Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Stats Page
Show Details: May 1998
1998-05-02
- First: Adam Felber 10
- Second: Charlie Pierce 9
- Third: Roxanne Roberts 6
- Susan Stamberg 0 *
This marks Peter Sagal's first show as the new show host, replacing Dan Coffey.
This show introduces the Not My Job segment where a guest has to guess the correct answer to three questions. Unlike the current version of the segment, the questions are not multiple choice. Susan Stamberg had an assist from Roxanne Roberts for the third question and Carl Kasell would grant Susan a point. Peter would later say on the show that aired on May 30, 1998 that Susan had scored zero points. Susan scoring zero points would have future implications; thus, Susan's score of zero has been entered and an exception will be noted.
For the first We'll Wait, You Tell Us, the listener contestant chose Charlie Pierce's answer, which was correct.
For News Etymology, the listener contestant chose Roxanne's answer, which was correct.
1998-05-09
- First: Roxanne Roberts 10
- Second Tied: Adam Felber 5
- Second Tied: P.J. O'Rourke 5
The show's page on NPR.org listed Roxanne Roberts, Charlie Pierce and Adam Felber as the panelists on the show.
How scoring was done for Lightning True or False on this show changed to granting panelist a point for each correct answer and did not deduct a point for an incorrect answer.
This show introduces the Who's Carl Now? segment, which is an early version of the Who's Carl This Time?, and now, Who's Bill This Time?, segment.
For the first We'll Wait, You Tell Us, the listener contestant chose Roxanne's answer, but Margo had the correct answer.
The new Suck Up to Minnesota segment was try to woo Minnesota Public Radio to add the show to their radio schedule.
For the second We'll Wait, You Tell Us, the listener contestant chose Adam's answer, which was correct.
1998-05-16
- First Tied: Roxanne Roberts 6
- First Tied: Charlie Pierce 6
- First Tied: Adam Felber 6
The second and third listener segments were not officially labeled as We'll Wait, You Tell Us, but follow the same premise similar to Bluff the Listener.
For the first We'll Wait, You Tell Us, the listener contestant chose Roxanne Roberts' answer, which was correct.
For the second We'll Wait, You Tell Us, the listener contestant chose Adam Felber's answer, which was correct.
This is the first time in which all three panelists finished the game in a three-way tie.
1998-05-23
1998-05-30
- First: Margo Kaufman 5
- Second: Roxanne Roberts 4
- Third: Charlie Pierce 2
Both listener contestants for the two We'll Wait, You Tell Us segments chose Margo Kaufman's answers, but Roxanne Roberts had the correct answer for both.
During the Not My Job segment, Peter Sagal had mentioned that Susan Stamberg had answered zero questions correct when she appeared on the show that aired on May 2, 1998. On that show, Carl Kasell said that Susan did get a point with an assist from Roxanne Roberts.
This show also puts into cannon the names given for the Not My Job scores that would be referenced for many years on the show. Scoring zero points would be a "Stamberg", scoring one point would be a "Palca", scoring two points would be "Siegel", and scoring three points would be an "Overby".
A huge thank you to Robert Neuhaus, Technical Director of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, for providing information about this particular airing of the show; as, the information provided on NPR.org lists the same show information for both May 23, 1998 and this show.