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Ask Me Another

Saturday, 9:00- 10:00am
Ophira Eisenberg

Puzzlemaster Will Shortz and Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! host Peter Sagal walk into a bar... No, it's not the start of a joke. It's the essence of Ask Me Another, a rambunctious hour that blends brainteasers and local pub trivia night with comedy and music. Host Ophira Eisenberg invites in-studio guests and listeners alike to stretch their noggins, tickle their funny bones, and enjoy witty banter and guitar riffs from house musician Jonathan Coulton.

For an hour, listeners can play along as Eisenberg puts questions to a rotating band of puzzle gurus, audience members and special mystery guests, who then takes a turn in the contestant's chair facing trivia games written especially for him or her. What you'll hear resembles the casual intimacy of game night at a friend's house: one where scores are forgotten in favor of hilarious gaffes.

The puzzle gurus behind Ask Me Another include John Chaneski, who devised tough questions and answers for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" before becoming one of the "puzzle guys" on the radio program "A Way With Words"; Art Chung who has written for and produced television game shows including "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?," "Cash Cab," "The World Series of Pop Culture," and "Stump the Schwab"; and actor/writer Will Hines who has performed and taught improvisational comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre for years, and obsessively reads books on compiling baseball statistics, a task he will never have to do.

Ask Me Another is recorded live at The Bell House in Brooklyn, NY.

Genre: 
Entertainment
Composer ID: 
5187f364e1c8ae55ab3b89ee|5187f359e1c8ae55ab3b89d9

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NPR Story
4:24 pm
Wed January 30, 2013

The Man Who Knew Too Much. Way Too Much.

Credit Steve McFarland / NPR
The bell: either friend or foe to all contestants who grace the stage at Ask Me Another.
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By editor

So you think you're a TV buff. But how well do you know shows by their episode titles? Contestants are put to some pop culture challenges, like deciphering breakfast cereal haikus and a remixed nursery rhyme. Plus, our Mystery Guest this week is a certain brainiac who shares a few of his favorite apocalyptic prophesies.

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Ask Me Another
9:14 am
Thu January 24, 2013

Small Screen Test

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Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 9:44 am

Transcript

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Next up on ASK ME ANOTHER, we have our two new contestants, Scott Schwartz and Julieanne Smolinski.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Julieanne, I want to talk to you about this. You, you're a little famous.

JULIEANNE SMOLINSKI: Oh thank you, yeah.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Yes. People in the audience know. Can you...

SMOLINSKI: Those are my friends. They don't count at all.

EISENBERG: They - oh that's your friends. Do you know what I'm actually talking about when I just say that to you?

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Ask Me Another
9:14 am
Thu January 24, 2013

I'm A P.C.

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Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 9:44 am

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OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

All right everybody, this is what we've all been waiting for, our Ask Me One More final round. Our final elimination round will determine the grand champion of this week's ASK ME ANOTHER. Let's bring back the winners from all of our previous rounds. From Bingo: Tony Hightower.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: From Breakfast Cereal Haiku: Karl Devries.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: On with their heads: Tom Kelso.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: And Small Screen Test: Julieanne Smolinski.

(APPLAUSE)

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Ask Me Another
9:14 am
Thu January 24, 2013

On With Their Heads

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Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 10:47 am

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OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Alright. Let's welcome our next two contestants, Jamie Fried and Tom Kelso.

(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Hi Tom Kelso.

TOM KELSO: Hello Ophira.

EISENBERG: Do you have some experience in the theatre, being onstage in the past?

KELSO: Quite a bit, I've done shows in Louisiana, here in New York, Chicago, Baltimore.

EISENBERG: As an actor or?

KELSO: Both as an actor and backstage.

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Ask Me Another
9:14 am
Thu January 24, 2013

John Hodgman: How Much Does The Know-It-All Know?

Credit Brantley Gutierrez / Brantley Gutierrez
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Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 10:50 am

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Ask Me Another
11:10 am
Thu January 17, 2013

Leverage Your A-Game

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Originally published on Fri April 26, 2013 9:05 am

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OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Finally, it's what we've all been waiting for. Let's bring back the winners to play our Ask Me One More in final round. From Where in the World is Ronald McDonald, Reuben Hampton.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: From Celebrity Grammograms, Andy Kravis.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: For the Birds: Chris D'Orso.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Yes, Sir, Yes, Sir: Len Schiff.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: All Movies are the Same: Luke Green.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: All right, Will, take us out.

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Ask Me Another
11:09 am
Thu January 17, 2013

Celebrity Grammograms

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Originally published on Fri April 26, 2013 9:05 am

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OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Let's bring up our next two fearless contestants. We have Andy Kravis and Sara Manaugh.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Andy, you're a bit of a geek. You parody pop songs with law school related lingo. What's up with that?

ANDY KRAVIS: That's right. I'm in the Columbia Law Review, which sounds just like the Columbia Law Review, the journal, except way better and a lot more fun. We write parody words to popular songs, and they have a law theme. And nobody finds them funny except for law students.

(LAUGHTER)

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Ask Me Another
11:08 am
Thu January 17, 2013

Where in the World Is Ronald McDonald?

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Originally published on Fri April 26, 2013 9:05 am

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OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

In front of me right now are our first two contestants. Please welcome Reuben Hampton and Mark Thomas.

(APPLAUSE)

REUBEN HAMPTON: Hi, Ophira.

EISENBERG: Hello. Reuben, I have a question for you.

HAMPTON: What might that be?

EISENBERG: What is your favorite thing to order at McDonald's?

HAMPTON: Water.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: Good answer, Reuben. I like the way you eat. Mark, what is your favorite thing to order?

MARK THOMAS: Absolutely nothing.

EISENBERG: Really?

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Ask Me Another
1:53 pm
Wed January 9, 2013

Our Greatest Author

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Originally published on Fri April 5, 2013 8:14 am

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OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Let's bring up our next two brave contestants. Please welcome Meera Siddharth and Helen Stoilas (ph).

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Meera, here's a question for you. Who do you think is the greatest author of all time?

MEERA SIDDHARTH: Oh, you're putting me on the spot. Shakespeare.

EISENBERG: Good. That's a great answer for being put on the spot. I'm liking that. Helen, what do you think?

HELEN STOILAS: J. K. Rowling.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

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Ask Me Another
1:53 pm
Wed January 9, 2013

Johnson and Johnson

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Originally published on Fri April 5, 2013 8:14 am

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OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Finally, it's what we've all been waiting for. Let's bring back our winners to play the Ask Me One More final round.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: From We Didn't Start the Fire: Paul Dreyer. From On the Colbert Report: Marc Levy. From Our Greatest Author: Meera Siddharth. From This, That, or the Other: Shannon Sun-Higginson. And from The Sound of Art: Max Genecov.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Art, take us out.

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Podcasts

  • Friday, May 17, 2013 10:00am
    Ophira's Favorites: Round 3
    Host Ophira Eisenberg leads a game about matching literary classics and bestsellers to their actual Amazon one-star reviews. Jonathan Coulton leads an unthinkable game: Radio Pictionary. And VIP Michael Ian Black helps re-imagine famous advertising slogans as if they were read by Valley Girls.
  • Friday, May 17, 2013 10:00am
    Ophira's Favorites: Round 1
    Host Ophira Eisenberg begins the hour by exploring the international gustatory delights of the Golden Arches in a game called "Where In The World Is Ronald McDonald?" Plus, we mind our manners in a game called "The Mad Men's Guide to Etiquette."
  • Friday, May 17, 2013 10:00am
    Ophira's Favorites: Round 2
    We continue the hour of games handpicked by host Ophira Eisenberg with a tribute to a Billy Joel classic. Plus, Ophira chats with author Chuck Klosterman. Then, Klosterman takes a turn in the puzzle hotseat for an Ask Me Another Challenge about his favorite band, KISS.
  • Friday, May 10, 2013 11:00am
    I Left My Heart In Boston
    Jonathan Coulton is wicked stoked to pay tribute to Boston in the best way he knows how: by substituting the names of Boston neighborhoods into the lyrics of well-known songs about other cities. Can you name the original towns? Or do you prefer a "Roslindale State of Mind"?
  • Friday, May 10, 2013 11:00am
    Name Brand Names
    It may take a lifetime to develop your fashion sense, but only a few trendsetters can boast clothing items actually named in their honor. Puzzle Guru Art Chung asks contestants about couture that carries the name of its inventor or inspiration.