ABC commissioned Merrill Heatter & Bob Quigley to develop a new game show for them in 1968 after the last one they'd sold to the network, Temptation, had been cancelled by the network. Near the end of October, Heatter-Quigley delivered Funny You Should Ask, a comedy panel game in which 5 celebrities gave answers to specific questions. The object for the contestants, after being sequestered in a sound-proof room during the Q & A round with the stars, was to match the answer to the star that gave it. In other words, it was a variation on Chuck Barris' Newlywed Game, which, coincidentally, was coupled with Funny on the schedule for the majority of Funny's 8 month run (October 1968-June 1969).
TV & radio personality Lloyd Thaxton, nearly a year removed from the cancellation of Everybody's Talking, was the host. As befitting the practice of the day, there is very little of the show available on YouTube or anywhere else. Following is a sample episode with H-Q staple Rose Marie, Dean Jones, Marty Allen, Meredith MacRae (Petticoat Junction), and Stu Gilliam.
Airing in back of Funny was a 5 minute program, The Children's Doctor, with Dr. Lendon Smith, who dispensed advice to the kiddo's and their parents. This program had begun in 1967, and ended in 1969 as well. Back in those days, it was a common practice for networks to use 5 minutes for either news or a public affairs program. The Children's Doctor fit the latter category.
Ratings:
Funny You Should Ask: B-.
The Children's Doctor: A.
I should mention that the reason we're looking at Funny today is because comedian-turned-entertainment mogul Byron Allen has acquired the rights, and a revived version of the series, hosted by Jon Kelley (Extra), debuts next month.
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