Take A Good Look

The Ernie Kovacs Panel Quiz Show:
"TAKE A GOOD LOOK"
(aired on ABC 1959-61)

Ernie's "Silent Show", aired live and in color in early 1957, and brought him loads of fame, owing to the fact that the show aired in primetime and also because Life Magazine put him on the cover, its feature story on him entitled "Rx for TV Comedy: Kovacs"; stating that Kovacs and his TV-specific humor was the new wave, now that all the nightclub comics had gotten burned out doing a variety show every week.

However, after having a regular TV show every day from 1951-1956 (sometimes two different shows a day), 1958 found Kovacs in Hollywood under contract to Columbia Pictures, and without a regular series. And we all know that the new wave in TV comedy turnout to be insipid filmed sit-coms with canned laughter. Back then, a program got on the air because the sponsor bought the time and, as long as the product sold well, the show stayed on the air. Ernie met someone from General Cigar on a set, who was carrying a book on Bertold Brecht. This impressed Ernie, and Ernie's omnipresent cigar impressed the executive, and a relationship that was to last Ernie until his death was begun.

Dutch Masters sponsored Ernie's version of the popular panel show, such as "What's My Line" and "To Tell the Truth", which he had been sending up for years on his own shows. The program was called "Take a Good Look" and aired from October 1959 through February 1961, when he began making his monthly specials. The concept was simple. Ernie's panelists had to guess his guest's occupation by asking the guest questions and watching 3 videotaped clues. The clues were basically Kovacs, Bobby Lauher and Jolene Brand doing blackout gags which had something -- something extremely remote -- to do with the guest's occupation. The clues were funny and surreal, but usually left the panel clueless. A couple of episodes were released on home video from 16mm kinnies (albeit surreptitiously) in the 1980s, and they pop up on eBay sporadically.

"TAKE A GOOD LOOK"
Air Dates-October 22, 1959 to February 9, 1961
Thursday night from 10:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. on ABC.
Producers- Maury Cohen, Milt Hoffman
Directors- Barry Shear, Joe Behar
Cast- Ernie Kovacs, Peggy Connelly, Jolene Brand, Bobby Lauher
Sponsor- Consolidated Cigar Company-Dutch Masters cigars
All of the listings and show descriptions were taken from the actual
TV GUIDE issues which were in the public library. Perhaps TV GUIDES
from another area of the country might contain further missing information.

EPISODE LIST

EPISODE-1 DATE-October 22, 1959
Panel-Janet Leigh,Hans Conreid, Cesar Romero
Description-None given
EPISODE- 2 DATE-October 29, 1959
Panel-Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hans Conreid, Cesar Romero
Description-None given
EPISODE- 3 DATE-November 5, 1959
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 4 DATE-November 12, 1959
Panel-Edie Adams, Jim Backus, Cesar Romero
Description-None given
EPISODE- 5 DATE-November 19, 1959
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 6 DATE-November 27, 1959
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 7 DATE-December 3, 1959
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE-8 DATE-December 11, 1959
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 9 DATE-December 18, 1959
Panel-None listed
Description-Ernie spends time amid his armor collection.
(NOTE: This is the description that was in the TV Guide.)
EPISODE- 10 DATE-December 24, 1959
Panel-None listed
Description-Article about show in issue.
EPISODE- 11 DATE-December 31, 1959
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE-12 DATE-January 8, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 13 DATE-January 15, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 14 DATE-January 22, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE-15 DATE-January 29, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE-16 DATE-February 4, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description- None given
EPISODE-17 DATE-February 11, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-Ad for the show in issue
EPISODE-18 DATE-February 19, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE-19 DATE-February 25, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Ben Alexander, Hans Conreid
Description-None given
EPISODE- 20 DATE-March 4, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Ben Alexander, Hans Conreid
Description-None given
EPISODE- 21 DATE-March 11, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 22 DATE-March 17, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 23 DATE-March 24, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 24 DATE-March 31, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 25 DATE-April 7, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Ben Alexander, Hans Conreid
Description-None given
EPISODE- 26 DATE-April 14, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Ben Alexander, Cesar Romero
Description-None given
EPISODE- 27 DATE-April 22, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Ben Alexander, Tony Randall
Description-Peggy Connelly assists with the clues.
EPISODE- 28 DATE-April 28, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Ben Alexander, Cesar Romero
Description-Peggy Connelly assists with the clues.
EPISODE- 29 DATE-May 5, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Ben Alexander, Hans Conreid
Description-None given
EPISODE-30 DATE-May 12, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Ben Alexander, Hans Conreid
Description-Ernie and Peggy Connelly act out the clues.
EPISODE- 31 DATE-May 19, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Hans Conreid, Cesar Romero
Description-Peggy Connelly helps Ernie act out the clues.
EPISODE-32 DATE-May 27, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Ben Alexander, Hans Conreid
Description-Peggy Connelly assists Ernie with the clues.
EPISODE-33 DATE-June 2, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Hans Conreid, Cesar Romero
Description-Peggy Connelly helps Ernie with the clues.
EPISODE- 34 DATE-June 9, 1960
Panel-Jane Wyatt, Hans Conreid, Cesar Romero
Description-Peggy Connelly is Ernie's assistant.
EPISODE- 35 DATE-June 16, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Hans Conreid, Cesar Romero
Description-Peggy Connelly helps act out the clues.
EPISODE- 36 DATE-June 23, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Hans Conreid, Cesar Romero
Description-Peggy Connelly aids Ernie with the clues.
EPISODE-37 DATE-June 30, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Hans Conreid
Description-Peggy Connelly helps Ernie.
EPISODE- 38 DATE-July 7, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Cesar Romero, Mort Sahl
Description-Peggy Connelly helps Ernie with the visual clues. July 14, 1960
- No entry due to Democratic Convention Coverage
EPISODE- 39 DATE-July 21, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Jack Carson, Cesar Romero
Description-Last show of the season. Peggy Connelly asssists with the clues.
EPISODE- 40 DATE-October 27, 1960
Panel-Edie Adams, Carl Reiner, Cesar Romero
Description-Peggy Connelly and Bobby Lauher act out clues. November 3, 1960
- Not broadcast this week.
EPISODE- 41 DATE-November 10, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 42 DATE-November 17, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 43 DATE-November 24, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 44 DATE-December 1, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 45 DATE-December 8, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given December 16, 1960
- Not broadcast this week.
EPISODE- 46 DATE-December 22, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 47 DATE-December 29, 1960
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 48 DATE-January 5, 1961
Panel-None listed
Description-None given
EPISODE- 49 DATE-January 12, 1961
Panel-Edie Adams, Carl Reiner, Cesar Romero
Description-Pilgrim scene: Ernie is an Indian, Bobby Lauher
plays John Smith, Jolene is Priscilla; Ernie is a sloppy magician
and an opera conductor.
EPISODE- 50 DATE-January 19, 1961
Panel-None listed
Description-Ernie is seen as Matzoh the magician.
EPISODE- 51 DATE-January 26, 1961
Panel-Edie Adams, Carl Reiner, Cesar Romero
Description-Jolene Brand and Bobby Lauher assist Ernie.
EPISODE- 52 DATE-February 2, 1961
Panel-Edie Adams, Hans Conreid, Cesar Romero
Description-Jolene Brand and Bobby Lauher join Ernie in acting out crazy clues.
EPISODE- 53 DATE-February 9, 1961
Panel-Edie Adams, Carl Reiner, Cesar Romero
Description-Ernie assumes roles of El Stupido, Rod Lovely and Superclod. Last show of series.