IS THIS YOUR LIFE?

THIS IS YOUR LIFE
1952-1961 NBC

IS THIS YOUR LIFE?
MAD #24, July 1955
w: Harvey Kurtzman
a: Bill Elder

This was a regular show in which a person was taken by surprise, usually from the audience, or on the set of their show in the case of celebrities. The host, Ralph Edwards, would show memories from his book and bring in people from that person's past.

The splash panel has a bunch of celebrities and ad mascots in the audience. The Smith Brothers are using the cough drop of their competitor. Edward Murrow is filling his seat with the cigarette butts that were his trademark, Liberace is sharing sheet music with Harry Truman, Roy Cohn is advising Joseph McCarthy, Bing Crosby, smoking what looks like a golf club pipe, is noticing the likeness of Lincoln on his five-dollar bill isn't accurate, while sitting next to Marlon Brando just off the set of Julius Caesar. Martin and Lewis haven't guessed the “secret woid” is 'Lollabrigida'. Gen. McArthur is being tattooed by Grandma Moses. Julius LaRosa is about to blast TNT into Arthur Godfrey's earphones while Jackie Gleason is caught in the middle. Milton Berle is looking over Ralph Edwards' shoulder. Sen. Estes Kefauver is reading a horror comic before his subcommittee investigates it.

Hazel Bishop cosmetics was the sponsor of the show.

THIS IS YOUR WIFE
Crazy #2, January 1954
w: Stan Lee
a: Al Hartley

THAT WAS YOUR LIFE!
Eh! #5, July 1954
a: Fred Ottenheimer

THIS IS YOUR STRIFE
Panic #1, February-March 1954
w: Al Feldstein
a: Joe Orlando

From Russian TV Shows by Paul Laikin and John Severin

The show was parodied many times on Sesame Street.

THE STEVE ALLAN SHOW

THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW
1956-1960 NBC 1961 ABC 1962-1964 SYNDICATION


THE STEVE ALLAN STORY
MAD #32, April 1957
a: Bob Clarke

Precedent for The Tonight Show and basically all talk shows to this day.

They're referring to Gene Rayburn and Skitch Henderson. The last panel has caricatures of Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Mickey Rooney, and Martin & Lewis.

One of the early issues of the magazine (#25, September 1955) reprinted his novelty song A Very Square Dance.

From MAD's TV Alfie Awards by Larry Siegel and Mort Drucker in #56, July 1960

With all the talk about “nepo babies” now, we should note the phenomenon is nothing new, as shown here.

MAD'S THEATRICAL AGENT OF THE YEAR
MAD #116, January 1968
w: Lou Silverstone
a: Bruce Stark

Bruce Stark only did four pieces for them. He would have been a great addition to the “usual gang of idiots”. I wonder what happened.

Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra starred in The Wild Angels and These Boots Are Made for Walking was one of her hits.

THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW
Cracked #34, February 1964
a: John Severin

Remember, the idea of the talk show as we know it now was considered something new and unusual then.

MAD always had photos of celebrities holding up issues they appeared in. Not so much Cracked.

LATE NIGHT TV
Sick #21, June 1963
w: Al Hastings
a:: Richard Doxsee
Steve Allen's audience has caricatures of Mitch Miller and Ernest Borgnine as his character from McHale's Navy.

THE STEVE ALLEY SHOW
Eh! #7, November/December 1954
a: Fred Ottenheimer

The ghost is referring to Bennett Cerf, TV panelist and book publisher.