You Bet Your Life

If you're a fan of classic comedy, then you should definitely check out You Bet Your Life. It's a timeless show that's still funny today.

I recently discovered a whole heap more of the missing episodes in my RUSC archives, so I've already begun adding them to RUSC for your enjoyment. 

If you're not familar with the show's format, here's a little more about that... The actual game was fairly simple. Each week three couples were brought on stage to be interviewed and quizzed by Groucho Marx. 

Each was given $20 to bet as much as they wanted on four questions from the category they chose. The money would double each time they got a question correct and the one with the most money would go on to answer the jackpot question with a chance of winning anywhere between $1000 and $3000, which incidentally was the amount Groucho was paid each week for the show. 

However, it wasn't the actual game which brought listeners back week after week - it was Groucho Marx’s incredible comedic talent! He also brought to the show ideas that were socially conscious such as intolerance of racism and international relations. And while he was known for giving people a hard time with his wit, he was never mean-spirited and he knew how not to cross the line.

Groucho’s wit brought out the best in his guests who were often witty too, and the duelling banter between them showed they could give as good as they got! This made the show all the more engaging to listeners.

After making the transition to television, You Bet Your Life ended its run on NBC radio in 1960, and NBC-TV in 1961, but it has been revived several times since then. In 1999, a new version of the show was hosted by Bob Newhart. In 2014, a new version of the show was hosted by Jay Leno. Both versions of the show were met with mixed reviews, but they helped to keep the You Bet Your Life legacy alive.

What started reluctantly became a huge hit and a revival for Groucho's career. You Bet Your Life continued for nine years and is still as entertaining to listen to now as it was in the 1950s. 

Happy listening my friends,