What's My Line? (British game show)

Last updated

What's My Line?
Genre Panel Game show
Created by Mark Goodson
Bill Todman
Presented by Eamonn Andrews (1951–63; 1984–87)
David Jacobs (1973–74)
Penelope Keith (1988)
Angela Rippon (1988–90)
Emma Forbes (1994–96)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series12 (BBC-tv)
2 (BBC2)
7 (ITV)
3 (HTV/Meridian)
No. of episodes413 (BBC-tv)
23 (BBC2)
160 (ITV)
42 (HTV/Meridian)
Production
Running time30 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production companies Thames in association with Mark Goodson Productions and Talbot Television (1984–90)
Fremantle (UK) Productions (1994–96)
Original release
Network BBC Television Service (1951–63)
BBC2 (1973–74)
ITV (1984–90)
HTV/Meridian (1994–96)
Release16 July 1951 (1951-07-16) 
17 December 1996 (1996-12-17)
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.

Contents

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

Transmissions

BBC Television Service

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
116 July 1951 [1] 7 April 1952 [2] 39
218 August 1952 [3] 28 June 1953 [4] 46
31 November 1953 [5] 20 June 1954 [6] 34
426 September 1954 [7] 20 March 1955 [8] 26
524 October 1955 [9] 16 July 1956 [10] 39
630 September 1956 [11] 7 April 1957 [12] 28
75 October 1957 [13] 22 June 1958 [14] 38
828 September 1958 [15] 22 March 1959 [16] 26
930 August 1959 [17] 24 April 1960 [18] 35
1018 September 1960 [19] 21 May 1961 [20] 34
111 October 1961 [21] 3 June 1962 [22] 35
121 October 1962 [23] 13 May 1963 [24] 33

BBC2

Series

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
123 August 1973 [25] 20 September 1973 [26] 5
219 January 1974 [27] 25 May 1974 [28] 17

Specials

DateEntitle
25 December 1973 [29] Christmas Special

Thames

Series

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
126 March 19842 July 198414
218 February 198520 May 198514
331 March 198630 June 198613
46 April 198718 May 19877
522 February 198825 March 198840
6 June 1988
15 August 19882 September 1988
613 December 198810 February 198938
15 March 19897 April 1989
710 July 199031 August 199032

Specials

DateEntitle
24 December 1984Christmas Special
30 December 1985Christmas Special

HTV/Meridian

SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
119 September 199419 December 199414
218 September 199518 December 199514
317 September 199617 December 199614

References

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