The Oddly Informative News Quiz from NPR

NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! takes a fast-paced, irreverent look at the news of the world—and the weird. Now in its sixth year, the show offers a modern and sometimes raucous twist on the old-time radio quiz show, mining NPR news stories for quiz questions. The host is Peter Sagal, who is an award-winning playwright and father of three in his spare time. America’s favorite newscaster, NPR’s Carl Kasell, is the show’s official judge and scorekeeper.

Each week, Sagal quizzes the panelists and listeners to determine just how closely they paid attention to the week's news. He serves up questions in all forms: lightning rounds, tape from NPR news shows, multiple choice, identify the “fake” story and fill-in-the-blank limericks. Listeners call 888-WAIT-WAIT for a chance to win the most coveted prize in all of public radio: a custom-recorded greeting by Carl Kasell for their home’s answering machine or voice mail.

One of the most popular segments is “Who's Carl This Time?” in which Mr. Kasell recites quotes from the week’s newsmakers as contestants guess whom he is impersonating. “This is the only show where you'll get to hear NPR's most senior newscaster impersonate Britney Spears,” the Wait Wait producers say. Another signature Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! game, “Not My Job,” invites well-known local and national personalities to answer questions that are out—way out—of their area of expertise.

A rotating trio of witty panelists completes the Wait Wait team. They include author and humorist Roy Blount Jr., Boston Globe writer Charlie Pierce, Washington Post columnist Roxanne Roberts, writer/performer Adam Felber, BBC contributor Sue Ellicott, author P.J. O’Rourke, comedian Paula Poundstone and humorist/pundit Mo Rocca.

Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! is a co-production of NPR and Chicago Public Radio. The program, created by the same folks who produce Car Talk, debuted nationally in 1998 and quickly established itself as one of public radio's favorite weekend programs.

Visit the show’s Web site to take the weekly news quiz, meet the panelists and crew, and check out five years of archived shows.