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Of all the panel shows that aired...which was your least favorite?
I lean towards I've got a Secret...it seemed to be very, very, cut and dry.
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For me, it was The Name's the Same. In watching the episodes when GSN first went on the air, I couldn't get the appeal of it - it just seemed like another What's My Line to me. However, tastes change I guess, because I just acquired three episodes of it and like it a lot better now!
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The Gong Show
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[quote name=\'PaulD\' date=\'Oct 11 2005, 06:29 PM\']The Gong Show
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I know Mark said, "all the panel show"...but I really don't think that's what he meant.
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For me, it's Name's the Same. Wasn't a fan when I first saw it, and still not a fan. It lacked the charm of the other shows. Garry and Steve saved IGaS.
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Of what I've seen, I'd say Make The Connection. Probably because by then, G-T had gone to the well once too often for talent. Wolf didn't do too badly with Masquerade Party, but it's a shame other shows like Who Pays? (Who's The Boss?) aren't floating around to see how their panels compared with G-T's.
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After seeing "What's Going On?" I'd have to say it was not a shining example of the art.
More recently, "You Lie Like a Dog" was ... well... something left behind on the carpet.
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[quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 10:04 AM\']After seeing "What's Going On?" I'd have to say it was not a shining example of the art.
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Wasn't What's Going On plagued by 1950s era technology, at least in part? They couldn't do the remotes back then that can be done now, as was discussed on ATGS a couple of times.
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I'm glad someone mentioned "The Name's the Same"--the last show you would ever think would get revived got revived last night in the UK.
BBC4, the Beeb's non-broadcast digital "culture" channel, has been doing a bunch of the shows on the theme "The Lost Decade: 1945-55" (off of the belief that it's been forgotten between WWII's "Greatest Generation" and the birth of rock and roll after 1955). Last Tuesday night, they did a documentary on TV panel shows of the time, followed by a one-shot revival of "WML?" (the only panelist you might know here was Dave Gorman, the comedian who's currently touring the U.S. in his "Googlewhack Adventure" one-man show).
Last night, "TNTS" was revived for one night only, with Gorman co-hosting (Frank Muir and Denis Norden, best known as panelists on the radio show "My Word!", hosted the original British version together, which may've inspired G-T to put in Bob and Ray as hosts of the U.S. version), followed by a repeat of the British show "The Brains Trust" from 1958.
Next Tuesday night, it's a repeat of the original UK "WML?", hosted by Eammon Andrews, followed by a 1960 episode of the interview show "Face to Face" with ascerbic "WML?" panelist Gilbert Harding interviewed.
The home page for this series of BBC4 programs:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/lostdecade/ (http://\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/lostdecade/\")
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[quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 11:04 AM\']After seeing "What's Going On?" I'd have to say it was not a shining example of the art.
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I agree. Especially since it was somewhat difficult for them experimenting with the live remote format at the time, like mentioned above. Maybe if they tried it some years later, it would have had a slightly better chance of working.
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But at least "What's Going On?" had a potentially neat concept going on. "Name's The Same" was as dull to watch as you can get. Generally, I don't stop to watch the panel shows, but if the central subjects are interesting, I'll take in a "Truth" or "Line" but that's about all. "Secret" doesn't grab me, and I think that's all there are.
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When they added the fourth panelist and later the second host to "The Name's the Same," it was obvious they were clutching at straws. But I love Joan Alexander, and Meredith Wilson and Carl Reiner were terrific with her. Robert Q was good, too. The only trouble was the out-of-whack celebrity segment.
IGAS is my least favorite of the ones I've seen, only because there was so little game to it. The panels and Garry were great. That or "The 3rd Degree."
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As I've said before, most of the panel shows have very little game to them. They rise and fall on the strength of their panels, not the strength of their games. I've Got A Secret was, in its day, the most popular panel show on television. WML? was merely classier, though despite the absence of Bill Cullen, it remains my personal favorite. And while it's fun today for me to see the guy who wrote The Music Man as a regular panelist on a game show, The Name's The Same had the least charismatic regular panel of all, which is why it is deservedly obscure today.
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 04:09 PM\']And while it's fun today for me to see the guy who wrote The Music Man as a regular panelist on a game show, The Name's The Same had the least charismatic regular panel of all, which is why it is deservedly obscure today.
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Wasn't it obscure when it first aired? It was on ABC while the others were on the Tiffany Network, so that couldn't have helped.
Besides, Joan Alexander had way more charisma than Bess Myerson.
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[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 02:09 PM\']As I've said before, most of the panel shows have very little game to them. They rise and fall on the strength of their panels, not the strength of their games.[/quote]
Strange that this point hasn't really been made - I find that really the only thing that attracts me to the panel shows is humor, and while the panelists can be a big part of that, the game format can ramp that up substantially, too. Hence, my #1 panel show is WML?: Live on Stage :), followed closely by the original WML?, and, strangely enough, The Name's the Same, then IGAS. On a Sunday night, I enjoyed the lowbrow humor of TNTS. I even enjoyed It's News To Me.
ObBadPanelShow: In a distant last on my list: What's Going On? No humor, no good panel, no nuthyn'.
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Despite some who don't care for The Name's The Same today, the fact that it lasted for almost four full years on the puniest of the three networks in it's earliest days - and that it had it's time slot moved about 5 times over the run - I still have to give the show some props. Either (a) the show had respectable enough ratings by ABC standards, or (b) it was a low-budget way to fill a half-hour. Thinking along with Neumms that a stable time slot on a better network might have given it a few more years. And perhaps a larger network would have given the producers a wider range of talent to choose from for panelists. I know it looks a little creaky today, but it must have done ok back then. A solid host would have helped, too - but there's only one John Charles Daly. Do you think any of the NTS hosts came close?
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[quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 11:35 PM\']Despite some who don't care for The Name's The Same today, the fact that it lasted for almost four full years on the puniest of the three networks in it's earliest days - and that it had it's time slot moved about 5 times over the run - I still have to give the show some props. Either (a) the show had respectable enough ratings by ABC standards, or (b) it was a low-budget way to fill a half-hour. Thinking along with Neumms that a stable time slot on a better network might have given it a few more years. And perhaps a larger network would have given the producers a wider range of talent to choose from for panelists. I know it looks a little creaky today, but it must have done ok back then. A solid host would have helped, too - but there's only one John Charles Daly. Do you think any of the NTS hosts came close?
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Id say Robert Q. Lewis was a very good host Not the caliber of John Charles Daly but a good host..he kept the game moving. Dennis James was competent but had a cranky side about him that showed on the air I think..While it was interesting to see some of Bob and Ray's routines on Video..They were clearly out of their element here..The routines bogged down the gameplay (and I am a huge fan of theirs)
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[quote name=\'Tim L\' date=\'Oct 13 2005, 12:39 AM\']Id say Robert Q. Lewis was a very good host Not the caliber of John Charles Daly but a good host..he kept the game moving. Dennis James was competent but had a cranky side about him that showed on the air I think..While it was interesting to see some of Bob and Ray's routines on Video..They were clearly out of their element here..The routines bogged down the gameplay (and I am a huge fan of theirs)
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I agree. Bob and Ray's bits were really funny; they just didn't belong on that show. Dennis James and Clifton Faddiman weren't right. Too much fake affability.
Q-sie was funny and good. The show did need something--I can't imagine it sticking around for 20 years no matter where it ran--but it's hard to say what.
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[quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 09:35 PM\']Despite some who don't care for The Name's The Same today, the fact that it lasted for almost four full years on the puniest of the three networks in it's earliest days - and that it had it's time slot moved about 5 times over the run - I still have to give the show some props.
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Admittedly, it didn't take a lot to keep a show on the air in the days of two strong networks and ABC. And I wouldn't ignore the cost factor; heck, that's what kept "Whose Line" on ABC for several years.
Then again, in those days, sponsor preference had a lot to do with it; "Voice of Firestone" ran well beyond its sell-by date because of who wanted it on the air. It could just be that since it had companies willing to sponsor it, the network was willing to shut up and take the money.
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[quote name=\'DrBear\' date=\'Oct 13 2005, 06:41 AM\'][quote name=\'The Ol' Guy\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 09:35 PM\']Despite some who don't care for The Name's The Same today, the fact that it lasted for almost four full years on the puniest of the three networks in it's earliest days - and that it had it's time slot moved about 5 times over the run - I still have to give the show some props.
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Admittedly, it didn't take a lot to keep a show on the air in the days of two strong networks and ABC. And I wouldn't ignore the cost factor; heck, that's what kept "Whose Line" on ABC for several years.
Then again, in those days, sponsor preference had a lot to do with it; "Voice of Firestone" ran well beyond its sell-by date because of who wanted it on the air. It could just be that since it had companies willing to sponsor it, the network was willing to shut up and take the money.
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But it's also interesting to note that "TNTS" also bounced around from sponsor to sponsor, as well--they didn't have a sugar daddy to support it the way Stopette saved "WML?" from early oblivion. They also had alternating sponsors when it was not as common as later in the decade (and the 60s, when single sponsorship began dying out).
But yeah, both ABC and DuMont seemed to have lots of panel shows to fill those schedule holes (along with the endlessly repackaged Revue Studios dramas on ABC and boxing and wrestling on DuMont).
ObDeniSposa: Dennis James first got attention for announcing wrestling matches on DuMont ("OK, mother, that's a choke hold").
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But it's also interesting to note that "TNTS" also bounced around from sponsor to sponsor, as well--they didn't have a sugar daddy to support it the way Stopette saved "WML?" from early oblivion.
Yep...the original was Swanson, then Ralston-Purina...any others I missed?
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
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[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Oct 12 2005, 10:48 AM\']I'm glad someone mentioned "The Name's the Same"--the last show you would ever think would get revived got revived last night in the UK.
BBC4, the Beeb's non-broadcast digital "culture" channel, has been doing a bunch of the shows on the theme "The Lost Decade: 1945-55" (off of the belief that it's been forgotten between WWII's "Greatest Generation" and the birth of rock and roll after 1955). Last Tuesday night, they did a documentary on TV panel shows of the time, followed by a one-shot revival of "WML?" (the only panelist you might know here was Dave Gorman, the comedian who's currently touring the U.S. in his "Googlewhack Adventure" one-man show).
Last night, "TNTS" was revived for one night only, with Gorman co-hosting (Frank Muir and Denis Norden, best known as panelists on the radio show "My Word!", hosted the original British version together, which may've inspired G-T to put in Bob and Ray as hosts of the U.S. version), followed by a repeat of the British show "The Brains Trust" from 1958.
Next Tuesday night, it's a repeat of the original UK "WML?", hosted by Eammon Andrews, followed by a 1960 episode of the interview show "Face to Face" with ascerbic "WML?" panelist Gilbert Harding interviewed.
The home page for this series of BBC4 programs:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/lostdecade/ (http://\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/lostdecade/\")
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And I was under the impression that 99.9% of all British TV shows prior to 1970 were simply gone. Disposed of. Destroyed. I'd love to see some of the old-time British game shows (the ones that managed to survive, anyway).
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[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Oct 18 2005, 09:31 PM\']
But it's also interesting to note that "TNTS" also bounced around from sponsor to sponsor, as well--they didn't have a sugar daddy to support it the way Stopette saved "WML?" from early oblivion.
Yep...the original was Swanson, then Ralston-Purina...any others I missed?
Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
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Bendix Washers/Appliances and Johnson Wax, Which had in 1950 dropped its longtime (15 years) sponsorship of Fibber McGee And Molly On NBC Radio. Johnson Wax and Bendix had at varous times alternated sponsorship on TNTS with Swanson..
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[quote name=\'MrBuddwing\' date=\'Oct 18 2005, 08:51 PM\']And I was under the impression that 99.9% of all British TV shows prior to 1970 were simply gone. Disposed of. Destroyed. I'd love to see some of the old-time British game shows (the ones that managed to survive, anyway).
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There's a few floating around. The first episode of Double Your Money (1955) and single epsiodes of Animal/Vegetable/Mineral (1958) and The Golden Shot (1970) have hit UKNova this year.
If you thought What's My Line? may have been a tad staid, it's Karn-era Feud compared to Animal/Vegetable/Mineral. The entire half-hour was three museum curators trying to guess what were the items in a recent Czechoslovakian archaelogical dig, taking about four minutes per item.
--Mike