Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Stats Page
Show Details: 2016
2016-01-02
2016-01-09
- First: Amy Dickinson 14 (2 / 6)
- Second: Greg Proops 13 (3 / 5)
- Third: Roy Blount, Jr. 11 (3 / 4)
- Ice Cube 2
In the edited version of the show, Amy Dickinson was asked six questions during the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank round and had answered five of them correctly. The sixth correct answer would have come from one of the two questions that were left out.
During Roy Blount Jr.'s Lightning round, he was given the clue of "Unforgettable" for the answer of Natalie Cole. Amy had fun with it and said "Forgettable" in a sing-songy manner.
2016-01-16
- First: Roxanne Roberts 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Mo Rocca 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: Bobcat Goldthwait 5 (3 / 1)
Joe Pesci was referenced in each of the three Not My Job questions that were in reference to three different people named Tony or Anthony. Joe Pesci's character in the movie Casino was based on Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro. Also, the third choice in the other two Not My Job questions used Joe Pesci as a joke answer.
At the end of the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank round when Bill Kurtis was asked if Roxanne Roberts did enough to win, Bill said "Yes! 14 points and the win!" The 14 points should not be confused with the total number of points Roxanne had, 17, but rather the number of points she got from answering 7 of 8 questions correctly.
2016-01-23
- First: Luke Burbank 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Paula Poundstone 14 (2 / 6)
- Third: Faith Salie 13 (3 / 5)
During the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank round, Paula Poundstone answered 7 questions correctly (each one got a bell ding and Peter acknowledging each one), but Bill Kurtis only gave her credit for 6. Even if Paula got credit for all 7, she still would not have enough to beat Luke Burbank. The score entered in for Paula reflects the incorrect score as recorded by Bill.
2016-01-30
- First: Shelby Fero 14 (2 / 6)
- Second: Tom Bodett 10 (2 / 4)
- Third: Peter Grosz 9 (1 / 4)
2016-02-06
- First: Alonzo Bodden 14 (2 / 6)
- Second Tied: Helen Hong 13 (3 / 5)
- Second Tied: Roy Blount, Jr. 13 (3 / 5)
2016-02-13
- First: Mo Rocca 18 (4 / 7)
- Second: Roxanne Roberts 17 (3 / 7)
- Third: Maz Jobrani 10 (2 / 4)
During the first panelist round, Mo Rocca asked for a hint and one thing that Roxanne Roberts mentioned was an itchy sweater. Seven years ago, on the show that aired on 2009-02-21, Mo Rocca made a comment about how homemade sweaters were always itchy. This lead to an ongoing saga in which fans wrote in complaining and eventually making a sweater for Mo Rocca.
Maz Jobrani had some fun plying his funny accents on the show again, this time a German accent during the Bluff the Listener round.
For the third Not My Job question, Jay and Mark split their answers, A and C respectively. The correct answer was "A" and Bill did count that has a third correct answer, but with an asterisk. Even without counting it correctly, Mark and Jay still answered two questions correctly to win.
2016-02-20
2016-02-27
- First: Faith Salie 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Paula Poundstone 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: Roy Blount, Jr. 9 (3 / 3)
2016-03-05
- First: Roxanne Roberts 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Adam Burke 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: Bobcat Goldthwait 6 (2 / 2)
2016-03-12
- First: Mo Rocca 14 (2 / 6)
- Second: Faith Salie 12 (4 / 4)
- Third: Paula Poundstone 9 (1 / 4)
Both Paula Poundstone and Peter Sagal were voice actors in the movie "Inside Out", which was the topic of Paula's Bluff the Listener story.
2016-03-19
- First: Tom Bodett 18 (4 / 7)
- Second: Peter Grosz 13 (3 / 5)
- Third: Marina Franklin 12 (2 / 5)
In the edited version of the show, Marina Franklin was asked five questions during the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank round and answered four correctly. Bill Kurtis stated that she answered five correct, meaning that the fifth would have come from one of the three questions edited out.
2016-03-26
- First: Luke Burbank 13 (3 / 5)
- Second: Roxanne Roberts 11 (3 / 4)
- Third: Roy Blount, Jr. 9 (1 / 4)
When Peter introduced Luke Burbank, the audience continued the tradition of chanting "Luuuuuuke!".
2016-04-02
If you mess with the bull, you get the horns. So why not mess with the Bill?
- First: Adam Felber 14 (4 / 5)
- Second: Amy Dickinson 13 (3 / 5)
- Third: Alonzo Bodden 9 (1 / 4)
All three panelists have a first name that starts with the letter 'A'. The last time that happened was back in 2004-09-04 with Roy Blount Jr., Roxanne Roberts and Richard Roeper on the panel.
Each of the three Listener Limerick Challenge answers were either "pit" or "Pitt".
The Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank round ended with a series of pee jokes in response to Adam Felber's last question of the (edited) round.
2016-04-09
- First: Tom Bodett 18 (4 / 7)
- Second: Peter Grosz 14 (2 / 6)
- Third: Paula Poundstone 12 (2 / 5)
Paula Poundstone's bluff included a mention of Peter "Segal" of "Wait Wait... Why Do I Care?" and studies.
For the Paula's last question of the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank round, Paula answered "dog and dead", though the correct answer was "cat and dead". With some pressure, Bill Kurtis accepted Paula's answer. For one of Tom Bodett's Lightning round questions, Tom answered with "Pfiffer" while the correct answer was "Pfizer". Peter Sagal said it was close enough and accepted the answer.
2016-04-16
- First: Roxanne Roberts 19 (3 / 8)
- Second: Luke Burbank 16 (2 / 7)
- Third: Mo Rocca 12 (2 / 5)
The audience continued the tradition of chanting "Luuuuuuke!".
After Roxanne Roberts correctly answered all eight Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank questions, Bill Kurtis mentioned that he didn't recall anyone doing that before. This is the third time Roxanne Roberts has answered all eight correct when Bill Kurtis was a scorekeeper.
2016-04-23
2016-04-30
- First: Faith Salie 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Adam Burke 15 (3 / 6)
- Third: Alonzo Bodden 10 (2 / 4)
2016-05-07
- First: Tom Bodett 18 (2 / 8)
- Second: P.J. O'Rourke 15 (3 / 6)
- Third: Helen Hong 14 (2 / 6)
During the Who's Bill This Time? round, P.J. O'Rourke announced that he was endorsing Hillary Clinton for President.
During the Not My Job round, after Rachel Bloom was given an opportunity to change her answer for the third question, Helen Hong "quietly" provided a strong hint at the correct answer. Rachel Bloom changed her answer to the correct one.
After Tom Bodett answered all eight Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank questions correctly, Bill Kurtis mentioned that "no one does it". There have been, at minimum, 30 instances where a panelist has answered all 8 questions correctly. Before this show, Tom Bodett has done so, at minimum, 3 times.
2016-05-14
- First: Mo Rocca 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Peter Grosz 16 (2 / 7)
- Third: Amy Dickinson 15 (3 / 6)
All of the correct answers to the Not My Job questions were "B".
In the edited version of the show, Peter Grosz was asked seven questions and answered six of those correctly. Bill Kurtis stated that Peter answered seven correct, meaning that the question that was edited out was answered correctly.
2016-05-21
- First: Adam Felber 15 (3 / 6)
- Second: Faith Salie 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: Paula Poundstone 8 (2 / 3)
Paula Poundstone laced her Bluff the Listener story with sounds of cats hacking up hairballs.
2016-05-28
- First: Roxanne Roberts 18 (2 / 8)
- Second Tied: Luke Burbank 10 (2 / 4)
- Second Tied: Roy Blount, Jr. 10 (4 / 3)
All three of the Not My Job questions had the correct answer of "C".
2016-06-04
2016-06-11
- First: Faith Salie 15 (3 / 6)
- Second: Brian Babylon 11 (3 / 4)
- Third: Peter Grosz 9 (3 / 3)
Another instance where all three of the correct answers to the Not My Job questions were "B". Possibly to play on the name "Blue Man Group", which Chris Wink and Phil Stanton are members of.
Bill Kurtis mentioned that it was the first time in his tenure, as judge and scorekeeper, that all three panelists started the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank round in a three-way tie. Bill last mentioned this back on the 2015-08-01 show, in which he was also incorrect with that statement as well.
Even though Bill did say that all three panelists where tied at the beginning of the Lightning round, he did not state how many points they had, 3, going in.
2016-06-18
- First: Paula Poundstone 15 (3 / 6)
- Second: Mo Rocca 13 (3 / 5)
- Third: Tom Bodett 12 (2 / 5)
2016-06-25
- First: Maz Jobrani 13 (3 / 5)
- Second: Roxanne Roberts 9 (3 / 3)
- Third: Bobcat Goldthwait 8 (2 / 3)
In the edited version of the show, only five out of the eight questions Bobcat was asked during the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank round made it, and one of the questions was one he answered correctly. Also, one of Maz's Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank questions was edited out, which was also one that he answered correctly.
Due to the timing of the Brexit vote, they had to record two different takes on the Brexit vote outcome, one for and one against.
2016-07-02
- First: Amy Dickinson 15 (3 / 6)
- Second: Adam Burke 14 (2 / 6)
- Third: Gabe Liedman 13 (3 / 5)
After Norman Lear gave his answer for the first Not My Job question and Peter was trying to hint that it was not the correct answer, Peter accidentally said "Norman Lear" instead of "William Lear".
Norman Lear only answered one Not My Job question correct and Bill Kurtis said that Norman and his 93-year old handicap made him a winner. I have not heard an official answer from the Wait Wait team on whether or not Norman actually won for the listener. Until I get an official response noting otherwise, it is noted that Norman only answered one correct and no exception.
2016-07-09
- Tim Gunn 2
- Elizabeth Gilbert 2
- Rick Steves 2
- Lena Headey 1
- Lee Child 2
2016-07-16
- First: Roy Blount, Jr. 11 (3 / 4)
- Second: Jessi Klein 10 (2 / 4)
- Third: Brian Babylon 8 (2 / 3)
2016-07-23
- First: Tom Bodett 16 (2 / 7)
- Second: Roxanne Roberts 15 (3 / 6)
- Third: Paula Poundstone 13 (3 / 5)
During the Not My Job segment, the audience started yelling the correct answer for the 2nd question, in which Charles Bolden used as his answer. He later asked the audience for help on the 3rd question.
During the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank segment, Tom Bodett couldn't quite get Oscar Pistorius's name correct for one of the answers; but, Peter accepted it as it was close enough. Also, Paula Poundstone's answer of "radar" was accepted as close enough when the actual answer was "sonar".
2016-07-30
- First: Peter Grosz 16 (4 / 6)
- Second Tied: Amy Dickinson 13 (1 / 6)
- Second Tied: Adam Burke 13 (3 / 5)
During the Not My Job segment, Peter Sagal asked Sharon Jones if she had someone with her helping out answering the questions.
2016-08-06
- First: Faith Salie 13 (3 / 5)
- Second: Helen Hong 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: Bobcat Goldthwait 9 (3 / 3)
During the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank segment, when Bobcat Goldthwait correctly answered his second question, there was no sound of a bell ding.
2016-08-13
- First: Adam Felber 13 (3 / 5)
- Second: Paula Poundstone 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: Alonzo Bodden 10 (2 / 4)
After Katie Couric provided her answer for the second Not My Job question, both Peter and Paula gave her a good nudging on what the correct answer was. Katie changed her answer to the correct one.
2016-08-20
2016-08-27
When Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! was in Portland, Oregon back in June 2016, they recorded two shows, one on Thursday the 23rd, and one on Friday the 24th. The one taped on Thursday was edited and then aired that weekend. The segments from the Friday show did not immediately air, as some included questions that were already asked on the Thursday show.
The Bluff the Listener segment and the Not My Job segment from the Friday show were aired for the first time on this Best Of show.
Normally, the chosen bluff and the correct bluff from Bluff the Listener segments re-aired on Best Of shows do not get noted in the Stats Page database. In this case, the Bluff the Listener segment was not aired as part of a regular Wait Wait show, I have noted the chosen and correct bluff information for this show.
2016-09-03
- First: Roy Blount, Jr. 15 (3 / 6)
- Second: Paula Poundstone 13 (3 / 5)
- Third: Tom Bodett 12 (2 / 5)
2016-09-10
- First: Faith Salie 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Luke Burbank 15 (3 / 6)
- Third: Adam Felber 12 (2 / 5)
During the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank segment, one of the questions that Peter Sagal read for Adam Felber mentioned that a "woman in Britain called 911". The emergency number in Britain (and the rest of the United Kingdom) is actually 999, not 911.
2016-09-17
- First Tied: Peter Grosz 17 (3 / 7)
- First Tied: Roxanne Roberts 17 (3 / 7)
- Third: Adam Burke 10 (2 / 4)
The listener contestant for the Bluff the Listener segment is Dr. Robin Zasio from the reality TV show "Hoarders"
2016-09-24
- First: Maz Jobrani 14 (2 / 6)
- Second: Mo Rocca 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: Amy Dickinson 11 (3 / 4)
2016-10-01
- First: Faith Salie 16 (2 / 7)
- Second: Alonzo Bodden 15 (3 / 6)
- Third: Tom Bodett 12 (2 / 5)
2016-10-08
- First: Luke Burbank 16 (2 / 7)
- Second: Peter Grosz 10 (4 / 3)
- Third: Helen Hong 8 (2 / 3)
During the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank segment, Luke Burbank had correctly answered six questions and missed on two (the first and the fifth questions). When totting things up, Bill Kurtis stated that Luke got 14 more points by answering seven correct for 16 points. If totted up correctly, Luke would actually have a total of 14 points and would still win outright.
The score entered in for Luke reflects the score on record as stated by Bill Kurtis.
2016-10-15
2016-10-22
- First: Adam Felber 12 (2 / 5)
- Second: Paula Poundstone 9 (3 / 3)
- Third: Amy Dickinson 7 (3 / 2)
2016-10-29
- First: Faith Salie 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Mo Rocca 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: P.J. O'Rourke 10 (4 / 3)
2016-11-05
- First: Roxanne Roberts 15 (3 / 6)
- Second: Alonzo Bodden 14 (4 / 5)
- Third: Peter Grosz 13 (3 / 5)
- Wynonna 2
There was no bell ding to Alonzo Bodden's first correct answer during Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank.
2016-11-12
America, I know change is hard, but don't curl up into a ball, curl up with a Bill
- First: Luke Burbank 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Amy Dickinson 11 (3 / 4)
- Third: Maz Jobrani 10 (2 / 4)
- Joe Buck 3
2016-11-19
- First: Roxanne Roberts 13 (3 / 5)
- Second: Paula Poundstone 12 (4 / 4)
- Third: Adam Felber 10 (2 / 4)
Garth Brooks asked his wife, and previous Not My Job guest, Trisha Yearwood, for her guess of the correct answer to the first Not My Job question. Garth chose her answer, which was not correct.
2016-11-26
2016-12-03
- First: Adam Felber 18 (4 / 7)
- Second: Luke Burbank 15 (3 / 6)
- Third: Helen Hong 12 (2 / 5)
Listeners of Luke Burbank's podcast, "Too Beautiful to Live," podcast will instantly pick up on the names that Luke used in his Bluff the Listener story.
Peter Sagal accepted Adam Felber's answer of "Ecstasy" for Adam's sixth Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank question. The correct answer was actually hallucinogenic mushrooms.
2016-12-10
- First: Peter Grosz 17 (3 / 7)
- Second: Faith Salie 14 (2 / 6)
- Third: Paula Poundstone 12 (2 / 5)
Paula Poundstone went with her take on an Irish accent when reading quotes in her Bluff the Listener story.
2016-12-17
- First: Tom Bodett 15 (3 / 6)
- Second: Roxanne Roberts 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: Adam Burke 10 (2 / 4)
Peter Sagal accepted Tom Bodett's answer of "making sweet, sweet love" for a Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank question regarding an Oregon Department of Transportation tweet telling people to "Netflix and Chill".
2016-12-24
- First: Amy Dickinson 13 (3 / 5)
- Second: Adam Felber 12 (2 / 5)
- Third: Brian Babylon 10 (2 / 4)
Peter Sagal accepted Amy Dickinson's answer of a blow-up doll dressed as an old lady for one of the Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank questions.