The Ad-Libbers

*The Ad-Libbers*
The Ad-Libbers
Genre	Game show
Directed by	Hal Persons
Starring	Peter Donald (host)
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of episodes	5
Production
Producers	Hal Persons; Ted Persons;
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	August 3 –; August 31, 1951

The Ad-Libbers is a CBS comedy sketch game show that began on August 3, 1951, and ended on September 1, 1951, as a summer replacement for Mama.[1]

Format

Home viewers were invited to send in story ideas. The host would read the story outline to the performers, who would then attempt to ad-lib dialogue to fit the story.[2]

Cast

The show was hosted by Peter Donald. Regulars included Jack Lemmon, Charles Mendick, Patricia Housley, Joe Silver, Earl Hammond and Cynthia Stone.[3]

Background

The series was based on a similar program titled What Happens Now? The program aired on local New York station WOR-TV in 1949 and was hosted by Nelson Olmsted.[4] Regulars on the 1949 program included Ross Martin, Carol Ohmart and Larry Blyden.[5]

Production

Ted and Hal Persons produced the show, and Hal Persons directed it. Maxwell House was the sponsor.[3] It was broadcast on Fridays from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time.[2]

Critical response

A review in the trade publication Billboard said that the program "comes off as fitfully interesting but hardly strong enough to stand the rigors of strong audience competition."[3] It said that because the actors were not trained in performing spontaneously the demands of the show's format were unrealistic.[3]

References

McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 15. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
Morse, Leon (August 11, 1951). "The Ad Libbers". Billboard. p. 10. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007 (Volume 1). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-3305-6.
Terrace, Vincent (1976). The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs 1947-1976 (Vol. 1). South Brunswick and New York: A.S. Barnes and Company. ISBN 0-498-01561-0.

External links

The Ad-Libbers at IMDb

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[tt-1] McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 15. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.

[brooks-2] Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved July 29, 2023.

[bb-3] Morse, Leon (August 11, 1951). "The Ad Libbers". Billboard. p. 10. Retrieved July 29, 2023.

[4] Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007 (Volume 1). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-3305-6.

[5] Terrace, Vincent (1976). The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs 1947-1976 (Vol. 1). South Brunswick and New York: A.S. Barnes and Company. ISBN 0-498-01561-0.