Take a Good Look (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Take a Good Look is a comedy television game show created by and starring Ernie Kovacs
, and shown 1959-61 in the United States.
television network Thursday nights 10:30-11 PM (EST) during the 1959-60 and 1960-61 television seasons. The first season of thirty-nine episodes was broadcast from October 22, 1959 through July 21, 1960; the second season, consisting of only fourteen episodes, was broadcast from October 27, 1960 through February 9, 1961. Fifty-three episodes were broadcast in total; twenty of these episodes were presented as a syndicated series in the United States starting in September, 1978.
, 1958 brought Ernie to Hollywood, where he had a film contract with Columbia Pictures
to write and consult on screenplays — but no television series of his own. At that time, sponsors did not buy commercial time on a television shows as a commodity — instead, a sponsor would produce a television program in its entirety, and present it to a network for broadcast. While visiting a Hollywood movie set, Ernie happened to meet an cigar company executive who was impressed that Kovacs continually smoked a cigar. Ernie was impressed that this corporate executive was carrying a book on Bertold Brecht. As a result of this chance meeting, a business deal ensued in which Consolidated Cigar/Dutch Masters became the sole sponsor of Ernie's newest idea for a television series. In the show itself, Ernie performed in many of the Dutch Master commercials, usually presented as yet another type of "blackout gag" shown during the show.
Also, on June 30, 1957, Ernie not only enjoyed himself as a guest panelist on the television game show What's My Line?, but also worked seriously at the game. Ernie may well have taken inspiration from this appearance, and nine other appearances as a guest panelist (August through November, 1957), and two other appearances as a Mystery Guest (September 6, 1956, and September 7, 1957), on What's My Line?.
, I've Got a Secret
, and What's My Line. Ernie Kovacs produced and hosted in a format similar to those shows, in which a panel of celebrities attempted to guess a secret about a seemingly ordinary person brought on stage. But the primary purpose of Take A Good Look was to present films of short comedy blackout gags (starring Kovacs and a regular cast) that pertained only vaguely to the person about whom guesses were being made. For example, for a woman whose secret was that she was a harness track jockey, Ernie would show a short skit about two competing chariot racers trying to sabotage each other during a race.
The people who were the focus of the guessing game were ordinary people who had experienced an extraordinary event, recently been in the news, or enjoyed a distinction of some kind. A panelist would be awarded one point if they guessed the person's identity/secret. At the end of the show, prizes would be awarded to the home viewer represented by the panelist with the most points.
, Jolene Brand
, and Bobby Lauher
.
, Cesar Romero
, Hans Conreid, and Ben Alexander — Carl Reiner
only appeared regularly in the second season. Among the less frequently appearing panelists in the first season were Zsa Zsa Gabor
, Jane Wyatt
, Mort Sahl
, Jack Carson
, Tony Randall
, Janet Leigh
, and Jim Backus
— no infrequent panelists appeared in the second season.
Ernie Kovacs
Ernie Kovacs was a Hungarian American comedian and actor.Kovacs' uninhibited, often ad-libbed, and visually experimental comedic style came to influence numerous television comedy programs for years after his death in an automobile accident...
, and shown 1959-61 in the United States.
Broadcast history
The show was broadcast in the United States on the ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network Thursday nights 10:30-11 PM (EST) during the 1959-60 and 1960-61 television seasons. The first season of thirty-nine episodes was broadcast from October 22, 1959 through July 21, 1960; the second season, consisting of only fourteen episodes, was broadcast from October 27, 1960 through February 9, 1961. Fifty-three episodes were broadcast in total; twenty of these episodes were presented as a syndicated series in the United States starting in September, 1978.
Background
First appearing on television in 1951, Ernie Kovacs was an extremely prolific producer of television comedy throughout the 1950s. As a result of the critical success of his 1957 NBC special Silent ShowSilent Show
Silent Show was a half-hour television comedy special created by, and starring, Ernie Kovacs. It was broadcast in the United States on the NBC network in 1957, and on the ABC network in 1961...
, 1958 brought Ernie to Hollywood, where he had a film contract with Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
to write and consult on screenplays — but no television series of his own. At that time, sponsors did not buy commercial time on a television shows as a commodity — instead, a sponsor would produce a television program in its entirety, and present it to a network for broadcast. While visiting a Hollywood movie set, Ernie happened to meet an cigar company executive who was impressed that Kovacs continually smoked a cigar. Ernie was impressed that this corporate executive was carrying a book on Bertold Brecht. As a result of this chance meeting, a business deal ensued in which Consolidated Cigar/Dutch Masters became the sole sponsor of Ernie's newest idea for a television series. In the show itself, Ernie performed in many of the Dutch Master commercials, usually presented as yet another type of "blackout gag" shown during the show.
Also, on June 30, 1957, Ernie not only enjoyed himself as a guest panelist on the television game show What's My Line?, but also worked seriously at the game. Ernie may well have taken inspiration from this appearance, and nine other appearances as a guest panelist (August through November, 1957), and two other appearances as a Mystery Guest (September 6, 1956, and September 7, 1957), on What's My Line?.
Format
Take A Good Look was a parody of other panelist guessing shows of the time: To Tell the TruthTo Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
, I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
, and What's My Line. Ernie Kovacs produced and hosted in a format similar to those shows, in which a panel of celebrities attempted to guess a secret about a seemingly ordinary person brought on stage. But the primary purpose of Take A Good Look was to present films of short comedy blackout gags (starring Kovacs and a regular cast) that pertained only vaguely to the person about whom guesses were being made. For example, for a woman whose secret was that she was a harness track jockey, Ernie would show a short skit about two competing chariot racers trying to sabotage each other during a race.
The people who were the focus of the guessing game were ordinary people who had experienced an extraordinary event, recently been in the news, or enjoyed a distinction of some kind. A panelist would be awarded one point if they guessed the person's identity/secret. At the end of the show, prizes would be awarded to the home viewer represented by the panelist with the most points.
Cast
Appearing in the blackout skits were Peggy ConnellyPeggy Connelly
Peggy Connelly was a singer and actress, former wife of Dick Martin , with whom she had a son, Cary Martin.Peggy Lou Connelly was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and reared in Fort Worth, Texas...
, Jolene Brand
Jolene Brand
Jolene Brand, also known as Joline Brand, is an American actress, born as Jolene Marie Bufkin on July 31, 1934 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is married to George Schlatter and has two daughters – Andrea Justine Schlatter and Maria S. Schlatter. She acted most in the 50's and 60's...
, and Bobby Lauher
Bobby Lauher
Bobby Lauher was an American actor best known for his television skit work with Ernie Kovacs. He was a co-author of a 1971 play in L.A...
.
Panelists
Appearing regularly as panelists in both seasons of the series were Edie AdamsEdie Adams
Edie Adams was an American singer, Broadway, television and film actress and comedienne. Adams, a Tony Award winner, "both embodied and winked at the stereotypes of fetching chanteuse and sexpot blonde." She was well-known for her impersonations of female stars on stage and television, most...
, Cesar Romero
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. was an American film and television actor who was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years...
, Hans Conreid, and Ben Alexander — Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
only appeared regularly in the second season. Among the less frequently appearing panelists in the first season were Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
, Jane Wyatt
Jane Wyatt
Jane Waddington Wyatt was an American actress perhaps best known for her role as the housewife and mother on the television comedy Father Knows Best, and as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Spock on the science fiction television series Star Trek...
, Mort Sahl
Mort Sahl
Morton Lyon "Mort" Sahl is a Canadian-born American comedian and actor. He occasionally wrote jokes for speeches delivered by President John F. Kennedy. He was the first comedian to record a live album and the first to perform on college campuses...
, Jack Carson
Jack Carson
John Elmer "Jack" Carson was a Canadian-born U.S.-based film actor.Jack Carson was one of the most popular character actors during the 'golden age of Hollywood', with a film career spanning the 1930s, '40s and '50s...
, Tony Randall
Tony Randall
Tony Randall was a U.S. actor, comic, producer and director.-Early years:Randall was born Arthur Leonard Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Julia and Mogscha Rosenberg, an art and antiques dealer...
, Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh
Janet Leigh , born Jeanette Helen Morrison, was an American actress. She was the wife of actor Tony Curtis from June 1951 to September 1962 and the mother of Kelly Curtis and Jamie Lee Curtis....
, and Jim Backus
Jim Backus
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
— no infrequent panelists appeared in the second season.
External links
- Take a Good Look webpage on the IMDB website