“From NPR and WBEZ Chicago…this is Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, the NPR news quiz!” blasts from the radio as I enter the car on Saturday mornings. Most people would take this moment to change the channel or connect their phone to listen to some real music, but personally, I prepare myself for the best 45 minutes of my day. Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, hosted by Peter Sagal, is broadcasted on Saturdays from 10-11a.m. and offers the perfect start to your weekend! Following a game show format, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me has five unique segments, where listeners can call in and attempt to win a message from one of the hosts in their voicemail. In order, the segments are “Who’s Bill This Time?” (panelists have to explain quotations from silly recent news stories), “Panel Questions” (panelists must answer questions pertaining to recent news), “Bluff the Listener” (panelists have to discern which of three similar news stories actually happened, and which two were made up by the hosts), “Not My Job” (a celebrity guest attempts to answers three questions not relating whatsoever to their job), “Listener Limerick Challenge” (listeners attempt to fill in the last word of limericks connected to news stories), and “Lightning Fill in the Blank” (panelists must answer as many questions about recent events as possible in 60 seconds). By the end of the 45 minutes, the panelist with the most correct answers and points wins! But someone else wins too: the listener (AKA you)! Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me continues to be a popular radio show because radio listeners can play along too, attempting to answer all the questions alongside the panelists. This is especially fun to do with friends or family, as you can have your own competition to see who gets the most points! So, next Saturday morning when NPR comes on the radio, keep the channel on and have some fun!
