Hollywood Squares, scripted jokes and answers

[Yong Fang]

In the game show Hollywood Squares, did the celebrities know the question beforehand? Or at least Paul Lynde?

I ask this because I was a “member” of a board about TV shows and remarked that Paul Lynde knew all the questions beforehand and said his jokes concerning the question. It wasn’t spontaneous. Lynde was probably quick witted but the questions and jokes were already known and written for him to say.

For some odd reason, I offended the moderator of the board by saying so.

Is this true or not? The show has writers and they wrote for Lynde since he was the star of the show.

Correct?

[howilu]

Peter Marshall always said once in each episode "The stars are briefed to help them with their bluffs but they're hearing the actual questions for the first time." The celebrities were never given the answers otherwise there would have been evidence of rigging which was against the law following the quiz show scandals.

[Mario500]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

In the game show Hollywood Squares, did the celebrities know the question beforehand? Or at least Paul Lynde?

I ask this because I was a “member” of a board about TV shows and remarked that Paul Lynde knew all the questions beforehand and said his jokes concerning the question. It wasn’t spontaneous. Lynde was probably quick witted but the questions and jokes were already known and written for him to say.

For some odd reason, I offended the moderator of the board by saying so.

Is this true or not? The show has writers and they wrote for Lynde since he was the star of the show.

Correct?

(question: name of the "board" mentioned here)

[Yong Fang]

It was on Facebook, some TV board off of that. I wasn’t being snarky, the subject was The Hollywood Squares and Paul Lynde and I stated that Lynde’s comments were written beforehand and wasn’t offhand. For some reason the moderator or whoever was “offended” by what I said. Lynde was smart with a quick wit but he didn’t make his jokes on the moment. I was banned from that board.

[dee2364]

Paul Lyne didn't write the jokes. It was mentioned on one of Gilbert Gottfried's podcast by a female author who not only knew him but wrote a biography on him.

His shtick wasn't original, either. He was imitating Alice Ghostley, who he had worked with back in the 1950s.

[ThisLittlePiggy]

Wait. You were banned from a board for stating the obvious? That is ridiculous.

[DJM77]

Originally Posted by dee2364

His shtick wasn't original, either. He was imitating Alice Ghostley, who he had worked with back in the 1950s.

I never thought about it before, but now that you mention it he did sound like he was imitating Alice Ghostley.

[dee2364]

Originally Posted by DJM77

I never thought about it before, but now that you mention it he did sound like he was imitating Alice Ghostley.

I think you'll get a kick out of this clip. They actually appeared in a scene together in a movie, I guess, as part of an inside joke about how much they looked and sounded like each other.

[icecream]

Hmm. I have never seen the original Hollywood Squares, but Paul Lynde and Alice Ghostley sounded totally different on Bewitched.

[Willbo]

Did Alice Ghostly and Paul Lynde ever appear in scenes together on Bewitched?

[dee2364]

Originally Posted by icecream

Hmm. I have never seen the original Hollywood Squares, but Paul Lynde and Alice Ghostley sounded totally different on Bewitched.

I don't know about that. I remember watching the show in reruns and thinking. "That's the female Paul Lynde" and wondering who she was and how come she was so much like him.

Originally Posted by Willbo

Did Alice Ghostly and Paul Lynde ever appear in scenes together on Bewitched?

No, I don't believe so. I think that scene was the only time.

The closest they came was in this TV production. They appeared on the same show but not the same scene. He's definitely imitating Ghostley here. Listening to him, he sounds like Bernice from Designing Women!

[SouthOKC]

Originally Posted by howilu

Peter Marshall always said once in each episode "The stars are briefed to help them with their bluffs but they're hearing the actual questions for the first time." The celebrities were never given the answers otherwise there would have been evidence of rigging which was against the law following the quiz show scandals.

From what I'm told, they were given a categorical nature of the category, a "gag" answer (which Peter Marshall was not told of), and two or three possible "answers" (unless it was "Y/n?" or "T/F?").

An end of show disclaimer confirms this, though the wording was different from version to version.