Yours for a Song
| Yours for a Song | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Game show |
| Created by | Bob Russell |
| Presented by | Bert Parks |
| Narrated by | Johnny Gilbert |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Bob Russell |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | November 14, 1961 – March 29, 1963 |
Yours for a Song is an American game show, created by Bob Russell, that aired on ABC from 1961-1963 with Bert Parks as host and Johnny Gilbert as announcer. The series, which filmed in New York City, aired in primetime from November 14, 1961 to September 18, 1962 and in daytime from December 4, 1961 to March 29, 1963. This program was replaced by the soap opera, General Hospital, which was ABC's first "modern-day" soap the following Monday.
Gameplay
Two contestants alternated picking songs, then singing their lyrics with certain words missing. For each correct word the contestant filled-in, s/he won a cash award ($10 in daytime, $20 in nighttime); if the contestant was wrong, no money was awarded for that word and Parks would gently prod them in the direction of the word until it was correctly guessed. After the contestant finished their song, Parks led the audience in a singalong.
Two games were played per show, and the contestant winning the most money returned on the next show to face a new challenger. If a contestant won five days in a row, s/he retired undefeated.
Songs
Songs used on the show included "Daisy Bell", "Toot Toot Tootsie", and "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis".
Episode status
The series is believed to have been destroyed as per network practices of the era. Two 1963 episodes (January 29 and March 25) are held by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.[1]
Later use of the concept
The concept of filling in lyrics to a song as part of a game show would later be revived on the late-2000s shows The Singing Bee and Don't Forget the Lyrics!