If we were to pool our money, resources and influence in order to produce a reboot of Whats My Line for the 21st century, whom would you pick for the panelists and moderator? Lets go with the original concept and pick four regular panelists -- no revolving guest chair. I would want to preserve (or revive) as much of the eruditeness, elegance, and wit that we associate with the original; no contemporary Hal Blocks for me, thanks. As I mulled over this question, I found myself considering more writers than any other types. This is surprising only in that the original show didnt place writers on the panel terribly often. But we have so many humorists today who are comfortable in front of a mic, thanks to NPR programs like This American Life, and so few actors and performers who exhibit the class and style of the old gang that this strikes me as perhaps not such a bad thing. For moderator, I would like to pick the dearly departed David Rakoff, with whom I was acquainted. I think he would have been great at it -- he was quite an articulate speaker and very funny. In fact, I am so taken with the idea of Rakoff as moderator that Ive not really come up with another option. Bob Costas, maybe, who is also quite well-spoken, and who, like JCD, is a journalist (albeit one mostly associated with sports). He wouldnt be able to knit quite the intricate verbal webs that JCD did, but I think hed acquit himself well (though Id still opt for David Rakoff, if only he were still with us). In Dorothys spot, I tried to come up with someone who has a career similar to Dorothys, but no one has leapt to mind. Dorothys blend of gossip and serious journalism is hard to replicate today. But there is someone who is a whip-smart journalist (lets avoid comments on politics, please), quick on her feet, and with a sense of fun who might be an interesting choice for that first chair: Rachel Maddow. She wouldnt wear the elegant gowns of the original, but she cleans up nicely, and wardrobe is one area Im willing to compromise. Sarah Vowell might be also be a good choice for the first chair. In the Steve/Fred Allen chair, I think Ill indulge my impulse to cast a writer, in the person of David Sedaris. Hes perhaps not the quipster that Steve was, but he has a wry quirkiness that reaches Freds level, I think. Another option? David Letterman, another quirky but very smart and amusing personality who will soon have lots of free time. If not one of those two Davids, perhaps Craig Ferguson would sign on. For our contemporary Arlene, I think Id opt for Bonnie Hunt. Shes blond, shes attractive, shes charming, shes funny and shes very smart. She has a bit more of the working class to her than our Arlene did, but otherwise, she fits the bill nicely. I dont have a clue about a publisher who might fill Bennetts shoes, so Ill go another direction: Instead of a public figure from publishing, how about one from the fashion industry? Tim Gunn, whos a very savvy TV performer now, strikes me as a good choice. Hes got style and elegance and I think he could, over time, become a good questioner, if he wasnt ready to excel from the jump. Everyone cited above, aside from Maddow, is a bit long in the tooth, if our reboot is going to enjoy a nice, long run, but the main thing is to get the show up and running successfully, so Im going to stick with my choices. Besides, Im a little long in the tooth my own self. Thats my fantasy lineup. Whats your line(up)?
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 03:59:45 +0000
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