''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''.

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 In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation. The r ...

dialogue to fit the story.

Cast

The show was hosted by Peter Donald. Regulars included Jack Lemmon, Charles Mendick, Patricia Housley,

Joe Silver Joe Silver (September 28, 1922 – February 27, 1989) was an American stage, television, film and radio actor. His distinctive deep voice was once described as "the lowest voice in show business; so low that when he speaks, he unties your sho ...

Earl Hammond Erwin Saul Hamburger (June 17, 1921 – May 19, 2002), known professionally as Earl Hammond, was an American actor, who has appeared in several films and television series. Career Earl Hammond began acting in radio at the age of 7, and continued ...

and Cynthia Stone.

Background

The series was based on a similar program titled ''What Happens Now?'' The program aired on local New York station

WOR-TV WWOR-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey, United States, serving the New York City area as the flagship of MyNetworkTV. It is owned and operated by Fox Television Stations alongside Fox flagship WNYW (ch ...

in 1949 and was hosted by Nelson Olmsted. Regulars on the 1949 program included

Ross Martin Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sout ...

Carol Ohmart Armelia Carol Ohmart (June 3, 1927 – January 1, 2002), known professionally as Carol Ohmart, was an American actress and former model who appeared in numerous films and television series from the early 1950s until the 1970s. Over the duration ...

and

Larry Blyden Ivan Lawrence Blieden (June 23, 1925 – June 6, 1975), known as Larry Blyden, was an American actor, stage producer and director, and game show host. He made his Broadway stage debut in 1948 and went on to appear in numerous productions on ...

.Terrace, Vincent (1976). ''The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs 1947-1976'' (Vol. 1). South Brunswick and New York: A.S. Barnes and Company. .

Production

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

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." It said that because the actors were not trained in performing spontaneously the demands of the show's format were unrealistic.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ad-libbers, The 1950s American comedy game shows 1951 American television series debuts 1951 American television series endings Black-and-white American television shows CBS original programming English-language television shows Improvisation