The Who What or Where Game (Part 1 or 3)

[altfactor]

"Who What, Or Where" spent much of it's run at 12:30 P.M. Eastern time.

On many NBC stations, it was back-to-back with the original "Jeopardy!" (in some cities, "Jeopardy!" was at 12 Noon; in some cities where local NBC stations had noon newscasts, "Jeopardy!" was seen at 1 P.M.).

It was a great hour-long lunch-time block of mind-challenging game shows.

[basaintl]

Wow, Greg, nice mustache.

I remember watching this as a teenager in Corpus Christi.

[andyr1313]

As a teenager, I always thought this was a high-brow game, as I had trouble answering the questions, and Art James was such a smooth host- a pleasant memory from my youth...

[johnissoevil]

This show was so great that Ron Greenberg's association with B&E lead to a category on TJW based on this show.

[gnirol]

Wonderful to see. I was on the 3W's (and was a two-time champion) in 1973. What I wouldn't give to see those videos again. But thanks for this vid! Brings back tremendous memories. Used to play the home game with friends in grad school. Art James was a lot of fun, and he really kept the pace going.

[danbarker39]

This was a good game show, should've lasted longer.

[40onTheBlue]

I've a vague memory of seeing this show when I was about five, mostly from the oval scoreboards above the contestants (a unique place to put them) and all the W's on the set. I'd all but forgotten it until I chanced upon this episode last year. I found it a bit dull at first but it's gradually grown on me to the point where I'm now enthusiastically fond of it. If ever a hard Q&A show with a simple premise and high brain power should be needed, a revival of The 3 W's would make a great choice.

[karaokeguy88]

are the contestants body mic'ed?

[5star555555555]

this show has one of the best intros i've ever seen (so did the other nbc shows at this point)

[HomeoftheGoodGuys]

I have the home version based on a long forgotten game show. I should try this out soon.

[ccie12933]

@HomeoftheGoodGuys I have my copy, too -- always loved the way you changed he odds on the board by sliding the little strip :)

[dxtrfn80]

WSLS did not air this but aired local news at 12:30pm.

[brainman214]

This IS a classic i remember when i was a kid!I remember the three panelists and enjoyed this Ron Greenberg Production quite well.

NBC had lots of games during the daytime,then of course,soaps came on the air as the games declined.thanks,Brainy,Brainma­n Media

[heine71]

The 3 W's for short...

[QBCNetwork]

KPRC didn;'t carry the show.  But around 1972, KVRL (now KRIV) channel 26 was the designated NBC.

[runnerduck]

I heard Betty White mention in a interview the classic Password game show of the 1960s and 1970s could not be revived in that format today due to the "dumbing down" of our society. And the only "hard quiz" show that exists today is "Jeopardy!" . But the majority would rather watch someone pick out a suitcase full of cash rather than 3 people using their knowledge to win cash and prizes..

[ChrisK42]

@runnerduck Well, considering DoND has been cancelled...

[dexj1]

@runnerduck it's a shame. i weep for today's society.......

[georgef551]

This has "Cinescope" written all over it.

[kdeviljay]

I love the theme to this show.

[Freenbean]

This was the perfect show to follow Jeopardy!

[nextbarker]

Who was the announcer, Mike Darrow?

[nextbarker]

Nice show

[Noveltooner]

This was Art James' biggest hit and his longest-running show. In the days of three major networks long before thousands of cable channels, a slight hiccup in the ratings meant the death-knell of cancellation. (ABC executives later admitted they should have never cancelled "The Price is Right.") A run of three or more years was a SOLID hit (which made "Concentration, "Jeopardy!" and "The Hollywood Squares" phenomenoms). Five years was a great run back then for The 3 Ws.

[Noveltooner]

Before taking over as the announcer on The 3 Ws, Mike Darrow had been the host of the original "Dream House" on ABC (remember those Kingsbury Homes?). That show was cancelled and replaced by a show that's still running today (albeit now in a one-hour format): All My Children, which originally starred soap queen Rosemary Prinze.

[wextech]

Wow -- My mother was on this show in 1971 and was a champion four times (her loss on the fifth and final show is a funny story). I tried to find tapes of the shows (I even contacted the producer) but no luck. I also tried finding any episode at the Museum of Broadcasting in NY. This is the first place I've seen this. Thanks for posting it.

[ftsjr]

This has always been one of my favorite game shows. Like jeopardy, it was a game of knowledge.

[Hondo20132]

It's a shame this is the lone remaining episode.

[morgan8757]

I recall greg being on sale of the century

back in the spring of 1984 he won three

games then lost to david rogers

[ccie12933]

Man, I LOVED this show. Thanks so much for posting!

[Rlotpir1972]

Art James would also host 1975's "The Magnificent Marble Machine" and 1985's "Catch Phrase".

[GandSAfan]

In '74, this show was replaced by "Jackpot". Ironically, 3Ws announcer Mike Darrow hosted the second incarnation of "Jackpot" ('85-'88).....but it was the Canadian version, instead.

[jeprice08]

Good, it's still here! Please, don't ever take this off of Youtube! I mean the whole thing (all 3 or 4 parts still intact)! Please!

[timbabcock]

This is great stuff. NBC archives don't exist anymore. Great show. Tough questions.

[RRaquello]

I remember watching this show when I was about 8-10 years old when I used to come home from school for lunch. This and Jeopardy. It was pretty intellectual stuff for a little kid. Do kids anywhere go home for lunch anymore?

[GandSAfan]

Afraid not. For that matter, they don't show good stuff like this either, nowadays!

Come to think of it, kids don't have cool lunch boxes either! (I had a Secret Agent lunch box, at that time) ;)

[secondchance1977]

Nope :(

We eat in small, smelly cafeterias.

[jwgreek8606]

I know that The Who What or Where Game was revived as The Challengers but wasn't there an attempt to revive The Who What or Where Game as The New Who What or Where Game? I found out because the late Randy Amasia was a contestant on there.

[gameshowfreak2007]

the new who what or where game was the title of the challengers pilot, or so I'm told.

[PREGO1966]

Anything of Art James' resume is welcome in this house. The man was a natural genius.

[GandSAfan]

In the early 60s when he hosted "Say When", he did a commercial advert for Skippy peanut butter.....and somehow, the jar had cracked and leaked all over him. He took it all in good humor! ;)

[briegull]

And I only knew the Rose Bowl question because I'm originally from Texas!! Anywhere else, I wouldn't have had a clue!

[hotsickle]

well Lah-Dee-Dah.....

[jeprice08]

It's about time! I've been waiting to see an episode of this show! Thank you so jolly much!

[Stratman78]

WHERE DID YOU FIND THIS GEM? I was under the impression that all of The 3Ws episodes were destroyed! Great stuff!!!!

[setheriah]

Later on in the run of this show.. when contestants punch in their wages they are displayed immediately.. i think that started maybe in 1973 or something... i think the pot limit though they still had the players declare their wages though ... speeded up game play in the front game i guess ..

[nextbarker]

This isn't a bad game show.

[heine71]

This is a film print?

[2005dave]

No, it's videotape.

[zachhoran]

Clare Durst is the contestant in the middle, who told about her experiences on Invision Game Show Forum in May 2007.

[briegull]

I had a lot of fun doing it. I remembered Giles Goat Boy bec. I had stayed at a friend's apt and seen it on the shelf the nite before. It was the time of a transit strike (as in The Out of Towners) and I barely got into town before the train stopped, then walked to the apt on upper east side. The contestants & Art J. were nice. Lot of fun. More interesting than today's shows.

[RobertKS]

From the Rose Bowl question, it is possible to determine that this show taped in December, 1970. A more specific date might be determinable from the NBC Master Books broadcast log, if the names of the contestants were written down.