The Game Show Forum

The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: mmb5 on January 19, 2004, 10:12:39 PM

Title: Was Choose Up Sides also a local show?
Post by: mmb5 on January 19, 2004, 10:12:39 PM
An excerpt from a story-length obit that appeared in Saturday's Detroit Free Press (full article (http://\"http://www.freep.com/news/obituaries/mill17_20040117.htm\")) on the death of Dean Miller, a former Detroit news anchor:

He also was host of two game shows, "Choose Up Sides" and "There's One in Every Family."

If you read his obit, this would be the time he was in LA, since he started as an actor and only became an anchor later in his career.

So, does anybody have info on either Choose Up Sides being a local show outside of NYC or any info There's One in Every Family, the latter not being in EOTVGS?


--Mike
Title: Was Choose Up Sides also a local show?
Post by: Jimmy Owen on January 19, 2004, 11:20:53 PM
According to Alex McNeil's book "Total Television," "Choose Up Sides" began in 1953 as a local show in NYC with Dean Miller.  "There's One In Every Family" was a CBS network daytime show hosted first by John Reed King and succeeded by Dean Miller.  The show ran from 9/29/52 to 6/13/53.  If I'm not mistaken, the show shared a timeslot with "The Bill Cullen Show."
Title: Was Choose Up Sides also a local show?
Post by: Matt Ottinger on January 19, 2004, 11:38:10 PM
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jan 20 2004, 12:20 AM\'] According to Alex McNeil's book "Total Television," "Choose Up Sides" began in 1953 as a local show in NYC with Dean Miller.  "There's One In Every Family" was a CBS network daytime show hosted first by John Reed King and succeeded by Dean Miller.  The show ran from 9/29/52 to 6/13/53.  If I'm not mistaken, the show shared a time slot with "The Bill Cullen Show." [/quote]
OK, now you've got me involved.  And tonight of all nights, I'm really confused.

In my write-up of The Bill Cullen Show, I described There's One In Every Family as a daytime serial.  That's clearly wrong.  Wesley Hyatt's book The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television describes the show.  Here's the description:

Quote
Billed as a showcase for "outstandingly different family members", There's One In Every Family employed such contestants as a boy who wanted to fly to the moon and a woman who had served as "big sister" to several homesick servicemen.  These people competed in generating the most studio audience support via applause and by winning money for their dreams by a question-and-answer session.

John Reed King hosted it originally (9/29/52).  A Saturday version started on 11/15/52 hosted by Mike Wallace (yes, THAT Mike Wallace).  Starting either 2/9/53 or 3/9/53, the show originated from Los Angeles, and that's when Dean Miller hosted it until it was cancelled on 6/12/53.

And the weird part:  On Thursdays, from 2/12/53 to 5/14/53, the show shrank from thirty minutes to fifteen, and the last quarter-hour was taken up by The Bill Cullen Show.  At least that's my best guess.  Cullen's show was definitely 15 minutes long, but Wesley Hyatt's information is contradictory.  It's possible that some other show aired for the first fifteen minutes on Thursday and Family didn't air at all.

And now you're as confused as I.  A surprising omission from the EOTVGS since it does appear to have included a Q&A segment and it was a network (CBS) show.
Title: Was Choose Up Sides also a local show?
Post by: Jimmy Owen on January 20, 2004, 08:48:46 AM
TOIEF is listed in the EOTVGS (at least in the second edition I have) on pg. 199.
Title: Was Choose Up Sides also a local show?
Post by: inturnaround on January 20, 2004, 11:18:40 AM
[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jan 20 2004, 08:48 AM\'] TOIEF is listed in the EOTVGS (at least in the second edition I have) on pg. 199. [/quote]
 Yes, it's also in the Third Edition on page 223.
Title: Was Choose Up Sides also a local show?
Post by: mmb5 on January 20, 2004, 06:59:59 PM
[quote name=\'inturnaround\' date=\'Jan 20 2004, 11:18 AM\'] [quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Jan 20 2004, 08:48 AM\'] TOIEF is listed in the EOTVGS (at least in the second edition I have) on pg. 199. [/quote]
Yes, it's also in the Third Edition on page 223. [/quote]
 Oops.  In my fatigue-ravaged body, I misspelled "there" in my head and missed the EOTVGS entry completely.  Old age will do this to you.

As far as the missing 15 minutes on the CBS Thursday morning lineup in 1953, it was probably taken up by Arthur Godfrey Time.


--Mike