Now of course this title could well refer to my current and bittersweet attention directed towards the weekly broadcasts of the last few episodes ever of Downton Abbey. 1920's English country manor living is indeed Old Tyme. But actually I've also been transfixed by a program which aired for its very long run of some 17 years or so (not including the revised version) well before I was of an age to have been a viewer.* What's My Line? was probably one of the most well-known and certainly well-liked TV shows of its era. Panel-style game shows were the fad then and this was the creme de la creme of them all.
Over the past few months, I've been catching many an episode, as often as I can. I'd guess every still extant kinescope-to-videotape-to-DVD-to-digital show can be found on YouTube, most on one uber-fan's channel, aptly titled "What's My Line?"
At first glance, a modern viewer would probably groan a bit over the horrible black-and-white low-res quality of the visuals of this show. These are restored to the best of the ability of current technology but the source material is a victim of the low grade, archaic television video recording abilities of the 1950s and 60s. I guess we should be happy to have anything at all...many programs of that era were either never saved on any media since they were shot and broadcast live or the low-quality media either deteriorated or were destroyed after the show was cancelled, etc.
The best thing about this show though is once you watch a few episodes, you really get a feel for the comradarie the panelists and moderator have for each other. It's like tuning in on a Manhattan upper-middle class cocktail party where old friends are have an intelligent parlor guessing game.
Here's a clip of one of the shows. Watch. Get hooked. And try not to be envious of the casually classy TV content mid-centurians had.
Over the past few months, I've been catching many an episode, as often as I can. I'd guess every still extant kinescope-to-videotape-to-DVD-to-digital show can be found on YouTube, most on one uber-fan's channel, aptly titled "What's My Line?"
At first glance, a modern viewer would probably groan a bit over the horrible black-and-white low-res quality of the visuals of this show. These are restored to the best of the ability of current technology but the source material is a victim of the low grade, archaic television video recording abilities of the 1950s and 60s. I guess we should be happy to have anything at all...many programs of that era were either never saved on any media since they were shot and broadcast live or the low-quality media either deteriorated or were destroyed after the show was cancelled, etc.
The best thing about this show though is once you watch a few episodes, you really get a feel for the comradarie the panelists and moderator have for each other. It's like tuning in on a Manhattan upper-middle class cocktail party where old friends are have an intelligent parlor guessing game.
Here's a clip of one of the shows. Watch. Get hooked. And try not to be envious of the casually classy TV content mid-centurians had.