The following is a list of episodes of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! , NPR's news panel game, that aired during 2024. [1] All episodes, unless otherwise indicated, feature Peter Sagal as host and Bill Kurtis as announcer/scorekeeper, and originate from the Studebaker Theatre at Chicago's Fine Arts Building. Dates indicated are the episodes' original Saturday air dates, and the job titles and backgrounds of the guests reflect their status and positions at the time of their appearance. On some occasions, member stations alter the episodes for their donation drive breaks, which only impact the show's airing within their broadcast area.
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
January 6 | Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode part 10, with encore segments including interviews with musician Brad Paisley and basketball star Damian Lillard Previously unaired segments, including interviews with television journalist Bob Woodruff, [2] and news commentator Rachel Maddow [3] | Guest host Negin Farsad | |
January 13 [4] | Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell | Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Maeve Higgins, Peter Grosz | |
January 20 [5] | Actor David Oyelowo | Faith Salie, Tom Bodett, Helen Hong | |
January 27 [6] | United States Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen | Shane O'Neill, Dulcé Sloan, Tom Papa | Guest judge/scorekeeper Chioke I'Anson |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
February 3 [7] | Kristen Kish, former chef and host of Season 21 of Top Chef | Brian Babylon, Josh Gondelman, Joyelle Nicole Johnson | Show recorded in Milwaukee, WI (Riverside Theater) [8] |
February 10 [9] | Actress/producer Lena Waithe | Adam Burke, Negin Farsad, Maz Jobrani | |
February 17 [10] | Musicians Corin Tucker & Carrie Brownstein of rock band Sleater-Kinney | Amy Dickinson, Hari Kondabolu, Dulcé Sloan | Guest host Tom Papa |
February 24 | "Best of" episode featuring actors Ray Romano, Rosie Perez, & Nick Kroll, musician Steve Earle, and Vanity Fair magazine editor Radhika Jones | Guest announcer Chioke I'Anson |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
March 2 [11] | Rapper/singer Danny Brown | Karen Chee, Alzo Slade, Peter Grosz | Show recorded in Austin, TX (Bass Concert Hall) |
March 9 [12] | Economic historian Claudia Goldin | Josh Gondelman, Maeve Higgins, Roxanne Roberts | |
March 16 [13] | Actor/comedian David Alan Grier | Adam Burke, Paula Poundstone, Mo Rocca | Guest announcer/scorekeeper Andy Richter |
March 23 | Business executive and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs | Adam Felber, Helen Hong, Hari Kondabolu | |
March 30 | "Best of" episode featuring actors John Stamos & Gabrielle Dennis, education activist Malala Yousafzai, political consultant David Axelrod, and beatboxer Kaila Mullady |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
April 6 [14] | Actor Chris Pine | Emmy Blotnick, Alonzo Bodden, Adam Burke | |
April 13 [15] | Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach/CBS NFL studio analyst Bill Cowher | Negin Farsad, Maeve Higgins, Mo Rocca | Show recorded in Pittsburgh, PA (Benedum Center) |
April 20 [16] | Philosopher/gender studies scholar Judith Butler | Faith Salie, Maz Jobrani, Roy Blount Jr. | Guest announcer/scorekeeper Helen Hong |
April 27 [17] | Actress/singer Renée Elise Goldsberry | Alonzo Bodden, Shantira Jackson, Jason Isbell [18] |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
May 4 [19] | Gum wrapper sculptor Lyndon J. Barrois Sr. | Josh Gondelman, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, River Butcher | |
May 11 [20] | Singer/songwriter Chappell Roan | Tom Papa, Brian Babylon, Meredith Scardino | |
May 18 [21] | Actress/singer–songwriter Maya Hawke | Faith Salie, Adam Burke, Negin Farsad | Guest host Alzo Slade |
May 25 [22] | Chef/food writer J. Kenji López-Alt | Jessi Klein, Shantira Jackson, Luke Burbank | Show recorded in Seattle, WA (Paramount Theatre) Guest host Tom Papa [22] |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
June 1 | "Best of" episode featuring musician Bob Seger, actresses Dakota Johnson & Michelle Rodriguez, filmmaker John Wilson, and long-distance runner Molly Seidel | ||
June 8 | Radio host/comedian Charlamagne tha God | Shane O'Neill, Alzo Slade, Karen Chee | |
June 15 [23] | Singer/actress Michelle Williams | Alonzo Bodden, Helen Hong, Paula Poundstone | Show recorded at Chicago's Millennium Park (Jay Pritzker Pavilion) [24] |
June 22 [25] | Disabled athlete/adventurer Erik Weihenmayer [26] | Maz Jobrani, Adam Felber, Negin Farsad | |
June 29 [27] | Bassist/composer Christian McBride [28] | Peter Grosz, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Dulcé Sloan | Show recorded in Philadelphia, PA (The Mann Center) [29] |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
July 6 | "Best of" episode featuring actors Ellie Kemper, H. Jon Benjamin & Richard E. Grant, director Rian Johnson, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter | ||
July 13 [30] | Journalists Zach Stafford & Sam Sanders | Paula Poundstone, Emmy Blotnick, Tom Papa | Guest announcer/scorekeeper Chioke I'Anson |
July 20 [31] | Track & field athlete Allyson Felix | Shantira Jackson, Hari Kondabolu, Roy Blount Jr. | Guest host Karen Chee [32] |
July 27 [33] | Singer/musician & punk icon Kathleen Hanna | Meredith Scardino, Mo Rocca, Peter Grosz |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
August 3 [34] | Anthony Fauci, physician/immunologist & former director of NIAID | Negin Farsad, Tom Papa, Karen Chee | Show recorded in Vienna, VA (Wolf Trap) Guest announcer/scorekeeper Chioke I'Anson |
August 10 | "Best of" episode featuring musicians Jason Isbell & Josh Homme, actress Patti LuPone, news commentator Rachel Maddow, and author James Patterson | Guest announcer Chioke I'Anson | |
August 17 | "Best of" episode featuring former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and actors Chris Pine, David Oyelowo, Natasha Lyonne & Zazie Beetz | ||
August 24 | Actress Diane Lane | Adam Burke, Adam Felber, Dulcé Sloan | |
August 31 [35] | Interior designer Nate Berkus | Bobcat Goldthwait, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Josh Gondelman | Show recorded in Minneapolis, MN (Orpheum Theatre) |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
September 7 | Comedian/actor John Leguizamo | Tom Bodett, Helen Hong, Hari Kondabolu | |
September 14 [36] | Comedian Jay Pharoah | Adam Burke, Negin Farsad, Roxanne Roberts | |
September 21 | Actor Gary Oldman | Karen Chee, Brian Babylon, Peter Grosz | Guest announcer/scorekeeper Ayesha Rascoe |
September 28 [37] | Singer/actress Dionne Warwick | Shantira Jackson, Paula Poundstone, Josh Gondelman | Show recorded in Kansas City, MO (Municipal Auditorium) |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
October 5 | Kara Jackson, singer/songwriter & former National Youth Poet Laureate | Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Scaachi Koul, Alzo Slade | |
October 12 [38] | Actor/comedian Eric Idle | Eugene Cordero, Shane O'Neill, Negin Farsad | |
October 19 | "Best of" episode featuring actor David Alan Grier, chef/food writer J. Kenji López-Alt, singer–songwriter Chappell Roan, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen | ||
October 26 [39] | Former professional women's basketball star Sue Bird & former women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe | Alonzo Bodden, Adam Burke, Helen Hong | Guest host Dulcé Sloan [40] |
Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
November 2 [41] | Actor/comedian Brian Jordan Alvarez | Luke Burbank, Emmy Blotnick, Brian Babylon | |
November 9 | Ultrarunner Tara Dower | Negin Farsad, Faith Salie, Peter Grosz | Guest announcer/scorekeeper Joshua Johnson |
November 16 | Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer [42] | Hari Kondabolu, Roxanne Roberts, Josh Gondelman | Show recorded in Detroit, MI (Fox Theatre) |
November 23 | TBA | TBA, TBA, TBA | |
November 30 | "Best of" episode |
A panel show or panel game is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participate. Celebrity panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by non-celebrity contestants, such as on Match Game and Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. The genre can be traced to 1938, when Information Please debuted on U.S. radio. The earliest known television panel show is Play the Game, a charades show in 1946. The modern trend of comedy panel shows can find early roots with Stop Me If You've Heard This One in 1939 and Can You Top This? in 1940. While panel shows were more popular in the past in the U.S., they are still very common in the United Kingdom.
William Lawrence Cullen was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades. Known for appearing on game shows and later as a prolific game show host, he hosted 23 shows, earning the nickname "Dean of Game Show Hosts". Aside from his hosting duties, he appeared as a panelist/celebrity guest on many other game shows, including regular appearances on I've Got a Secret and To Tell the Truth.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly news radio panel show produced by WBEZ and National Public Radio (NPR) in Chicago, Illinois. On the program, panelists and contestants are quizzed in humorous ways about that week's news. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member stations. The show averages about six million weekly listeners on air and via podcast.
Robert Francis "Bobcat" Goldthwait is an American comedian, actor, director, and screenwriter. He is known for his black comedy stand-up act, delivered through an energetic stage persona with an unusual raspy and high-pitched voice. He came to prominence with his stand-up specials An Evening with Bobcat Goldthwait—Share the Warmth and Bob Goldthwait—Is He Like That All the Time? and his acting roles, including Zed in the Police Academy franchise and Eliot Loudermilk in Scrooged. Since 2012, he has been a regular panelist on the radio-quiz show, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.
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Alonzo Bodden is an American comedian and actor known for winning the grand prize in the third season of the reality-television series Last Comic Standing. He had been the runner-up in the previous season.
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Peter Daniel Sagal is an American humorist, writer, and host of the National Public Radio game show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and the PBS special Constitution USA with Peter Sagal.
Faith Coley Salie is an American journalist, writer, actress, comedian, television, radio, and podcast host. She is a contributor to CBS Sunday Morning and a panelist on NPR’s Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. She hosted Science Goes To The Movies on PBS and CUNY TV. She is a storyteller for The Moth, with her story viewed over 4 million times. Her first book, Approval Junkie, "a collection of daring, funny essays chronicling the author's adventures during her lifelong quest for approval," was published by Crown in April 2016. Salie adapted it into a solo show which she performed Off-Broadway at the Minetta Lane Theater in New York City in 2021. The play premiered at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta in 2019.
Amy Elizabeth Macdonald is a Scottish singer-songwriter. In 2007, she released her debut studio album, This Is the Life, which produced the singles "Mr. Rock & Roll" and "This Is the Life"; the latter charting at number one in six countries, while reaching the top 10 in another 11 countries. The album reached number one in four European countries – the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland – and sold three million copies worldwide. Moderate success in the American music market followed in 2008.
The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon, Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine, and Benny Horowitz.
Sarah Elizabeth Cupp is an American television host, political commentator, and writer. In August 2017, she began hosting S.E. Cupp: Unfiltered, a political panel show, co-hosted by Andrew Levy, on HLN and later CNN.
The True Colors Tour was a headlining concert tour by Russian-German music producer Zedd, launched in support of his studio album True Colors. The tour visited Asia, Europe, and North America from 6 August 2015 to 11 January 2016.
Don't Hug Me I'm Scared (DHMIS) is a British musical horror comedy web series created by Becky Sloan and Joe Pelling. The series is notable for its blending of surrealism and morbid humour with horror and musical elements. Its production is diverse, combining puppetry, live action, and styles of animation including stop motion, traditional animation, flash animation, clay animation, and computer animation. The original series consisted of 6 short episodes released from 29 July 2011 to 19 June 2016 on YouTube. A follow-up television series was released in 2022 on All 4 and Channel 4.
Eugene Cordero is an American comedian, actor, and writer. Frequently appearing in comedic roles, he has been featured as a series regular on the comedies Other Space (2015), Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ (2017–2019), Tacoma FD (2019–2021), and Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–present). His television appearances also include recurring roles on House of Lies (2014), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2017), The Good Place (2016–2020), and Wrecked (2018). Outside of comedy, he has been a series regular on the Disney+ series Loki since 2021. Cordero's film roles include the comedy-drama The Kings of Summer (2013), the monster adventure Kong: Skull Island (2017), and the crime drama The Mule (2018).
Oh God, What Now? formerly known as Remainiacs, is a British hour-long twice-weekly political podcast about Brexit, speaking from the pro-Remain point of view. It was started on 26 May 2017 as Remainiacs after the European Union membership referendum as "a no-holds-barred podcast for everyone who won't shut up about Brexit". In October 2020, Remainiacs was renamed "Oh God, What Now?", due to the nature of Brexit making the unlikelihood of re-joining and changing nature of the British government.
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Laci Risë Mosley is an American actress, comedian and podcaster. She performs improv comedy at UCB Los Angeles and co-starred in the Pop comedy series Florida Girls. Mosley is best known for her podcast Scam Goddess, which focuses on historical and contemporary scams and cons. She was a cast member on Florida Girls, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Lopez vs Lopez, and the iCarly revival series.