User:Daniel Benfield/Take A Good Look Video Archive

ABC Primetime: October 22, 1959 - July 21, 1960/October 27, 1960 - March 16, 1961 (57 episodes total)

Take a Good Look was a panel game hosted by Ernie Kovacs where the contestants were noteworthy for one reason or another, and three celebs had to figure out who they were (sometimes) and what they're famous for.

Originally, clues were presented through physical props and the occasional pretaped footage (the latter being things like a cat in a fishbowl or a married couple playing chess). In November or December 1959, these were almost all replaced by pretaped skits starring host Ernie Kovacs which hid clues, though by the end of Season 1 all the clues were skits.

Unfortunately, the skits hid the clues so vaguely that they pretty much only make sense if you know who the contestant is. For instance, one skit involved a director shooting a model train for a film's climactic scene, which due to the specific setup they can only afford to do once. Kovacs' character Eugene, who's supposed to be the cameraman, ruins the whole thing and brings the director to tears (in real life, this would've probably led to the film crew beating the crap out of Eugene and/or accusing him of sabotage, but he never gets his comeuppance in any of the skits I've seen). The clue in this case was the sound a train makes, "choo choo", because the contestant was a gum-chewing champion; I swear I'm not making this up.

Thing is, this was all intentional - Take A Good Look was Kovacs' parody of panel shows, with I've Got a Secret probably being the closest match in terms of how little they cared about the game - though at least the latter gave the panel a fighting chance whereas the former's slant towards the contestants was almost vertical. Some episodes had Kovacs point out in advance of each clue precisely what they're supposed to indicate, but this really only magnified the fact the panelists were almost always left utterly confused at the skits (not helped by Kovacs making remarks that they're over- or under-thinking the clues).

The 49 existing episodes were released by Shout! Factory as Take A Good Look: The Definitive Collection in October 2017. Unfortunately, I don't currently have an episode list available to me (the aforementioned page only lists show numbers and airdates), so I don't know if any of the below airdates are accurate.

Misc.

 * 1961 (From a Kovacs special after Look wrapped, "Whom Dunnit", a parody of panel shows {using the Look desks and glissando cue, though the score display is very obviously missing} where an audience member {played by Kovacs} is critically wounded by a mystery celebrity and the panel has to determine who the celeb is by asking the {rapidly dying} victim)
 * [Yes, really.]


 * 1978 (WOR promo for repeats, starting October 2)
 * [Barry I. Grauman: "In October (and I believe part of early November) 1978, WOR presented a limited number of episodes of Ernie Kovacs' "TAKE A GOOD LOOK" (through the courtesy of Edie Adams, who had the rights to them and salvaged what remained of the original 1959-'61 videotapes, from ABC) weeknights at 11:30."]

Season 1 (1959-60)
October 22, 1959 - July 21, 1960 (39 episodes)

For this season, the intro has various "pieces" of Kovacs' head being put together, with his face reacting to the clear absence of a cigar (which is then added).

Early episodes would show the audience the identity of at least one guest, with the other game(s) not doing so. The former bevame the standard practice for each game in November or December.

Originally, when Kovacs' wife Edie Adams began appearing, she was seated with the night's other two panelists. Sometime in 1960, she began getting her own entrance from a curtain at center stage.


 * November 12, 1959 (Cesar Romero, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Jim Backus {Part 2, Part 3}; Players: MARY ANN MOBLEY, Olga & Harold Connolly, Lothrop Withington Jr.)
 * [At this point, there's really no hint of the show that this would turn into - Kovacs' game explanation and the clues suggest this is a traditional panel show with a laid-back atmosphere (Kovacs makes a lot of funny remarks here, including a couple of jabs at the quiz show scandals, as well as a fun part with eggs in Game 1).]

Announcer Johnny Jacobs begins revealing all players' names and claims to fame before first clue, nameplates added to panelists' desk, clues become primarily skits (began by 12/31/59)
 * December 31, 1959 (Cesar Romero, Edie Adams, Hans Conried; Players: Dr. Chesley N. Martin, Elaine Shepherd; has commercials {alternate copies: full show, Game 2 only})
 * [Kovacs mentions New Year's Eve at (appropriately) 12:00.]

Edie now introduced separately from the other panelists, players' names now appear onscreen as Johnny notes their claim to fame, all clues are now skits (began by 7/21/60)
 * July 21, 1960 (Season Finale: Cesar Romero, Edie Adams, Jack Carson; Players: Harold Keables, Marilyn Moen {alternate copy})
 * [Pretty clearly preserved on videotape, which explains the really good audiovisual quality.]

Season 2 (1960-61)
October 27, 1960 - March 16, 1961 (18 episodes)

Different intro (now emphasizing Kovacs' characters and pretty much outright admitting the skits are purposefully vague), and Johnny now introduces each player and their claim to fame as they enter, but otherwise it seems to be the same.


 * November-December 1960 (Cesar Romero, Edie Adams, Hans Conried; Players: June Dillman, Ben Friedman; has commercials, first two seconds or so missing, low audio)
 * [Several commercials are related to Christmas, with one having Christmas decorations.]


 * December 22, 1960 (Cesar Romero, Edie Adams, Hans Conried; Players: Dr. Bernard Punsly, Mrs. Russell Bowler {Part 2, Part 3}; has commercials, "stuttery" video)
 * [Barry I. Grauman: "Ernie apologizes at :41 to viewers on those stations that presented this via "delayed broadcast" (on 16mm "bicycled" kinescope film prints), becuase ABC had a VERY weak line-up of affiliates back then- most also carried other network's programs, and were unable to air the show nationally on Thursday nights at 10:30pm(et). "Christmas greetings" could be delayed as much as six weeks, depending on when the station got the program."]