What's My Line? (British game show) explained

Genre:Panel Game show
Creator:Mark Goodson
Bill Todman
Presenter:Eamonn Andrews (1951–63; 1984–87)
David Jacobs (1973–74)
Penelope Keith (1988)
Angela Rippon (1988–90)
Emma Forbes (1994–96)
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Num Series:12 (BBC-tv)
2 (BBC2)
7 (ITV)
3 (HTV/Meridian)
Num Episodes:413 (BBC-tv)
23 (BBC2)
160 (ITV)
42 (HTV/Meridian)
Runtime:30 minutes (inc. adverts)
Company:Thames in association with Mark Goodson Productions and Talbot Television (1984–90)
Fremantle (UK) Productions (1994–96)
Channel:BBC Television Service
Network2:BBC2
Network3:ITV
Network4:HTV/Meridian
Related:What's My Line?

What's My Line? is a panel game show based on the US version of the same name. It was originally aired on BBC Television Service from 16 July 1951 to 13 May 1963, hosted by Eamonn Andrews. It was revived by BBC2 from 23 August 1973 to 25 May 1974, hosted by David Jacobs, and then by ITV from 26 March 1984 to 31 August 1990. The ITV incarnation was first hosted by Eamonn Andrews from 1984 until his death in 1987, then by Penelope Keith for a part of 1988 before Angela Rippon took over until 1990. Two regional ITV stations, HTV and Meridian, revived it again from 19 September 1994 to 17 December 1996, when it was hosted by Emma Forbes.

Regular panelists on the original version were Jerry Desmonde, Gilbert Harding, David Nixon, Barbara Kelly and Isobel Barnett.

Transmissions

BBC Television Service

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 16 July 1951[1] 7 April 1952[2] 39
2 18 August 1952[3] 28 June 1953[4] 46
3 1 November 1953[5] 20 June 1954[6] 34
4 26 September 1954[7] 20 March 1955[8] 26
5 24 October 1955[9] 16 July 1956[10] 39
6 30 September 1956[11] 7 April 1957[12] 28
7 5 October 1957[13] 22 June 1958[14] 38
8 28 September 1958[15] 22 March 1959[16] 26
9 30 August 1959[17] 24 April 1960[18] 35
10 18 September 1960[19] 21 May 1961[20] 34
11 1 October 1961[21] 3 June 1962[22] 35
12 1 October 1962[23] 13 May 1963[24] 33

BBC2

Series

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 23 August 1973[25] 20 September 1973[26] 5
2 19 January 1974[27] 25 May 1974[28] 17

Specials

Thames

Series

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 26 March 1984 2 July 1984 14
2 18 February 1985 20 May 1985 14
3 31 March 1986 30 June 1986 13
4 6 April 1987 18 May 1987 7
5 22 February 1988 25 March 1988 40
6 June 1988
15 August 1988 2 September 1988
6 13 December 1988 10 February 1989 38
15 March 1989 7 April 1989
7 10 July 1990 31 August 1990 32

Specials

Date Entitle
24 December 1984 Christmas Special
30 December 1985 Christmas Special

HTV/Meridian

Series Start date End date Episodes
1 19 September 1994 19 December 1994 14
2 18 September 1995 18 December 1995 14
3 17 September 1996 17 December 1996 14

Notes and References

  1. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 16 July 1951 . 16 July 1951 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  2. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 7 April 1952 . 7 April 1952 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  3. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 18 August 1952 . 18 August 1952 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  4. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 28 June 1953 . 28 June 1953 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  5. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 1 November 1953 . November 1953 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  6. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 20 June 1954 . 20 June 1954 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  7. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 26 September 1954 . 26 September 1954 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  8. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 20 March 1955 . 20 March 1955 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  9. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 24 October 1955 . 24 October 1955 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  10. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 16 July 1956 . 16 July 1956 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  11. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 30 September 1956 . 30 September 1956 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  12. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 7 April 1957 . 7 April 1957 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  13. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 5 October 1957 . 5 October 1957 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  14. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 22 June 1958 . 22 June 1958 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  15. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 28 September 1958 . 28 September 1958 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  16. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 22 March 1959 . 22 March 1959 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  17. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 30 August 1959 . 30 August 1959 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  18. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 24 April 1960 . 24 April 1960 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  19. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 18 September 1960 . 18 September 1960 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  20. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 21 May 1961 . 21 May 1961 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  21. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 1 October 1961 . October 1961 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  22. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 3 June 1962 . 3 June 1962 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  23. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 1 October 1962 . October 1962 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  24. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Television - 13 May 1963 . 13 May 1963 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  25. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Two England - 23 August 1973 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  26. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Two England - 20 September 1973 . 20 September 1973 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  27. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Two England - 19 January 1974 . 19 January 1974 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  28. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Two England - 25 May 1974 . 25 May 1974 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.
  29. Web site: What's My Line? - BBC Two England - 25 December 1973 . 25 December 1973 . BBC Genome Project . 18 February 2020.

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