Sunday, January 3, 2016

What Might've Been: Dr. I. Q. (1958)

Dr. I. Q. was a huge hit on radio, but for some reason, perhaps the rapid fire pace of the show, and the admission that it was unrehearsed, it didn't translate so well on TV.

The series had 2 separate 1-season runs on television, first from 1953-4, and then from 1958-9, both on ABC. In all, about five men played the part, between radio & television, of Dr. I. Q., billed as "The Mental Banker", aided by two attractive female assistants.

Future icon Tom Kennedy was the last man to be Dr. I. Q. on TV, hosting the series in 1958 after his first gig, Big Game, had flopped earlier that year. Internet Archive provides a sample from the Kennedy era:




As noted, I think the dizzying pace might have contributed to the show's failure to transition from radio to television. What do you think?

No rating.

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