Wisdom of the Ages
| Wisdom of the Ages | |
|---|---|
 Publicity shot | |
| Genre | Panel show |
| Presented by | Jack Barry |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 23-25 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | DuMont |
| Release | December 16, 1952 – June 30, 1953 |
Wisdom of the Ages is a panel show aired on the DuMont Television Network from December 16, 1952, to June 30, 1953. The show combined the ideas of Juvenile Jury and Life Begins at Eighty, with a panel ranging from youth to the elderly. Wisdom of the Ages aired Tuesdays at 9:30pm ET, and replaced Quick on the Draw which ended December 9, 1952.[1][2]
The show was hosted by Jack Barry, and was a production of Barry & Enright Productions. Viewers submitted often-amusing questions or problems to be discussed by five panelists from different age groups – under 20 (Ronnie Mulluzzo, age 8), 20-40 (Marcia Van Dyke, age 28), 40-60 (Leo Cherne, age 40), 60-80 (Mrs. H. V. Kaltenborn, age 64), and over 80 years old (Thomas Clark, age 82).[1] Marcia Van Dyke was Jack Barry's wife.[3]
The panelists gave their opinion on such topics as spanking children and wives who worked outside of the home.[3] The eight-year-old and 82-year-old panelists were most often in agreement with each other.[1]
Episode status
An episode from June 16, 1953, survives at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.[4]
See also
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts
- 1952-53 United States network television schedule
References
- ^ a b c Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). "Wisdom of the Ages". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows – 1946–present (9 ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 1529. ISBN 978-0345497734. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). "Quick on the Draw". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows – 1946–present (9 ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 1125. ISBN 978-0345497734. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ a b Devane, James, Five Are Included On Panel Program In Wisdom of Ages, The Cincinnati Enquirer, January 8, 1953, page 18
- ^ UCLA Library
Bibliography
- David Weinstein, The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004) ISBN 1-59213-245-6
- Alex McNeil, Total Television, Fourth edition (New York: Penguin Books, 1980) ISBN 0-14-024916-8
- Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, Ninth edition (New York: Ballantine Books, 2007) ISBN 978-0345497734