Tuned

Didn’t I say that I'm a lousy singer? The bad pipes tend to lower my opinion of singing competitions of any kind. That's why not a minute of American Idol has landed on my retinas.

But I do have semi-fond memories of one song contest: the hardy perennial Name That Tune. This show bounced around TV in a bunch of versions from the early fifties to the mid-eighties. The edition I recall best is Tom Kennedy's nighttime syndie, which ran from 1977 to 1984.

A singer named Kathy Lee Johnson worked that room, before she married the football player and teamed up with the Millionaire host. Wikipedia (usual caveats) says that the catchphrase "I can name that tune in [some number] notes" became one of the show's "most recognizable aspects." In this case the Wikipedia caveats don’t matter, because that one silly phrase is what sticks with me most from the show.

There’s been talk now and then about a new version, most notably CBS's revival effort with Donny Osmond in 2006. But nothing has ever escaped development hell. At least a wireless phone version did show up in 2003.