to see me again, or
3) Bolt out of the Sony Studios the instant the fifth taping ends, and leave her wandering the streets of Culver City 'til about 10:00?

All advice is appreciated.

[Jimmy Owen]

If she won't go with you to WML, find another gal.  I know women who follow football and NASCAR, only because their man does.  If she does go, however, you must reciprocate and happily agree to accompany her to any women's clothing store and wait for her as she tries on dresses for hours at a time.

[SplitSecond]

J. Keith's previous show at ACME was "The J. Keith van Straaten Show", which was ultimately Letterman, done weekly without the benefit of cameras.

J. Keith's onstage persona is very smug and self-possessed, and he tries to pass it off as ironic humor (in this regard, he's far more like Kilborn than Letterman).  I can't see him doing justice to the What's My Line? format, but I'm glad that at least someone's trying.

[Matt Ottinger]

[quote name=\'SplitSecond\' date=\'Nov 2 2004, 11:51 AM\']J. Keith's onstage persona is very smug and self-possessed, and he tries to pass it off as ironic humor (in this regard, he's far more like Kilborn than Letterman).  I can't see him doing justice to the What's My Line? format, but I'm glad that at least someone's trying.[/quote]If you say he's more Kilborn than Letterman, then red flags are definitely up.  Still, I don't think this is a case where he's going to make fun of the basic structure.  After all, why go to all the trouble of calling it WML? and potentially getting in trouble with Copyright Cops if you're just going to trash the game?

It's too bad about the smugness, but I definitely give him props for taking such moribund formats as the chat show and the panel game and trying them out in front of a live theatre audience.  At the very least, it sounds like this guy has a fondness for the classic structures of live television.

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Nov 1 2004, 07:21 PM\']Refresh my memory here: WML? is currently owned by CBS/Viacom?

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Last we heard (the attempt at the revival), seemed that Fremantle owned the format, although Mirimax co-produced the revival.

In his book, Fates said that CBS sold "WML?" to Garry Moore's production company, who then sold it to a division of the now-defunct Beatrice Foods (the owners of record when Fates wrote the book).  God knows where the trail led back to Fremantle--if that is the trail.