Name That Tune

Name That Tune
Onstage logo of The $100,000 Name That Tune from the 1984–85 daily series
Created by	Harry Salter
Presented by	Red Benson (1952–54) Bill Cullen (1954–55) George DeWitt (1955–59) Richard Hayes (1970–71) Dennis James (1974–75 daytime) Tom Kennedy (1974–81 nighttime, 1977 daytime) Jim Lange (1984–85)
Narrated by	Johnny Olson (1958–59) John Harlan (1974–81, 1984–85)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	195 (1984–85 version)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Harry Salter (1952–59) Ralph Edwards (1974–81) Sandy Frank (1984–85)
Running time	approx. 26 minutes
Production company(s)	Ralph Edwards Productions (1974–81) Sandy Frank Productions (1984–85)
Distributor	Station Syndication Inc. (1974–81) Sandy Frank Film Syndication Inc. (1984–85)
Release
Original network	NBC Radio (1952–54, 1974–75, 1977) CBS (July 6, 1953 – October 19, 1959) Syndicated (1970–71, 1974–81, 1984–85)
Original release	December 20, 1952 – September 1985
Chronology
Followed by	Name That Video (2001)

Name That Tune is an American television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. Premiering in the United States on NBC Radio in 1952, the show was created and produced by Harry Salter and his wife Roberta.

Name That Tune ran from 1953–59 on NBC and CBS in prime time. The first hosts were Red Benson and later Bill Cullen, but George DeWitt became most identified with the show. The series finished at #30 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1956–57 season.

Richard Hayes also emceed a local edition from 1970–71, which ran for 26 weeks in a small number of markets. However, the best-remembered syndicated Name That Tune aired once a week (expanded to twice a week for its final season) from 1974–81 with host Tom Kennedy. John Harlan was the show's announcer. This series was a Ralph Edwards production in association with Sandy Frank Productions, who distributed the series.

The centerpiece of each Name That Tune series was an orchestra, which would play the songs for the contestants to guess. Bob Alberti was the conductor of the orchestra for the first season, with Tommy Oliver replacing him in 1975 and Stan Worth replacing Oliver in 1978. The orchestra also featured a vocalist for the show's entire run. Originally the position was held by Kathie Lee Gifford, then known as Kathie Lee Johnson, who performed until 1978. She was replaced by Monica Burruss for the 1978–79 season, who remained with the series until its 1981 cancellation.

In the 1978–79 season, two changes were made. The series brought in choreographers Dennon Rawles and Jerri Fiala, the latter of whom was already working for show producer Ralph Edwards as hostess on The Cross-Wits, to serve as background dancers. In addition, the Name That Tune Orchestra was supplemented by The Sound System, a rock music ensemble led by Dan Sawyer with Steve March as its featured vocalist. The dancers were done away with after one season but The Sound System, along with March, stayed on for the rest of the show's run.