This Week's TV Game Show Almanac

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FEBRUARY 2, 1950


"Is it bigger than a breadbox?"


Sometimes yes, sometimes no, but the popularity of this game---Mark Goodson and Bill Todman's first big primetime hit---exceeded the size of every breadbox in America! It would be a memorable Groundhog's Day for CBS, as on that evening, What's My Line?, "everybody's favorite guessing game" executive-produced by Gil Fates, directed by Franklin Heller and emceed by the venerable John Charles Daly, debuted on its Thursday schedule @ 8:00 PM (EST), live from the CBS television studio at New York's Grand Central Station. 2 months later, in April, it was routed to Wednesday evenings @ 9 PM, and in October, it found a new home @ 10:30 PM Sundays, where it became a mainstay for the remainder of its long run on The Eye Network.

"And now, let's all play What's My Line?!"

In this game, 4 panelists guessed unusual occupations of contestants or a product they were associated. The contestant, at Daly's behest, entered and signed his name on a blackboard; his/her line would then flash onscreen for all of the studio and home audience to see. Effective April 17, 1955, panelists made "wild guesses" at the contestant's job. A panelist asked a question and the contestant would respond "yes" or "no". If the answer was "yes", then the panelist would continue inquiring until a "no" answer is reached, and play would pass clockwise to the next panelist. A "no" answer would earn that contestant $5; the game ended when either the job is correctly identified, or a total of 10 "no" answers were given. The most a contestant would earn was $50. At the end of the game (or sometimes at the start), a special round was played in which the panel would try to correctly ID a celebrity "Mystery Guest" while blindfolded; said mystery guest disguised his/her voice to completely fool the panel. The April 17, 1955 broadcast saw a new rule wherein each panelist asked one question at a time moving clockwise. The Mystery Guest round persevered until either a panelist successfully guessed The Mystery Guest's identity, 10 "no" answers were given, or when time ran out.

What's My Line?'s debut telecast boasted a panel which consisted of syndicated newspaper columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, former New Jersey Gov. Harold Hoffman, psychiatrist Dr. Richard Hoffman (unrelated), and poet/critic Louis Untermeyer; the very first contestants were Pat Finch (hatcheck girl from The Stork Club), Arthur Feinberg (executive from The Cascade Diaper Club), and Dr. Seymour Kolodny (a veterinarian). For the first and only time, Madeline Tyler handed blindfolds to the panelists, and the first mystery guest was New York Yankee shortstop Phil Rizutto.

Panelists Arlene Francis, who joined on the second telecast; and Bennett Cerf (also a guest host), who climbed aboard in March 1951, remained, along with Dorothy Kilgallen mainstays on the show for years. More panelists involved the popular likes of comics Steve Allen and Ernie Kovacs; Lee Vines, Hal Simms (who later came into his own as announcer for the CBS Daytime dramas As The World Turns and The Edge Of Night), Ralph Paul and Johnny Olson all took turns as announcer. Among its many popular sponsors was Kellogg's Cereals; emcee Dennis James was a spokesman in many commercials for the company aired during What's My Line?'s numerous telecasts. WML? sired a radio spin-off, which ran on CBS Radio from 1952-53. The game aired a special color telecast on September 19, 1954, from CBS Studio 72; regular color episodes would not commence until September 11, 1966, the debut of its final season on CBS, by which point it switched locations to CBS Studio 50 (now The Ed Sullivan Theater).

Continued...

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Finally, after 17 1/2 seasons, the novelty (and high ratings) had worn off, and so it was that the 876th and final telecast of What's My Line? aired on CBS September 3, 1967, with panelists Martin Gabel (who made the most appearances as guest panelist), Arlene Francis (at the time married to Gabel), Steve Allen (by-now former I've Got A Secret emcee), and Bennett Cerf. (Panelist Dorothy Killigallen tragically succumbed to an overdose in November 1965). The highlights of the finale were clips from past telecasts, a visit by WML?'s first contestants---and the final Mystery Guest, who was none other than John Daly himself!!! Series originators Goodson and Todman and Johnny Olsen appeared with Daly at the tail end as WML? went, as that poet said, "into that good night."

With WML? gone, only 4 Goodson-Todman daytime game shows remained on the air---Password, To Tell The Truth, The Match Game, and Snap Judgement---and their time, too, was running out. Thus, in 1968, it was decided by G-T to strike a deal with CBS Films (later Viacom) to syndicate a new, videotaped 5-days-a-week edition of What's My Line?; for this special occasion, they hatched a rather clever and innovative idea to produce 5 shows in a day, something which continues to be done to this very day! The color animated intro used during the final CBS season was reused for  the new version's main title sequence (for its first few seasons, anyway), and original WML? mainstays Arlene Francis and producer Gil Fates were back for this new edition; with original host John Daly now devoting his time to being The Voice Of America, veteran journalist Wally Bruner was tapped to be new emcee. Johnny Olsen (the final original announcer), Chet Gould, Wayne Howell, and Dennis Wholey announced. The first 3 seasons saw the series taped at its old location, The Ed Sullivan Theater in New York; after which, NBC Studios 8H and 6A became its permanent home. Wally Bruner split in 1972 to host his own do-it-yourself show, Wally's Workshop, with his wife Natalie; Larry Blyden emceed in Bruner's stead for the remainder of the new WML?'s run, which continued until September 1975, after 7 seasons and 1,315 shows. Blyden himself met with a fate of a different kind, as he was killed in an auto accident on vacation in Morocco at age 49; he was slated to emcee a new G-T game, Showoffs.

Just before WML? ceased production, ABC aired What's My Line? At 25 on May 28, 1975 a 90-minute special hosted by John Daly, Arlene Francis, and Mark Goodson celebrating 25 years of What's My Line?. In its own inimitable way, it brought closure to one of the most enduring  game shows of our time. Though many further attempts to revive the show have been shot down, GSN (Game Show Network) has for the past 11 years and continues to endure new viewers (as many of its originals) to repeats of both editions of What's My Line?. This year, the game celebrates 55 years (1950-2005)!

A HAPPY 55TH ANNIVERSARY TO WHAT'S MY LINE?!