Let's hear it for game show hosting longevity!

[TwoInchQuad]

...instead, it's one of the largely unsung heroes of our genre-- Mac McGarry!!

How do you find out more about Mr. McGarry and his show?

Why, "It's Academic"  :

http://www.nbc4.com/itsacademic/index.html

A salute to all involved with this 44-year old classic!

-Kevin

[Fedya]

Why do they have to use "nbc4.com" as their URL and not their call letters?  They're not the only NBC affiliate on channel 4!

(By the same token, WRGB used to be wrgb.com, but not advertise themselves as cbs6.com.  I can't understand the reasons for wanting to hide one's call letters.)

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'Fedya\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 10:08 PM\']Why do they have to use "nbc4.com" as their URL and not their call letters?  They're not the only NBC affiliate on channel 4!

(By the same token, WRGB used to be wrgb.com, but not advertise themselves as cbs6.com.  I can't understand the reasons for wanting to hide one's call letters.)

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[/quote]
We now live in a yellow sub, er, ahem, 'scuse me, . . .a world where call letters have been deemphasized.  In Chicago, the four major network affils promote themselves on-air as "CBS 2," "NBC 5," "ABC 7" and "Fox Chicago" without almost ever mentioning the calls.  So it logically follows that the websites would use similar tactics.  FWIW, KNBC's website is now www.nbc4.tv, while WNBC's site does use the calls (which are pretty legendary to begin with).

WRC prolly put in first for the use of nbc4.com.

EDIT:  The tryptophan must be kicking in--I can't remember the last time I maid sew menny typoze (hopefully I got them all corrected).

Doug

[uncamark]

[quote name=\'TwoInchQuad\' date=\'Nov 24 2005, 03:19 PM\']...instead, it's one of the largely unsung heroes of our genre-- Mac McGarry!!

How do you find out more about Mr. McGarry and his show?

Why, "It's Academic"  :

http://www.nbc4.com/itsacademic/index.html

A salute to all involved with this 44-year old classic!

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[/quote]

A couple of years ago, when I was in Washington, I got to watch a little bit of "It's Academic" and a repeat on an access channel of a spelling bee where McGarry was the pronouncer (in front of his library set he always stands in front of on "It's Academic").  Class guy.

Of course, I find it amusing that the game set for the contestants is filled with flashing lights while Mac's set and his Giant Foods podium probably haven't changed in 44 years.

[TwoInchQuad]

One thing that they don't mention is the network version of the show (I don't think the GS Encyclopedia mentions it either, by the way...).

Possibly because it was both short-lived, and hosted by someone else [Art James]...  the network was NBC.

-Kevin

[Jimmy Owen]

According to my back issues of TV Guide, the Art James version of "It's Academic" was a local show on WNBC from at least 1964 to 1971. Most of the time the show aired Saturday night at 6pm.  WABC also had a local high school quiz in the early 70's called "Secret Challenge" which was hosted by Robert King.  That aired at 7pm on Saturdays.

[TwoInchQuad]

I think my source must have been faulty then-- it gave the broadcast entity as NBC... and while I 'm sure that WNBC is an O-and-O, that doesn't quite count as a network airing.

Thanks for the info!

-Kevin

[Allstar87]

Ah yes, It's Academic. I know this show very well; I live in an area that gets it.

I've been to a few tapings of the show, as well. My old high school competes on it every year, and I would go to cheer them on. I even got to meet Mac after a taping, and I had my picture taken with him! One of the best days of my life.

[larchmont]

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Nov 29 2005, 01:57 AM\']According to my back issues of TV Guide, the Art James version of "It's Academic" was a local show on WNBC from at least 1964 to 1971. Most of the time the show aired Saturday night at 6pm.  WABC also had a local high school quiz in the early 70's called "Secret Challenge" which was hosted by Robert King.  That aired at 7pm on Saturdays.

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[/quote]
Yes, in my day (1966-67, with Art James) it was 7 P.M. in New York.

By the way  --  For a brief stretch, I think maybe for just a year, there was ANOTHER host of the New York edition, a guy named Lee Leonard. I think it was 1965-66. It had been Art James before that, and then again after that.
I'm thrilled to find this site  -- got it by googling "It's Academic." Also I was pleasantly surprised to find that the show is actually STILL GOING.
I was on my school's team in 1967. We made it to the semi-finals, where we lost to a team captained by SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER(!)
When I see him at rallies, I have fun reminding him about it.

P.S. It's all good  --  his team lost in the finals, to a team captained by a friend of mine. :-)

[Robert Hutchinson]

[quote name=\'larchmont\' date=\'Jan 19 2006, 12:05 AM\'](By the way......I didn't see how to QUOTE SOMEONE'S POST in a reply.
Some help??
I see that some of you do that.)[/quote]

You click the "REPLY" button that is to the immediate lower right of the post you want to quote.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' date=\'Jan 19 2006, 03:13 PM\'][quote name=\'larchmont\' date=\'Jan 19 2006, 12:05 AM\'](By the way......I didn't see how to QUOTE SOMEONE'S POST in a reply.
Some help??
I see that some of you do that.)[/quote]

You click the "REPLY" button that is to the immediate lower right of the post you want to quote.

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[/quote]
And thank you for making an effort to ask.

(Do please try to get into the habit early of deleting out those parts of the quote not relevant to your comment, though. Many here would appreciate that a great deal.)

[larchmont]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jan 19 2006, 07:32 PM\'](Do please try to get into the habit early of deleting out those parts of the quote not relevant to your comment, though. Many here would appreciate that a great deal.)[/quote]
Thanks, will do!
BTW.....The reason I couldn't see for myself how to "quote" is that my screen wasn't showing the right-hand side of the page, and I didn't realize that.

P.S. GREAT SITE  --  much appreciated!

[mbclev]

[quote name=\'Allstar87\' date=\'Dec 2 2005, 06:13 PM\']Ah yes, It's Academic. I know this show very well; I live in an area that gets it.

I've been to a few tapings of the show, as well. My old high school competes on it every year, and I would go to cheer them on. I even got to meet Mac after a taping, and I had my picture taken with him! One of the best days of my life.

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[/quote]

I was fortunate to meet Mac also, as well as show creator Sophie Altman, on November 11, 2000 when I went to Washington for a taping, and took a picture of Mac next to the big "It's Academic" sign under the Giant Food logo.  That day was one of the best of my life.  I've also seen tapings of "It's Ac" 's sister show in Cleveland,  "Academic Challenge" since it returned in 2003, including both of Solon High School's championship wins.  The Cleveland tapings are businesslike, but the Washington shows, I feel, are much more fun to attend, because you can see all four games being taped that day, unlike in Cleveland, where the studio is smaller than Washington's.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'larchmont\' date=\'Jan 19 2006, 07:46 PM\']Thanks, will do!
BTW.....The reason I couldn't see for myself how to "quote" is that my screen wasn't showing the right-hand side of the page, and I didn't realize that.
[/quote]
I like him. He listens. He will do well here.

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'larchmont\' date=\'Jan 19 2006, 10:46 PM\']BTW.....The reason I couldn't see for myself how to "quote" is that my screen wasn't showing the right-hand side of the page, and I didn't realize that.

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[/quote]
Just a suggestion: you might need an updated browser.  I know from experience that the Mac version of Internet Explorer displays the exact behavior that you describe; newer browsers like Firefox display our site correctly.