Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Saturday 11 AM
Hosted by: Peter Sagal and Carl Kasell

NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! takes a fast-paced, irreverent look at the news of the world—and the weird. Now in its sixth year, the show offers a modern and sometimes raucous twist on the old-time radio quiz show, mining NPR news stories for quiz questions. The host is Peter Sagal, who is an award-winning playwright and father of three in his spare time. America’s favorite newscaster, NPR’s Carl Kasell, is the show’s official judge and scorekeeper.

Each week, Sagal quizzes the panelists and listeners to determine just how closely they paid attention to the week's news. He serves up questions in all forms: lightning rounds, tape from NPR news shows, multiple choice, identify the “fake” story and fill-in-the-blank limericks.Listeners call 888-WAIT-WAIT for a chance to win the most coveted prize in all of public radio: a custom-recorded greeting by Carl Kasell for their home’s answering machine or voice mail.

Visit Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! at NPR.org

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
1:24 pm
Fri February 22, 2013

Singer-Songwriter Bonnie Raitt Plays Not My Job

Credit Marina Chavez /

Originally published on Sat February 23, 2013 8:28 am

This segment was originally broadcast on Sept. 6, 2012.

Back in the early 1970s, a young woman at Radcliffe College faced a choice: Stay in school and get her degree, or drop out and become a legendary blues singer and guitarist. It's pretty clear Bonnie Raitt made the right choice.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
6:30 pm
Fri February 15, 2013

Lightning Fill In The Blank

Originally published on Sat February 16, 2013 7:35 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Now onto our final game, Lightning Fill in the Blank. Each of our players will have 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as he or she can. Each correct answer now worth two points. Carl, can you give us the scores?

CARL KASELL: We have a tie for first place, Peter. Brian Babylon and Roxanne Roberts both have three points. Luke Burbank has two.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
6:30 pm
Fri February 15, 2013

Bluff The Listener

Originally published on Sat February 16, 2013 7:35 am

Transcript

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR News quiz. I'm Carl Kasell. We're playing this week with Luke Burbank, Brian Babylon and Roxanne Roberts. And here again is your host, at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, Carl.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Right now, it's time for the WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME! Bluff the Listener game. Call 1-888-Wait-Wait to play our game on the air. Hi, you're on WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
6:30 pm
Fri February 15, 2013

Prediction

Originally published on Sat February 16, 2013 7:35 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Now, panel, what will replace wrestling in the Olympics? Roxanne Roberts?

ROXANNE ROBERTS: Cage fights between drugged roosters and nervous fish called Cock-a-doodle Don't.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: Brian Babylon?

BRIAN BABYLON: A new aquatic event called Competitive Cruise Ship Towing.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: And Luke Burbank?

LUKE BURBANK: Drug Free Cycling, which in all honestly is going to mean sometimes walking the bikes up the hills.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
6:29 am
Sat February 9, 2013

Bluff The Listener

Originally published on Sat February 9, 2013 7:49 am

Our panelists tell us three stories of someone getting in the mood for love, only one of which is true.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
6:29 am
Sat February 9, 2013

Panel Round Two

Originally published on Sat February 9, 2013 7:49 am

More questions for the panel: House of Terrors, and We're Not Just Kidding.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
6:29 am
Sat February 9, 2013

Prediction

Originally published on Sat February 9, 2013 7:49 am

After the corpse of Richard III turned up in under a parking lot, our panelists predict where the next historical figure will be found.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
3:10 pm
Fri February 1, 2013

Lightning Fill In The Blank

Originally published on Sat February 2, 2013 7:53 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Time to roll on to our final game Lightning Fill in the Blank. Each of our players has 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as they can, each correct answer now worth two points. Carl, can you give us the scores?

CARL KASELL: Charlie Pierce has the lead, Peter. He has four points. Faith Salie has three. Brian Babylon has two.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
3:10 pm
Fri February 1, 2013

Bluff The Listener

Originally published on Sat February 2, 2013 7:53 am

Transcript

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME, the NPR News quiz. I'm Carl Kasell. We're playing this week with Charlie Pierce, Brian Babylon and Faith Salie. And here again is your host, at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you so much.

(APPLAUSE)

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
3:10 pm
Fri February 1, 2013

Panel Round One

Originally published on Sat February 2, 2013 7:53 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

We want to remind everybody they can join us here most weeks at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Illinois. For tickets and more information, go to wbez.org.

You can find a link at our website, that's waitwait.npr.org. There you can also find out about our big simulcast cinema event on May 2nd, WAIT WAIT live in a theater new you. Spoiler alert: we're even more attractive than you imagined. Am I right?

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Take their word for it.

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