What's My Line? Classic TV Panel Shows
Instructions: 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.
- 1.
What television network aired "What's My Line?" during its entire original run from 1950 to 1967?
ACBSBABCCNBCDDuMont Network - 2.
Who served as the host of "What's My Line?" for its entire original run on CBS?
AGarry MooreBJohn DalyCBud CollyerDSteve Allen - 3.
Why did the celebrity panelists on "What's My Line?" wear blindfolds during certain rounds?
ATo make the occupation-guessing more challengingBAs a penalty for asking too many questionsCTo keep them from recognizing the celebrity mystery guestDTo prevent them from reading the contestant's name on a placard - 4.
Which of these women was a long-running regular panelist on "What's My Line?"?
ADorothy KilgallenBGracie AllenCLucille BallDMary Tyler Moore - 5.
Regular "What's My Line?" panelist Bennett Cerf was equally famous outside television for his work in what field?
AMedicine and surgeryBClassical music compositionCArchitecture and city planningDBook publishing — he co-founded Random House - 6.
"I've Got a Secret" ran on CBS from 1952 to 1967. Who was the show's best-known host during most of that run?
ASteve AllenBJack PaarCGarry MooreDEd McMahon - 7.
On "I've Got a Secret," what did each contestant bring to the show for celebrity panelists to figure out?
AAn unusual occupation that panelists tried to guessBA personal secret that celebrity panelists tried to uncoverCA hidden talent they performed live on airDThree people all claiming to share the same unusual experience - 8.
At the climax of each "To Tell the Truth" round, what dramatic moment brought the game to a close?
AThe real person stood up after panelists had cast their votesBThe host privately revealed to the studio audience which challenger was honestCThe studio audience voted by applause for the challenger they believedDA lie-detector reading was displayed on a scoreboard - 9.
Who hosted "To Tell the Truth" throughout its original CBS run from 1956 to 1968?
AJohnny CarsonBJohn DalyCBud CollyerDGarry Moore - 10.
What was the central challenge on "Password," which debuted on CBS in 1961?
APanelists tried to guess a celebrity's most embarrassing personal secretBTeams raced to name as many items in a category as possible in 60 secondsCContestants tried to match their answers to those of a hidden celebrity panelDPlayers gave single one-word clues to help their partner guess a secret word - 11.
"Password" host Allen Ludden became famous off-screen for marrying which actress he met through the show?
ACarol BurnettBBetty WhiteCArlene FrancisDMary Martin - 12.
Arlene Francis, a beloved long-time panelist on "What's My Line?", was also distinguished in which field?
ABroadway theater and radio broadcastingBGrand opera singingCClassical ballet performanceDCountry music recording - 13.
The original version of "The Match Game" debuted in 1962 on which television network?
ACBSBABCCNBCDDuMont Network - 14.
What most clearly set panel game shows like "What's My Line?" apart from quiz shows like "The $64,000 Question"?
APanel shows offered much larger cash prizes to contestantsBPanel shows were fully scripted and rehearsed before broadcastCPanel shows relied on studio audience votes to determine winnersDOn panel shows, the celebrity panelists did the guessing rather than answering questions - 15.
What was the maximum cash prize a contestant could win on "What's My Line?" if the panel completely failed to guess their occupation?
A$500B$50C$1,000D$250
Answer Key
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bud Collyer, already famous as the radio and early television voice of Superman, hosted "To Tell the Truth" and delivered the show's beloved catchphrase with perfect theatrical timing.
On "Password," each team of one celebrity and one civilian took turns giving single-word clues until the partner guessed the secret "password" — the fewer clues needed, the more points scored.
Allen Ludden and Betty White met when she appeared as a celebrity guest on "Password"; they married in 1963 and remained devoted partners until Ludden's death in 1981.
Arlene Francis had a distinguished career as a Broadway actress and radio personality before "What's My Line?" made her one of television's most elegant and recognizable faces.
The original "Match Game" premiered on NBC on December 31, 1962, and ran there until 1969; it was revived on CBS in the 1970s as "The Match Game '73," '74, '75, and so on.
In the panel-show format, celebrity guests applied their wit to ask questions and guess information about contestants — a refined parlor-game style quite different from the high-stakes question-and-answer drama of the quiz show.
Contestants earned $5 for each "no" answer, with a maximum of ten questions allowed — so stumping the panel entirely earned just $50, reflecting the show's firm belief that wit and entertainment mattered far more than prize money.