'It Pays to Be Ignorant' was originally a radio show; one of several radio programmes of the late 1940s and early '50s that gradually phased into tv production with a transition period in which it was transmitted on radio and television simultaneously. Another such radio/tv cross-over was 'You Bet Your Life', the quiz show hosted by Groucho Marx. 'It Pays to Be Ignorant' had very similar appeal to the better-known 'You Bet Your Life'. Both were ostensibly quiz shows, but in both cases the main point of the exercise was the comedic banter: in the latter case, from Groucho. In 'It Pays to Be Ignorant', the laughs came from the three 'expert' panelists who were actually elderly vaudeville comedians.

All three panelists appeared here under their own names, and were ostensibly playing themselves, yet all three performed 'in character'. George Shelton was a disreputable prole type. Whenever quizmaster Tom Howard mentioned any city or town, Shelton would shout: 'I used ta woik in dat town!' Lulu McConnell was a raucous-voiced harridan, similar to Marjorie Main without the sex appeal. During the television phase of this radio/tv series, Miss McConnell wore outlandish hats and garish outfits. Harry McNaughton was a snobbish Englishman, an Arthur Treacher-ous type who gave the impression that this entire programme was beneath his dignity. Whenever Howard mentioned anything unpleasant or grotesque, McNaughton would segue: '...which brings us back to Miss McConnell'.

'It Pays to Be Ignorant' had the general demeanour of an orthodox quiz show, but was very unorthodox. The running premise was that all three panelists were too stupid or addle-brained to answer the questions properly. They often failed to answer the questions at all, affecting not to understand them. When they did reply, their answers (wrong, of course) often seemed highly contrived. For instance, when asked 'Who wrote "David Copperfield"?', McNaughton replied: 'Paul Revere'. When Tom Howard challenged him to explain this answer, McNaughton observed that Paul Revere was a coppersmith. (Geddit? Coppersmith? Copperfield? Hoo boy.) The problem with this sort of humour is that anyone who's smart enough to know that Paul Revere was a coppersmith is probably also literate enough to know that Paul Revere didn't write 'David Copperfield'. If they revived this show nowadays, one of the panelists would probably respond: 'David Copperfield? Didn't he used to date Claudia Schiffer?'

Another similarity between '...Ignorant' and 'You Bet Your Life' is that both programmes featured an authority figure who ostensibly tried to maintain order, but who was clearly enjoying his role as a foil for the comedian's insults. On 'You Bet Your Life', this job was handled by the incomparable George Fenneman. On 'It Pays to Be Ignorant', compere Tom Howard struggled manfully to compel his panelists to give straight answers to his questions, and to stick to the subject. He always failed at this, but often hilariously so ... and always while enduring the insults and wisecracks of his three 'ignorant' panelists.

Although hardly as hilarious as it claimed to be, 'It Pays to Be Ignorant' was much funnier than many other comedies of its time ... and definitely much funnier than a lot of tv shows that came later. I wish this show would be revived.

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It Pays to Be Ignorant

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