On DVD: Pass the Line (1954)

The other day, I acquired a TV Guide DVD compilation of classic game shows, mostly public domain copies of episodes of shows you're all familiar with (i.e. What's My Line?, You Bet Your Life, The Price is Right), but Mill Creek, which put this package together, also included a real loser.

Pass The Line was an unsold pilot, created, produced, and emceed by Cliff Saber, who was never heard from again, I think. Unfortunately, 61 years later, the footage hasn't stood the test of time, and it's clear that Saber really didn't have clue one what he wanted to do with what amounted to a party game.

The idea here was that each of the panelists, which included a young Jonathan Winters, would copy the lines of a drawing. 30-odd years later, Burt Reynolds & Bert Convy took a much simpler tack with Win, Lose, or Draw, which proved to be a mild success.

Here, for better or worse, depending on your point of view, is Pass The Line:



Luckily, one bad apple didn't spoil the barrel, as we'll discuss further when we look at the TV Guide game show compilation.

Rating: F.