On This Day, August 27: The Quiz Kids and Comic Weekly Man
Also featured: Transatlantic Call.
August 27 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August 27 across American and British radio, three generations of young prodigies on The Quiz Kids for Alka-Seltzer (1941 literature/ornithology, 1944 Joel Kupperman wartime geography, 1950 Hiawatha & astronomy), The Comic Weekly Man reading the Sunday funny papers for Puck, and two historic Anglo-American documentary collaborations on Transatlantic Call (Coventry reconstruction and Burl Ives singing the "Song of America") (1941–1950):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Child Prodigies of 1941" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1941-08-27 8:00 PM EDST |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer & One-A-Day |
Joe Kelly (Quizmaster), Gerard Darrow | Joan Bishop, Richard Williams | ["Quiz Show", "Game Show", "Educational", "Children", "Americana"] |
Quizmaster Joe Kelly tests young school prodigies on Shakespearean quotes, algebra equations, and ornithology facts sent in by listeners. |
| "Wartime Geography & Science Prodigies" | NBC Blue (WJZ) 1944-08-27 7:30 PM EWT |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer |
Joe Kelly (Quizmaster), Joel Kupperman | Harve Fischman, Ruthie Duskin | ["Quiz Show", "Game Show", "Educational", "Children", "Americana"] |
Eight-year-old math wizard Joel Kupperman and fellow child prodigies solve rapid-fire mental arithmetic and identify Pacific islands on naval maps. |
| "Hiawatha and Minnehaha" | NBC (WNBC) 1950-08-27 3:30 PM EDT |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer & Bactine |
Joe Kelly (Quizmaster), Joel Kupperman | Naomi Cooks, Melvin Miles | ["Quiz Show", "Game Show", "Educational", "Children", "Literature"] |
The panel of gifted children answers questions on Longfellow's epic poetry, American folklore heroes, and classical astronomy constellations. |
| "Snookums & Sunday Funnies" | WOR / Synd 1950-08-27 9:00 AM EDT |
Puck — Comic Weekly Hearst Sunday Papers |
The Comic Weekly Man (Narrator) | George McManus (Comics) | ["Children", "Comics", "Americana", "Humor", "Storytelling"] |
The Comic Weekly Man dramatically acts out voices and sound effects while reading the Sunday comic strips, including George McManus's 'The Newlyweds and Their Baby Snookums'. |
| "Eye Witness 52 (Coventry Rebuilding)" | CBS / BBC 1944-08-27 12:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining Joint Wartime Series |
BBC & CBS Production Staff | BBC / CBS Documentary Unit | ["Documentary", "Wartime", "British", "Historical", "Live Broadcast"] |
A documentary broadcast chronicling the resilience of English factory workers and townspeople rebuilding industrial manufacturing plants in blitzed Coventry. |
| "Song of America (Folk Ballads & Frontier Roots)" | BBC / CBS 1944-08-27 1:00 PM EWT |
Sustaining Cultural Exchange |
Burl Ives, Alan Lomax | CBS Symphony Orchestra | ["Documentary", "Folk Music", "Americana", "Historical", "Cultural"] |
Folksinger Burl Ives performs traditional American ballads and work songs, explaining the cultural history of Midwestern pioneers to British radio listeners. |