What's My Line?

"What's My Line" was the title of two episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; see "What's My Line, Part One" and "What's My Line, Part Two".

What's My Line? was a weekly panel game show originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. The series debuted on Thursday, February 2, 1950 at 8:00 p.m. EST and aired on alternating weeks. On Wednesday, April 12, 1950, the broadcast was changed to alternate Wednesday evenings at 9:00 p.m. EST. On Sunday, October 1, 1950, CBS permanently moved the quiz show to Sunday at 10:30 p.m. EDT, finally airing weekly. The original series ran for eighteen seasons, ending its CBS run September 3, 1967. It is the longest-running game show in the history of prime time network television, and the fifth longest-running game show overall (behind The Price Is Right, Wheel of Fortune, Hollywood Squares, Jeopardy! and Concentration).

From 1968 to 1975, the series also appeared in a daily (Monday to Friday) version for syndication, still produced by Goodson-Todman Productions but distributed initially by CBS Enterprises, which was renamed Viacom in 1971.

Hosts and panelists

The original show was hosted by veteran radio and television newsman John Daly. Panelist Bennett Cerf often referred to him as John Charles Daly, Daly's professional name at the start of his CBS News career in Washington. (As writer Joe Persico noted in his 1988 biography of Edward R. Murrow, Daly shortened his name at the request of CBS Vice President Ed Klauber, but the JCD name had lingered on among some listeners and viewers.) Sometimes Cerf would introduce Daly by his full birth name, John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly.

Four panelists appeared on each program. The panelists on the initial episode were former New Jersey governor Harold G. Hoffman, psychiatrist Dr. Richard Hoffmann, columnist Dorothy Kilgallen and poet Louis Untermeyer. Actress Arlene Francis was scheduled to appear on the first program, but had to miss it due to a previous engagement. Her debut came on the second program. Other later panelists included comedy writer Hal Block and Random House publisher and humorist Bennett Cerf. Cerf, Kilgallen and Francis would remain regular panelists through most of the show's run. Humorist and entertainer Steve Allen joined the panel when Block left the show in 1953. During this period, Allen's wife Jayne Meadows often appeared in place of Arlene Francis or Dorothy Kilgallen, if necessary. Both Untermeyer and Block had been fired from the show; Untermeyer due to his alleged affiliation with suspect socialist and communist organizations (this was the time of McCarthyism), and Block for his erratic and often embarrassing on-air behavior.

In 1954 Steve Allen left and Fred Allen filled the fourth seat on the panel, until his 1956 death. The series lost another panelist when Dorothy Kilgallen died in 1965. After the deaths of both Fred Allen and Dorothy Kilgallen, their spots were not permanently filled. The chairs were left open for a series of guest panelists until the end of the show's run. Eamonn Andrews (host of the British version of What's My Line?), Clifton Fadiman, and Bennett Cerf all had filled in as host on the four occasions when Daly could not appear during the show's seventeen and one-half years on the air.

See also: List of guest panelists

Hundreds of celebrities appeared as guest panelists when regulars were absent, or in the rotating seats. The single most frequent guest was the husband of Arlene Francis, Martin Gabel, who appeared 112 times as a guest panelist and twice as a mystery guest.

Gameplay

Standard rounds

Each episode of What's My Line? featured two standard contestant rounds, sometimes more if time permitted, and one mystery guest round.

A standard round was essentially a guessing game in which the panel tried to identify the occupation (or "line of work") of the contestant. The contestant would enter and write their name on a board, then be quickly greeted and introduced by Daly who would seat the guest. For a time, the panel was allowed to "inspect" the contestant up close, and make one initial guess as to the contestant's line but this practice was cut in later seasons. Daly would briefly explain the gameplay, though in later seasons, he would ask the contestant if they knew how the game was played, and only explain if they did not. The studio and television audiences were then informed of the contestant's line, and Daly would inform the panel whether the contestant was salaried or self-employed, and starting in the 1960s, whether they dealt in a product or service.

A panelist chosen by Daly would begin by asking the contestant yes-or-no questions. If the panelist received a "no," the questioning passed to the next panelist, and $5 was added to the prize the contestant won, denoted by a stack of cards in $5 increments Daly would flip over the front of his desk to keep score. If the contestant collected 10 "no" answers, they won the game and earned $50, though Daly frequently "threw all the cards over" fairly arbitrarily, evidence that the prize was always a distant second to the gameplay.

Each panelist had the option of passing to the next panelist, but rarely did. They could also request a group conference in which the four members had a short time to openly discuss ideas about the occupation or possible lines of questioning. John Daly set the conference time limit each time one was requested, and chided the panel in a friendly manner if they discussed the line without asking for a conference. Questioning continued in rotation until the occupation was deduced or until the panel received its tenth "no" answer.

Panels usually adopted some basic binary search strategies and used initial questions to determine whether the contestant dealt in a product or service (in the days before it was given by Daly), and whether the contestant's organization was profit-making or non-profit. Common areas of questioning would include whether a contestant dealt in a product that was "alive" (in the animal sense), or "consumable" (typically in the ingestible sense). Because "no" answers were to be avoided, panelists would often phrase their questions in the negative so that a "yes" answer would be more probable, starting questions with "it is something other than..." or "can I rule out..."

Besides hosting the show, Daly acted as a moderator, cueing the panelists on their turns and flipping over cards. The host also assisted contestants with their answers, often replying for them in the case of difficult questions that needed clarification. He would sometimes need to ask the contestant a question in order to determine the correct response to the panel, and would himself have a short conference. A running joke amongst the panel was that Daly would make sure to have a conference with attractive female contestants.

Mystery guest rounds

See also: List of mystery guests

Celebrity "mystery guests" (originally called "mystery challengers" by Daly) appeared on What's My Line? in addition to the standard contestants. In a mystery guest round the panelists were blindfolded, and questioning was conducted in the same way as standard rounds. Starting in the mid-1950s, panelists were limited to one question at a time before passing control to the next panelist. The goal, of course, was not to guess the occupation, but rather the identity of the guest. Mystery guests would try to conceal their identities by disguising their voices, much to the amusement of the studio audience. However, this did not impress many celebrities and members of their families, who claimed that the voice impersonations were infringing upon the use of the star's personal trademarks, which were protected by law. Several celebrities sued the networks as well as the Goodson-Todman production team for allowing the use of their voices without permission and payment beforehand. The network warned the people involved within the show to speak in straight voices, or be canceled. When they did not listen, the network canceled the show altogether. A settlement was reached that permitted the show to be shown in syndication, on a condition that it could not return to any one of the major networks, and that the voice impersonations had to be restricted to within the public domain, meaning that the panelists and the mystery guests had to agree to stay away from impersonating celebrity voices that were protected by law. It also stated that any impersonations on the radio, had to be indicated by an announcer that the celebrity voice was impersonated, unless done by a direct member of the family of the celebrity.

Style of the show

What's My Line? is remembered as a celebration of urbanity and good manners in television. In the early years, business suits and street dresses were worn by the host and panelists, but starting in the mid-1950s, the host and male panelists wore black suits with bow ties (a few guests actually wore formal black tie) while female panelists donned formal gowns and often wore short gloves. The two exceptions to this dress code were in the shows immediately following the deaths of Fred Allen and Dorothy Kilgallen, when the male cast members wore straight neckties instead of bow ties.

Both the panelists and host initially began the program in their seats. Starting in 1954, the cast was introduced in a unique way, being presented and entering the studio one by one as if at a formal affair. The show's announcer would introduce the first panelist, who would in turn introduce the next, and so on down the line until the final panelist introduced the host. Bennett Cerf was almost always the last panelist introduced, giving him a chance to make some mild joke or pun at the expense of host John Daly while introducing him.

At the beginning of a round, Daly would invite the next contestant to "come in and sign in, please." In late 1960, his mantra evolved to the more familiar phrase, "Enter and sign in, please." The contestant would write his or her name on a small sign-in board attached to the wall. This was not a chalk board but separate panels of black art paper, which were saved for posterity. Daly would then introduce the contestant to the panel. If the contestant were female, Daly asked if she should be addressed as "Miss" or "Mrs." As a sign of the time, attractive female contestants often elicited wolf-whistles from the studio audience. In addition, Daly would usually ask the guest what city he or she hailed from.

The guessing game had a feeling of formality and adherence to rules. The polite, well-spoken Daly would generally address the panelists as Mister and Miss. Despite his responsibility to keep things moving, Daly was not above trading bon mots with the panelists during the game. Occasionally a panelist would pose a problematic question leading to an equivocal answer. Daly would often make a faux distraught face and step in to clarify matters, but his penchant for long-winded replies often left the panelists more confused than before. After a while, he played up the joke by extending his replies even more. Guest panelists would often use this as a joke, replying that they did not learn anything from his confusing comments. On more than one occasion, Daly "led the panel down the garden path," a favorite phrase used when the panel was misled by an answer.

While ostensibly a game show, What's My Line? also was an opportunity to interview celebrities and people with interesting occupations. If there was time after the game, Daly would talk with the contestant about their line, or for the mystery guests, about their careers and latest works. However, despite frequent hopes or requests by the panel (particularly Arlene Francis), there were very rarely demonstrations, unlike on sister show I've Got A Secret and the later syndicated reincarnation that combined the two shows.

Unknown to the public, mystery guests were paid $500 as an appearance fee, whether they won or lost the game. This was in addition to the maximum $50 game winnings, which they sometimes donated to charity. Guest panelists were paid $750 as an appearance fee. The regular panelists were under contract and were paid "much more," according to executive producer Gil Fates in his 1978 What's My Line? book.

The final show

The 876th and final CBS telecast of What's My Line? aired on September 3, 1967; it was highlighted by clips from past telecasts, a visit by WML?'s first contestants, and the final "Mystery Guest," who was none other than John Daly himself. (Daly had always been the emergency mystery guest in case the scheduled guest was unable to appear--always a possibility with the show usually airing live all through its run.) Series originators Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, as well as Johnny Olson appeared with Daly at the tail end as What's My Line? was cancelled.

Alternate versions

Versions in the United States

U.S. radio (1952–1953)

A weekly American CBS radio version of What's My Line? was produced from May 1952 until July 1953. The regular panelists Dorothy Kilgallen, Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis and Hal Block, along with host John Daly, premiered the radio version of their show on Tuesday May 20, 1952, while still performing the Sunday telecast. The debut mystery guest, in her only What's My Line? appearance, was Marlene Dietrich. Marlon Brando made his only What's My Line? appearance on the radio program that aired on December 3, 1952. The radio show continued through the "Hal Block era" into the "Steve Allen era" while once moving its broadcast to Wednesday. The final radio broadcast was July 1, 1953. It is unknown whether any recordings of this year-long radio version are in existence. The radio shows were thought to have been recorded, and rumor has it that several are buried somewhere in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. It is also currently unknown how the producers let the audience know what the contestants' occupations were. Possibly, announcer Lee Vines, who was that era's TV and radio voice of WML, might have delivered the contestants' occupations or the names of the mystery guests in a low voice, sotto voce. If the producers followed a format similar to the TV show, this method would have informed the radio listeners of the facts. If this were the case, it predated by nine years what Goodson-Todman Productions did with the password on their television series Password.

U.S. syndication (1968–1975)

With What’s My Line? gone, only four Goodson-Todman network daytime game shows remained on the air—To Tell the Truth and Password on CBS, Match Game and Snap Judgment on NBC—and their time, too, was running out. Thus, in 1968, it was decided by G-T to strike a deal with Viacom to syndicate a new, videotaped 5-days-a-week edition of What's My Line?, which ran for seven seasons and 1,315 shows, with game play largely identical to the original version. The revival was considered by producers to be a merger of What's My Line? and 50's spinoff I've Got a Secret, and was sometimes referred to by production staff as "What's My Secret Line?". Reminiscent of the sister show, contestants on this version of WML frequently demonstrated their skill or product during their segment, often with the help of the panelists and often with hilarious results. In fact, the interviews and demonstrations became the dominant element of the show, with games often being cut short because the demonstrations required so much time. The dollar signs for the "no" answers - which were retained early in the run - were eventually removed and replaced by sequential numbers 1-10. Mystery guest rounds were no longer scored and were simply played until the guest was guessed or time ran out.

Also, a new "Who's Who" game was played on occasion; four audience members stood on stage with four occupations indicated on cards. The panelists would attempt to put the occupations with the correct contestants. The audience member team split $25 for each panelist that failed to correctly match their careers, with a $100 possible prize.

The color animated intro used during the final CBS season was reused for the new version's main title sequence. Wally Bruner was the original host and was succeeded by Larry Blyden in 1972. Arlene Francis and comedian Soupy Sales were regular panelists; Bennett Cerf continued to make frequent appearances until his death in 1971. Other panelists included Alan Alda, his father Robert Alda, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Kitty Carlisle, Bert Convy, Joel Grey, Sherrye Henry, Elaine Joyce, Ruta Lee, Meredith MacRae, Henry Morgan, Gene Rayburn, Nipsey Russell, Gene Shalit and Dana Valery.

While widely praised among fans and critics, there was one point of contention during the series' seven-year run. Cerf died in 1971, and had taped several shows just prior to his death. Television stations continued to air shows where he was a panelist, sometimes up to 18 months after his death. This resulted in confusion among some fans, who were seeing "new" episodes with Cerf, long after hearing about his death. Not everyone understood the workings of television syndication, which was much different in the 1970s than today. This prompted producer Gil Fates – who recalled the incident in his book, What's My Line? – to send a letter to fans who had written in requesting an explanation about Cerf. He explained that Cerf indeed had died, but television was practicing a time-honored tradition of celebrating one's work long after their passing.

Johnny Olson, who had been the show's announcer dating back to the early 1960s, continued with What's My Line? during its early syndication years (as he did with another G-T show, To Tell the Truth.) He left Line and Truth in 1972, when he was tapped to announce the revivals of The Price Is Right and I've Got a Secret in Los Angeles.

Olson was succeeded by Wayne Howell and later by Chet Gould, staff announcers for NBC, to whose Rockefeller Center studios Line and Truth moved in the early 1970s. Both shows had been taped at CBS facilities in New York during their network and early syndicated runs.

The last tapings aired in September of 1975. The advance taping schedule for the show had concluded several months earlier, before the June 1975 death of host Larry Blyden, who was killed in a car accident in Morocco at the age of 49.

New versions of WML were planned as early as 1981, with actor Harry Anderson (of Night Court fame) announced as the host of a 2000 revival. The most recent version, taped in 2002, was hosted by Alex Trebek of Jeopardy!.^{[citation needed]} However, none of the revivals made it to air.

Live stage version (2004–2006)

From November 2004 through July 2006, Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten produced one-hour live stage versions of the show at the Acme Comedy Theatre in Los Angeles, California, titled What's My Line? - Live On Stage. The Los Angeles version of the live show ended when van Straaten relocated to New York.

Live on Stage panelists have included, among others, Wil Wheaton, Ann Magnuson, Troy McClain, Danny Goldman, Andy Zax, Alison Arngrim, Annabelle Gurwitch, Barry Saltzman, Gary Anthony Williams, Marcia Wallace, Patt Morrison, Jimmy Pardo, Paul Goebel, Greg Proops, Kate Linder, Lee Meriwether, Carlos Alazraqui, Rick Overton, Nancy Pimental, Charles Phoenix, David L. Lander, April Winchell, Cathy Ladman, Marty Ingels, Debra Wilson, E.G. Daily, Lisa Jane Persky, Mariette Hartley, Mink Stole, Andy Dick, Elaine Hendrix, Nicole Sullivan, Matt Walsh and Jayne Meadows.

Live on Stage mystery guests have included, among others, Michael and Kitty Dukakis, Larry King, Tara Lipinski, Rose Marie, José Canseco, Stephen Bishop, Nanette Fabray, Mr. Blackwell, Dick Van Patten, Sean Young, Sally Struthers, Wink Martindale, Judy Tenuta, Noah Wyle, LeVar Burton, Andy Dick, Hector Elizondo, Kathy Kinney, Brett Butler, Ed Begley, Jr., Lindsay Wagner, Wil Wheaton, Rip Taylor, Drew Carey, Bruno Kirby, Lisa Loeb, Alan Thicke and Shelley Long.

Panelists and guests who appeared on the original TV version and who have also appeared on the stage version include Shelley Berman, Lee Meriwether, radio commentator Michael Jackson, Jayne Meadows, Nanette Fabray, Joanna Barnes, Julie Newmar, Margaret O'Brien, and Marty Ingels.

In addition, the show has featured relatives of the original cast: Jill Kollmar (daughter of Dorothy Kilgallen and Dick Kollmar), Nina Daly (daughter of John Charles Daly), and Vinton Cerf (co-inventor of the Internet and distant cousin of Bennett Cerf). It also included a segment in which Vint Cerf's son, Bennett, named after the more well-known Bennett Cerf, appeared as a mystery guest.

Live stage version (2006-present)

Beginning in August 2006, ViceHeadGirl Productions has staged a monthly, downtown version at the Parkside Lounge in New York, New York, including panelists Clams Casino, Jonny Porkpie, Lindsay Robertson and Garth Wingfield and host Neil O'Fortune. Their web site ^[1] lists the previous and upcoming panelists, as well as mystery guests.

Versions around the world

United Kingdom

A British version of What's My Line? ran from 1951 to 1963 on BBC Television. It was briefly revived in 1973, and then again by ITV (produced by Thames Television) from 1984 to 1990. Eamonn Andrews hosted the original British series, except in the first episode where the host was Gilbert Harding. In the UK, the host's position was called the "chairman." Katie Boyle, best known for hosting the 1963, 1968, and 1974 Eurovision Song Contests also hosted the show. Panelists included Elizabeth Allan, Lady Isobel Barnett, Jerry Desmonde, Gilbert Harding, Barbara Kelly, Marghanita Laski and David Nixon. Eamonn Andrews returned to host the revived series, with panellists including Penelope Keith, Angela Rippon, Ernie Wise and Jilly Cooper; after Andrews died, Angela Rippon took over as host. The show was revived once again by Meridian Television in the mid-1990s, hosted by Emma Forbes. A special one-off edition hosted by Hugh Dennis was produced for BBC Four in 2005, as part of a season about British culture in the decade immediately following World War II. An edition of the original series (from 5 October 1957) was also shown on BBC Four as part of this season.

Germany

The German version was called Was bin ich? which translates from German to English as What am I? and was hosted by Bavarian Robert Lembke. The show ran from 1955 to 1958 and again from 1961 to 1989. It was broadcast on the TV station ARD (First German Television). Lembke, at that time head of the news division of the Bavarian Radio (BR), bought the rights to the television format during a visit to the English BBC in 1954. Lembke later was the head of the German Olympic Centre for the Olympic Games at Munich, 1972.

The best-known German panel consisted of district attorney Hans Sachs, actress Marianne Koch, TV announcer Annette von Aretin, TV announcer Anneliese Fleyenschmidt, and Guido Baumann, head of the Swiss radio and TV station "DRS". The guests received 5 Deutschmarks (DM) for each "no" answer, for a total prize of 50 DM if their profession was not guessed by the time the panel had given 10 "no" answers.

A new version of the show aired weekly on kabel eins from 1999-2005. The show was hosted by Björn Hergen Schimpf. The panel consisted of Herbert Flint, Vera Int Veen, Norbert Bluem and Tanja Schumann.

Canada (French-speaking)

The French Canadian version of What's My Line? was called Chacun son Métier. In the French language, the full phrase is either "à chacun son métier" or "chacun à son métier," but the program was simply called Chacun son Métier which translates from French to English as To Each His Job or To Each His Trade. In 1959, the host of the French Canadian version, Louis Morisset, appeared as a contestant on the American version, on Episode #448 on January 18 1959. This alternate Canadian version was aired in Canada from 1954 to 1959.

Brazil

The Brazilian version of What's My Line? was called Adivinha o que ele Faz? which translates from Portuguese to English as Guess What He Does? In 1956, the host of the Brazilian version, Heloísa Helena, appeared as a contestant on the American version, on Episode #341 on December 16 1956.

Korea

In 1963, a panelist on the Korean version, Miss Keun Oh Kim, appeared as a contestant on the American version, on Episode #674 on July 28 1963. The Korean version began in 1956, and was owned by the Korean government and run as a non-profit organization.

Venezuela

The Venezuelan version of What's My Line? was called Mi Trabajo y Yo which roughly translates from Spanish to English as My Job and I. In 1961, the director and moderator of the Venezuelan version, Jacques Lemoine, appeared as a contestant on the American version, on Episode #594 on December 24 1961.

Show trivia

• The show popularized the phrase "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" A slight variation of this question was first posed by Steve Allen on January 18, 1953, during his 1953 to 1954 tenure as a regular panelist. Over several subsequent episodes, he refined his famous breadbox question. Soon, other panelists were asking this question as well, often crediting Allen, and continued to do so until the end of the series. It became such a running gag that on three separate episodes over the years, the producers booked contestants who made or designed breadboxes. One humorous moment came in 1963 when a contestant from England was asked the famous question. He seriously replied, "Oh, I'm English. What's a breadbox?" It wasn't mentioned on the show, but "bread bin" is the usual term in the United Kingdom.

• When Ernie Kovacs joined the panel, beginning in 1956, he made a habit of asking the odd question "can it be folded" whenever he found that the guest was associated with a product. The answer was almost always "no". The producers eventually booked a guest who made folding beds so that he would finally receive an affirmative reply.

• The final mystery guest in the original version was John Daly himself. Daly alternated between a falsetto "guest" voice and his standard moderator voice, fooling the panel for a significant number of questions. The gimmick had been devised years earlier as a backup plan in case the scheduled mystery guest didn't show up. That event never occurred once in the show's entire run, despite a few close calls, so Daly and the producers decided to use the trick for the final episode. The ruse failed to bamboozle the panel veterans for long, particularly Bennett Cerf, who said while blindfolded, "I smell eight rats." But Francis, who followed, got the biggest laugh when she asked "Are you going to be out of work tomorrow like the rest of us?" When Daly, thinking he had been found out, asked her to guess, she guessed the names of Goodson and Todman, delighting the audience and Daly (who was guessed two questions later).

• What's My Line? won three Emmy Awards for "Best Quiz or Audience Participation Show," in 1952, 1953 and 1958.

• When President Johnson hired Jerri Whittington as the first African-American White House secretary, he chose to announce the fact by arranging Whittington to appear as a contestant. She appeared on Episode #696 on January 19, 1964.

• The closing theme song used on the show from 1950 to 1967 is titled "Rollercoaster" and was composed by Louis F. Busch and Milton DeLugg in 1949. It was used for all but a few episodes in the 1959–60 season, when the Raymond Scott composition "The Toy Trumpet" was used.

• The announcer on the British version of the show, which was revived in 1984 by Thames Television with Eamonn Andrews as host, was John Benson — better known as the voice behind the UK version of Sale of the Century.

• In Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, the dognappers' favorite television program is called What's My Crime?, a parody version of What's My Line? in which the guests are convicted criminals and the panelists are supposed to guess the crime they committed. (They correctly deduce, for instance, that one guest had stolen twenty bathplugs from hotel rooms.) In the 1961 Disney movie One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which was based on Smith's novel, the puppies can be seen watching What's My Crime? on television when Pongo and Perdita arrive to rescue them.

• On many occasions, the panel would be blindfolded during a regular contestant round, or alternatively a contestant would sign in merely as Mr. or Miss X in the presumption that if they were seen by the panel (some of these types of contestants wore job-related uniforms or a style of clothing that would be easily recognized) or their names were revealed (someone well known by name, but not by appearance)

• Sesame Street had two spoofs of What's My Line? called What's My Part? hosted by Guy Smiley, whose mystery guests were actually parts of the body; one spoof featured a nose; the other a foot.

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