31:
367:. Van Deventer was on the program's panel with his wife, Florence Rinard. Their 14-year-old son, Robert Van Deventer (known on the show as Bobby McGuire), and the program's producer, Herb Polesie, completed the regular panel, with daughter Nancy Van Deventer joining the group on occasions. Celebrity guests sometimes questioned.
370:
The Van
Deventer family had played the game for years at their home, long before they brought the game to radio, and they were so expert at it that they could often nail the answer after only six or seven questions. On one show, Maguire succeeded in giving the correct answer (the Brooklyn Dodgers)
382:, who opened each session by giving the clue as animal, vegetable, or mineral. He then answered each query from panel members. This cast remained largely intact throughout the decade-long run of the show. Slater was succeeded at the beginning of 1953 by
371:
without asking a single question. The studio audience was shown the answer in advance and
Maguire based his answer on the audience's reaction; during the 1940s, New York radio studio audiences included many Brooklynites, and they cheered wildly whenever
398:, near New York. When McPhee graduated he was succeeded by Dick Harrison (real name John Beebe) in September 1953, replaced in early 1954 by 22-year-old Bobby McGuire, appearing as the "oldest living teenager" until the end of the run.
495:; most recordings of it were destroyed. Two DuMont episodes from January 18, 1952, and November 16, 1953, as well as the 1975 pilot, circulate among collectors. It is unknown how many radio episodes survive.
902:
386:, who remained through the final broadcast, and there were two changes in the panel's juvenile chair. When McGuire graduated from high school, his decision to attend the North Carolina-based
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was replaced by Jay
Jackson. After this run ended, ABC picked up the series once again from July 6, 1954, to May 3, 1955. The last radio show had been broadcast on March 27, 1954.
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343:'s cigar was the subject most frequently submitted. On the early shows, listeners who stumped the panel won a lifetime subscription to
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35:
Photo from DuMont advertising the show, with 14-year-old Dick
Harrison, Herb Polesie, Fred Van Deventer, Florence Rinard, and actor
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The show was the creation of Fred Van
Deventer (1903–1971), a WOR Radio newscaster with New York's highest-rated news show
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on West 48th Street. Radio listeners sent in subjects for the panelists to guess in twenty questions;
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until
December 24, after which it remained dormant until March 17, 1950, when it was picked up by
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Channel 9 on
November 2, 1949. Beginning on November 26, the series went nationwide on
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meant he could no longer remain on the program, so he asked his high-school friend
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307:, started as a radio quiz show in 1946. The television series ran on
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from July 6, 1951, to May 30, 1954. During this time, original host
448:, which did not sell. The pilot featured four celebrities: actress
331:, first broadcast at 8 pm, Saturday, February 2, 1946, on the
628:
The
Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television
729:
327:
In the 1940s, the game became a popular radio panel quiz show,
756:
464:, along with two contestants who competed against each other.
415:
308:
239:
467:
In 1989, another revival pilot was made for syndication by
425:
Its longest and best-known run, however, is the one on the
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The
Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows
471:. This version, hosted by Dick Wilson and featuring
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903:American Broadcasting Company original programming
349:. From 1946 to 1951, the program was sponsored by
529:1954–55 United States network television schedule
523:1953–54 United States network television schedule
517:1952–53 United States network television schedule
511:1951–52 United States network television schedule
505:1950–51 United States network television schedule
680:David Schwartz, Steve Ryan and Fred Wostbrock,
53:by arrangement with Dick Rubin Ltd (1975 pilot)
918:DuMont Television Network original programming
556:On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio
741:
559:. Oxford University Press. pp. 685–686.
8:
938:Radio programs adapted into television shows
588:"A Letter From The Publisher: Nov. 23, 1962"
188:ABC Television Center, New York (1975 pilot)
394:to replace him. Since McPhee was attending
923:American English-language television shows
748:
734:
726:
209:Fred van de Venter Productions (1949–1955)
29:
18:
913:Black-and-white American television shows
943:Television series based on radio series
878:1955 American television series endings
545:
410:debuted as a local show in New York on
873:1949 American television series debuts
721:(January 18, 1952) at Internet Archive
216:Ron Greenberg Productions (1975 pilot)
7:
519:(DuMont, Fridays at 10 p.m. ET)
513:(DuMont, Fridays at 10 p.m. ET)
39:as guest panelist (February 1, 1954)
928:Mutual Broadcasting System programs
531:(ABC, Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m.ET)
525:(DuMont, Mondays at 8 p.m. ET)
16:1949 American TV series or program
14:
682:The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows
487:Like many game shows of the era,
507:(ABC, Fridays at 8 p.m. ET)
378:The moderator was sportscaster
440:made a pilot for a revival on
375:was mentioned in any context.
154:Fred van de Venter (1949–1955)
135:
48:Fred van de Venter (1949-1955)
1:
888:1950s American radio programs
883:1940s American radio programs
789:Barney Blake, Police Reporter
315:from 1950 to 1951 and on the
303:, based on the guessing game
167:Norman Livingston (1949–1955)
662:Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh,
648:, Fourth edition (New York:
868:1947 radio programme debuts
684:, Third edition (New York:
666:, Third edition (New York:
100:Frank Waldecker (1949–1955)
69:Arthur Forrest (1975 pilot)
959:
333:Mutual Broadcasting System
212:Mutual Broadcasting System
171:Duane McKinney (1949–1955)
106:Wayne Gossman (1975 pilot)
908:American radio game shows
898:1950s American game shows
893:1940s American game shows
767:
427:DuMont Television Network
365:Van Deventer and the News
317:DuMont Television Network
286:
67:Bill McCarthy (1949–1955)
63:Dick Sandwick (1949–1955)
28:
805:Kraft Television Theatre
406:As a television series,
193:, Hollywood (1989 pilot)
175:Gary Stevens (1949–1955)
173:George Elber (1949-1955)
102:John Gregson (1949–1955)
92:Dick Wilson (1989 pilot)
632:Temple University Press
104:Bob Shepard (1949–1955)
65:Harry Coyle (1949–1955)
61:Roger Bower (1949–1955)
816:(1949–1950; 1953–1958)
553:Dunning, John (1998).
483:Recordings of episodes
469:Buena Vista Television
247:(1950–1951, 1954–1955)
186:, New York (1949–1955)
169:Jack Wyatt (1949–1955)
845:These Are My Children
479:, also did not sell.
422:until June 29, 1951.
184:New Amsterdam Theatre
396:Princeton University
206:Production companies
180:Production locations
829:Mary Kay and Johnny
319:from 1951 to 1954.
151:Executive producers
797:Camel News Caravan
781:The Aldrich Family
760:former programming
436:In 1975, producer
358:Wildroot Cream-Oil
855:
854:
813:The Life of Riley
626:David Weinstein,
360:was the sponsor.
341:Winston Churchill
296:
295:
127:Country of origin
120:Score Productions
109:Burton Richardson
950:
837:One Man's Family
773:Twenty Questions
750:
743:
736:
727:
719:Twenty Questions
707:Twenty Questions
668:Ballantine Books
646:Total Television
615:
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606:on March 2, 2009
602:. Archived from
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491:was a victim of
489:Twenty Questions
408:Twenty Questions
356:. In 1952–1953,
337:Longacre Theatre
335:from New York's
329:Twenty Questions
305:Twenty questions
300:Twenty Questions
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260:November 2, 1949
226:Original release
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23:Twenty Questions
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762:in the 1940s
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621:Bibliography
608:. Retrieved
604:the original
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570:. Retrieved
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477:Fred Willard
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462:Tony Roberts
460:, and actor
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311:in 1949, on
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221:(1975 pilot)
198:Running time
191:KTLA Studios
159:(1975 pilot)
122:(1975 pilot)
111:(1989 pilot)
90:(1975 pilot)
74:Presented by
22:
840:(1949–1955)
832:(1948–1950)
824:(1946–1952)
808:(1947–1958)
800:(1949–1956)
784:(1949–1953)
473:Markie Post
456:, comedian
454:Gene Shalit
431:Bill Slater
384:Jay Jackson
380:Bill Slater
270:May 3, 1955
252:(1951–1954)
214:(1949–1955)
97:Narrated by
85:(1952–1955)
83:Jay Jackson
80:(1949–1952)
78:Bill Slater
58:Directed by
862:Categories
821:Lights Out
610:2008-09-18
536:References
458:Anne Meara
446:Jack Clark
444:with host
323:Radio show
274:1955-05-03
264:1949-11-02
219:MCA-TV Ltd
201:25 minutes
146:Production
138:of seasons
88:Jack Clark
45:Created by
600:0040-781X
541:Citations
164:Producers
688:, 1999)
670:, 1964)
652:, 1980)
634:, 2004)
499:See also
373:Brooklyn
354:lighters
116:Composer
37:Aldo Ray
346:Pageant
282:Related
272: (
268: –
262: (
257:Release
231:Network
848:(1949)
792:(1948)
776:(1949)
709:(1949)
692:
674:
656:
638:
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572:30 May
563:
493:wiping
412:WOR-TV
351:Ronson
292:(2009)
250:DuMont
242:(1949)
237:(1949)
713:IMDb
690:ISBN
672:ISBN
654:ISBN
636:ISBN
596:ISSN
592:Time
574:2020
561:ISBN
475:and
757:NBC
711:at
442:ABC
420:ABC
416:NBC
313:ABC
309:NBC
289:20Q
245:ABC
240:NBC
235:WOR
136:No.
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141:6
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