What's My Line? Classic TV Panel Shows

About What's My Line? Classic TV Panel Shows

What's My Line? Classic TV Panel Shows is a free nostalgia trivia quiz with 15 multiple-choice questions aimed at mixed difficulty. Long before reality television, sharp-witted celebrity panelists charmed America by trying to guess occupations, hidden secrets, and famous mystery guests in the most genteel game shows ever made. A typical run takes about 7 minutes, hints are always one tap away, and your streak ticks up the first time you finish a game on a given day.

A few sample questions

1. 1. What television network aired "What's My Line?" during its entire original run from 1950 to 1967?

   Answer: CBS

   "What's My Line?" was a CBS institution for 17 years, airing every Sunday night and becoming one of the network's longest-running and best-loved programs.

2. 2. Who served as the host of "What's My Line?" for its entire original run on CBS?

   Answer: John Daly

   John Daly — also a respected CBS News correspondent — hosted "What's My Line?" from its 1950 debut through its final episode in 1967, guiding the show with calm authority and dry wit.

3. 3. Why did the celebrity panelists on "What's My Line?" wear blindfolds during certain rounds?

   Answer: To keep them from recognizing the celebrity mystery guest

   Each episode included a celebrity mystery guest segment; panelists donned blindfolds so they could not recognize a famous face and had to rely entirely on yes-or-no questions to figure out who the guest was.

4. 4. Which of these women was a long-running regular panelist on "What's My Line?"?

   Answer: Dorothy Kilgallen

   Dorothy Kilgallen, a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and journalist, was one of "What's My Line?"'s most beloved regular panelists, appearing on the show for many years until her death in 1965.

5. 5. Regular "What's My Line?" panelist Bennett Cerf was equally famous outside television for his work in what field?

   Answer: Book publishing — he co-founded Random House

   Bennett Cerf co-founded Random House in 1927 and built it into one of America's leading publishers; his warmth and ready sense of humor made him a fan favorite on the show for over a decade.

Things you'll learn along the way

• ✓Garry Moore hosted "I've Got a Secret" for the majority of its long CBS run, becoming closely identified with the show's friendly, low-key charm and genuine delight in contestants' surprising secrets.
• ✓On "I've Got a Secret," each contestant whispered their secret to the host (shown on a card to home viewers), and four celebrity panelists then asked yes-or-no questions trying to discover what it was.
• ✓Host Bud Collyer would ask "Will the real [person's name] please stand up?" — the suspenseful pause before the correct challenger rose became one of the most imitated phrases in television history.