Out-of-studio experience

Lots of people have noted that many reality competition shows are just game shows dragged out of the studio and the usual game-show trappings. But even in the ancient black-and-white days, at least one game show liked to get out of the studio now and then.

That was I've Got a Secret, which never minded a good stunt to entertain the masses. The June 8, 1960 episode, which I've blogged about before, was a particularly memorable example. Anthony Perkins, starring in that "new" Hitchcock thriller Psycho, showed up as the mystery guest. While the panel was blindfolded, he and host Garry Moore took down the set. The camera then followed him and Garry and the show's crew out of the studio to Delsomma's restaurant next door.

For a while the blindfolded panel was left clueless and alone on the now deserted stage. Eventually, Garry gave them the word and they came over to the restaurant for a party. The cast and crew were celebrating the show's move to a new theater the following week.

Kind of odd to see all the folks walking down the New York sidewalks and into the restaurant. It's very reality-TV-ish in an old-time black-and-white way. Technology was still primitive and Garry constantly had to warn people not to step on all the cables that made the on-location shots possible. But everybody seemed to be having a genuinely good time. Even Henry Morgan.