You Bet Your Life

You Bet Your Life
1955–60 title card
Genre	Comedy Quiz show
Created by	John Guedel
Directed by	Robert Dwan Bernie Smith
Presented by	Groucho Marx George Fenneman (announcer)
Composer(s)	Jerry Fielding (1947–52) Jack Meakin (1952–61)
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	14
No. of episodes	529
Production
Producer(s)	John Guedel
Running time	24–25 minutes
Production company(s)	John Guedel Productions, in association with NBC
Release
Original network	ABC Radio (1947–49) CBS Radio (1949–50) NBC Radio (1950–60) NBC-TV (1950–61)
Original release	1947 (radio) – 1961 (TV)

You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio on October 27, 1947, then moved to CBS Radio debuting October 5, 1949, before making the transition to NBC-TV and NBC Radio on October 4, 1950. Because of its simple format, it was possible to broadcast the show simultaneously on radio and television. June 10, 1960 was the last episode aired in its radio broadcast format. For its final season debuting September 22, 1960, the TV show was renamed The Groucho Show and ran a further year.

The play of the game, however, was secondary to the interplay between Groucho, the contestants, and occasionally Fenneman. The program was rerun into the 1970s, and later in syndication as The Best of Groucho. As such, it was the first game show to have its reruns syndicated.

The mid-1940s was a lull in Groucho Marx's career. His radio show Blue Ribbon Town, sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, had begun in March 1943 and had failed to catch on. Groucho left the program in June 1944, replaced by vocalist Kenny Baker until the show's end two months later. He also reluctantly appeared in two movies with brothers Chico and Harpo Marx, A Night in Casablanca and the lackluster Love Happy.

During a radio appearance with Bob Hope in March 1947, Marx ad-libbed most of his performance after being forced to stand by in a waiting room for 40 minutes before going live on the air. John Guedel, the Hope program's producer, formed an idea for a quiz show and approached Marx about the subject.