Chupacabra on What's My Line? Sketch

Yes daveandtom.com presents this rare 1960's gameshow moment. Tom Konkle David Beeler Gino C. Vianelli Stephanie Stearns and Michael Neill star in this clip from The Archaeology of Comedy film available on aoc.mevio.com and amazon.com.

What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations. It is the longest-running game show in the history of U.S. prime time network television. Hosted by John Charles Daly and with panelists Dorothy Kilgallen, Arlene Francis, and Bennett Cerf, What's My Line? won three Emmy Awards for "Best Quiz or Audience Participation Show," in 1952, 1953 and 1958 and Golden Globe for Best TV Show in 1962.[1][2]

After its cancellation by CBS in 1967, it returned in syndication as a daily production which ran from 1968 until 1975. There have been several international versions, radio versions, and a live stage version.


Game play
What's My Line? was a guessing game in which four panelists attempted to determine the line (occupation), or in the case of a famous "mystery guest" the identity, of the contestant. Panelists were required to probe by asking only questions which could be answered "yes" or "no". A typical episode featured two standard rounds (sometimes a third, and very rarely a fourth) plus one mystery guest round. On the occasions on which there were two mystery guests, the first would usually appear as the first contestant.

The chupacabras[1] (Spanish pronunciation: [tʃupaˈkaβɾas], from chupar "to suck" and cabra "goat", literally "goat sucker") is a legendary cryptid rumored to inhabit parts of the Americas. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknown animal in Puerto Rico (where these sightings were first reported), Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities.[2] The name comes from the animal's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats.
The first reported attacks occurred in March 1995 in Puerto Rico.[5] In this attack, eight sheep were discovered dead, each with three puncture wounds in the chest area and completely drained of blood.[5] A few months later, in August, an eyewitness, Madelyne Tolentino, reported seeing the creature in the Puerto Rican town of Canóvanas, when as many as 150 farm animals and pets were reportedly killed.[5] In 1975, similar killings in the small town of Moca, were attributed to El Vampiro de Moca (The Vampire of Moca).[6] Initially it was suspected that the killings were committed by a Satanic cult; later more killings were reported around the island, and many farms reported loss of animal life. Each of the animals had their bodies bled dry through a series of small circular incisions.

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• yt:crop=16:9
• blooper
• television
• comedy
• mystery
• guest
• funniest
• girl
• michael
• neill
• what's
• line
• celebrity
• stearns
• vianelli
• konkle
• sketch
• show
• clip
• chupacabra
• tom konkle

[cauchamar]

This show is ripe for this kind of thing, but I don't think the joke can just be the format - it has to be the exact people. Really unless you had gifted actors/comedians imitating the original stars, or spliced old clips in carefully with the new gag footage, it almost has to be just a written sketch or short story to work. There's a lot of comic potential in the premise but I feel you missed it here.

[daveandtom]

@cauchamar  Thank you for some of the most reasoned and intelligent comments and criticisms I've gotten on YouTube first off.

[daveandtom]

@cauchamar Secondly, I have to respectfully disagree as I do not find straight "imitate the people" or impression humor generally funny. Also, I do not think anyone would know the people on the show specifically well enough to have a imitation resonate with the audience. That is why I didnt have them "do" the people in a isnt it funny to see someone impersonating them scenario.

[daveandtom]

@daveandtom The joke in this case is the idea that Chupacabra would appear as a mild mannered glasses wearing man instead of the obvious creature and not a "see how well they copy a show no one really remembers specifically" joke. Hope you got a few giggles from it if not my replies

[cauchamar]

@daveandtom

The joke isn't/wouldn't be the impersonations, it would be a ridiculous guest in the context of the actual show as we saw it - the urbane panelists being their usual selves, the familiar banter between these familiar, super-polite people, and then at the end it turns out the guest they've been guessing for is a serial killer or something.

[daveandtom]

@cauchamar yes. that does sound like a valid other take on this idea. well done. We did this version onstage for a few years around the country and because it got laughs we shot it as I wrote it. Perhaps a followup idea of doing the panelists and having them guest another horrid guest is soon in order. I'll shoot it!

[fromthesidelines]

Thanks to "daveandtom" for uncovering Jim Aubrey's own attempt to 'goose' "WML?" during the early '60s when he was running CBS- the "Smiling Cobra" of broadcast executives clamed the original format wasn't "exciting" enough, and secretly produced his own version to prove his point. Of course, it was NEVER shown, and Aubrey was fired from CBS years later.

[awkwardpictures]

Hahahaha! Very nicely done

[daveandtom]

@mujerado the name of the sketch is rare unreleased mystery guest show. its okay if alot of people dont like it. Thanks for feedback.

[mujerado]

@daveandtom A majority of those who've responded don't like this. Neither do I. Humor is subjective, but your title reads as if this were an episode of the show being lampooned. I'd guess a large number of the dislikes resulted from people who felt they'd been deceived into watching this. False advertising is rarely funny to those caught by it.

[ipmoic]

Surprised they couldn't identify mystery guest Drew Carey right away!

[daveandtom]

LOL. Well, there's no pleasing some people! Good thing humor is subjective. It was a pleasure being stupid insulting you and being unfunny to you. Thank goodness you are in the minority about this one! Have a few more drinks just in case :-)