Who Said That?

Who Said That?
GenreGame show
Presented byRobert Trout
Walter Kiernan
John Charles Daly
John Cameron Swayze
H. V. Kaltenborn
Boris Karloff
Peggy Ann Garner
Deems Taylor
Frank Conniff
Dagmar
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons7 (3 partial seasons)
Production
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time23-25 minutes
Original release
NetworkRadio
ReleaseOctober 1, 1948 (1948-10-01) –
1948 (1948)
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJanuary 1949 (1949-01) –
1949 (1949)
ReleaseJanuary 1950 (1950-01) –
July 19, 1954 (1954-07-19)
NetworkABC
ReleaseFebruary 2 (1955-02-02) –
July 26, 1955 (1955-07-26)

Who Said That? is a 1948–55 NBC game show that ran on radio and television, in which a panel of celebrities attempted to determine the speaker of a quotation from recent news reports.[1]

Radio

Robert Trout was the moderator when the radio version began on July 2, 1948. Panelists included H. V. Kaltenborn, Robert Ruark, Leland Stowe, and John Swayze. Peter Roberts was the announcer.[2]

Production

Don Gillis was the director, with Fred and Dorothy Friendly as editors. The program was broadcast at 8:30 p.m. on Fridays, and it was sustaining.[2] NBC planned to cancel the program in the fall of 1948, but it was continued "at the instance of the network's affiliates".[3] The continuation was accompanied by a scheduling change as the show was moved to noon Eastern Time on Sundays.[3]

Critical response

The trade publication Variety called the 1948 radio version "a refreshing departure from run-of-the-mill entertainment".[2] It commended Trout's work as moderator, saying his "easy, offhand manner in presiding lent a warmly informal atmosphere to the proceedings" and noting his handy use of ad-libs.[2]

Television

One televised version of Who Said That? was broadcast on NBC as early as January 1949. Trout was the master of ceremonies, and John Cameron Swayze was the permanent panel member.[4] Another TV version ran on NBC from January 1950 to July 19, 1954. It began a run on ABC on February 2, 1955. John Daly moderated, and Bob Considine was the permanent panelist. Each episode also featured three guest panelists.[5]

Production

Ann Gillis produced the ABC-TV version, with Eddie Nugent as the director. It originated from WABC-TV in New York City. W. A Sheaffer Pen Company was the sponsor.[5]

Critical response

A review of the TV version in Variety said that the show's format created "an extreme case of repetitiveness that's likely to break down into monotony at any given moment."[6] It added that the show's future success would depend on the guest panelists for each episode.[6]

References

  1. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). "Who Said That?". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows - 1946-Present (Ninth ed.). Random House Publishing. p. 1513. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "Who Said That?". Variety. July 7, 1948. p. 23. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Radio and Television: Old Silent Films Are Booked for WJZ Video on Sunday Nights Starting Next Week". The New York Times. October 1, 1948. p. 50. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  4. ^ Franken, Jerry (January 22, 1949). "Who Said That?". Billboard. p. 9. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "This Week -- Network Debuts & Highlights". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. January 31, 1955. p. 1. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Who Said That?". Variety. February 9, 1955. p. 37. Retrieved August 12, 2023.