Take A Good Look

Take A Good Look was an innovative and offbeat television game show that ran from 1959 to 1961, showcasing the unique comedic talents of its host Ernie Kovacs. Known for his inventive use of video technology, Kovacs centered the entire premise of the game around his fondness for visual gags and surreal humor, making the show truly one-of-a-kind in the world of late 1950s television.

Take A Good Look challenged the conventional framework of the period's quiz shows by merging it with theatrical vignettes. Each episode featured three celebrity contestants who were tasked with identifying a mystery guest, but not through the traditional means of questioning. Instead, Kovacs would present a series of comedic sketches filled with abstract hints and enigmatic clues to help them reveal the person's identity.

Ernie Kovacs, a veteran TV personality, was at his creative peak during the show's run, using the platform as a canvas for his avant-garde humor. His skits were theatrical pieces, often wordless, esoteric, and downright challenging, even to the show's celebrity panelists. Accompanied by his wife and frequent collaborator, Edie Adams, Kovacs would occasionally appear in the sketches himself, further blurring the lines between game show and theatre.

The mystery guests on Take A Good Look were a mixture of regular citizens with unique personal stories and celebrities who agreed to be part of the fun. Their clues could be anything from Kovacs performing a pantomime, to a staged silent movie, to an abstract mime, which despite their difficulty level, became a fan-favorite aspect of the show. This left viewers, along with the contestants, to interpret what they saw and solve the mystery based on the visual hints provided, reinforcing the core concept of "taking a good look."

Aside from its unique format, Take A Good Look was also notable for the distinctive style of its host. Kovacs wasn't just a presenter or quizmaster; he was a protagonist, a participant, and an auteur. His humor was sophisticated yet wacky, blending high-brow references with deliberate absurdity that perplexed and amused in equal measure. This, coupled with his love for the television medium and its potential for artistic expression, helped to make the show a cult classic and a testament to Kovacs' innovative spirit.

The panel of celebrity guests was another highlight of the show. Some of Hollywood's best-known names of the era, such as Jack Benny, Robert Culp, and Buster Keaton, graced the show with their presence. They weren't just passive participants but active collaborators in the comedy, adding their own brand of humor and wittiness to the process. The light-hearted and easy-going atmosphere of the set, fostered by Kovacs himself, resulted in often hilarious and wildly unpredictable episodes.

Behind the comedy and confusion, Take A Good Look has also been celebrated for its subversion of classic American television. By eschewing the straightforward question-and-answer format of most game shows of the time, Kovacs was poking fun at the genre's conventions and creating a unique form of entertainment. The show was a game, a comedy, a theatrical piece, and an avant-garde art display rolled into one, reflecting the diverse portfolio of its ingenious creator.

Though its original run was short-lived, Take A Good Look has left a lasting legacy in the world of television. It was an anomalous entry in a TV genre that typically prized linear thinking and mundane trivia. In the decades since, it has earned a reputation as a groundbreaking production that defied norms and embraced the eccentric. In many ways, it encapsulated Kovacs' renegade spirit and his desire to continually reinvent what TV could be.

In conclusion, Take A Good Look was far more than just another quiz show. Under the helmsmanship of Ernie Kovacs, it morphed into a compelling blend of comedy, suspense, and theatre. Today, it can be viewed as a meaningful snapshot in time showcasing Kovacs' creative brilliance and the evolution of television as a medium of mass entertainment.