What’s My Line
Oct 5, 2016 | by Becky Oeltjenbruns
The original panel, 1952
I am one of those stubborn people who refuses to pay for cable. You can feel free to call me frugal; I will gladly answer to that title! Give me my rabbit ears and the ability to stream Netflix – I’m happy as a clam. With the recent move I have discovered a whole new array of free channels broadcasting over the shared air space.
Giddy with excitement, this brave new world mostly felt like the same old world at first: a mixture of shopping channels, overly-cheerful morning news anchors, dramatic soap operas, and new shows struggling to get picked up for another season. But just when I felt my excitement wane, this hunt turned up a great treasure, revealing my most exciting find: Buzzr TV. If I’m not trying to channel my best JB Fletcher via Netflix, my remote is stuck on 45-2 to make sure I don’t miss a beat.
Every morning faithfully at 5am I curl up with my dogs on the sofa, wipe the sleep out of my eyes, and catch What’s My Line? I’m a little obsessed not only with the show but the vintage commercials they play between segments. Seriously, the person at the network responsible for keeping in the product placement bits is brilliant and I heartily thank him or her. For those of you not familiar with the iconic show (which aired from 1950-1975), allow me to introduce you to some fun facts…
Random trivia: The animators at Disney weren’t the only ones keen to do a parody. Woody Allen included one in his 1972 movie titled Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex.
The Walt Disney connection
Fellow Disney enthusiasts will remember the connection to this show from the parody in 101 Dalmatians: that scene where Horace and Jasper are enjoying an episode of What’s My Crime? before Cruella thundered into the room, all smoke clouds and anger. The show proved quite the distraction for the dog-nappers and just as mesmerizing as the real thing. After all Sgt. Tibbs and the pups nearly escaped before the commercial break!
Credit: thedisneyodyssey.wordpress.com
But what you may not know is Walt Disney himself appeared as the special celebrity guest in November of 1956. I hope to catch that episode soon to see how long it took the panel to guess his job. I can definitely see Dorothy Kilgallen figuring it out for the group (she was the most dedicated and investigative of the crew in my opinion).
Popularity with no bounds
Want to talk street cred? Well look no further than What’s My Line? Not only did it run for twenty five years, but it is highly decorated: three Emmy’s, a Golden Globe, and it spawned numerous international versions. But perhaps the coolest thing is that the show’s excellence inspired a live stage version that is still running!
Random trivia: In the 1980s the original production company attempted a reality show spin-off but it never saw air time. Twenty years later the idea gained some traction at CBS, but Survivor was picked up instead.
Debuting first in Los Angeles at the ACME Theatre in the early 2000s, it later relocated to NYC. The first What’s My Line? guest joined for the debut stage production. I can’t help but think that this homage to the show’s legacy was a good omen for this unique endeavor. This isn’t the only connection to the past – other former guests have relived the joy of that television experience under the stage’s bright lights. Panelists have joined the fun too – relatives of the original panel have used their inherited powers of deduction. I think “iconic” is the only reason to explain this game show’s staying power.
What do you love best about old game shows? Tell us about your favorite in the comments!