And, this morning, Game Show Network ran the episode of What's My Line? from the Sunday after Dorothy Kilgallen was found dead in her apartment. Very sad to see host John Daly and the panel trying to do a merry game show in a collective state of week-old shock. Kitty Carlisle was borrowed from Goodson-Todman's To Tell the Truth to sit in Dorothy's chair, and Steve Allen, in the guest seat, tried his best to get some laughs in the funereal atmosphere. Bennett Cerf made reference to another historical marker — one that my pal Rick Scheckman e-mailed to remind me about. Kilgallen died either late the night of 11/7/65 or early the next morning. 36 hours later, much of the Eastern Seaboard was plunged in darkness with The Great Power Outage of '65.
Then, four days later, they did the show that aired this morn. Perhaps because the series was live and always had a feeling of "family" about it, it seemed more touching and genuine that most of the instances, in recent years, where TV shows have had to address the death of a cast member. In recent years, game shows have gone farther and farther with dazzling video effects and arresting lighting and music. I wonder if anyone at the networks, groping for the next gimmick to perhaps replicate the success of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, has thought to look at these old, gimmick-free game shows. Without fancy sets or high-tech hardware, they developed long and loving followings because the participants were relatively constant and had a chemistry, and there was no way the producers could tamper much with it. The joke of the recent "reality shows" is in how, with the pre-taping and industrial strength editing, so little reality is allowed to remain. (And don't get me started on how little spontaneity is permitted to occur on today's talk shows…)
A number of folks e-mailed to ask if I'd divulge the identity of the tactless celebrity who sent the telegram quoted in our previous news item. I would if I knew who it was. I told as much of the story as I know, and it does not include the lady's identity. Anyone have any idea?