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"May all your consequences by happy ones" - Signoff used on the game show TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES/CBS/NBC/SYN/1950-87. Emceed by Ralph Edwards (later Jack Bailey, Steve Dunne, Bob Barker, Bob Hilton and Larry Anderson), this program was the first game show to use stunts. If the contestant couldn't answer the emcee's silly question, they had to pay the consequences by participating in a silly stunt.

"Mmmmm-WAH!" - The sound of Dinah Shore's classic kiss goodnight at the end of her musical/variety program THE DINAH SHORE SHOW/NBC/1951-57. On the first night of her show quite by accident Dinah came up with a gimmick that became her trademark. When it became apparent that the show had run some 30 seconds short, Dinah had to stretch the final scene. Taking the suggestion of set designer, Alan Handley, she blew an exaggerated kiss "Mmmmm-WAH!" to the audience off the palm of her hand. After the first week Dinah forgot to give her good night kiss to the audience and the fans followed up with letters of concern asking her if she "didn't love them anymore." The kiss soon became a permanent part of her act. Alan Handley got the idea from a cute little blonde who did a show called MARY KAYE'S NIGHTCAP, a program aired right before the station signed-off each night. Wearing a frilly nightgown and cuddled up on a bed, she announced the highlights of the next day's programming and then ended the show by daintily kissing the palm of her hand and gently blowing the kiss at the television audience (TV Guide 1/15-21/77 p. 27).

TRIVIA NOTE: Another program that used the kiss goodbye was THE DATING GAME/ABC/SYN/1965-80 & 1988-89 originally emceed by Jim Lange. Each program ended with a big kiss to the audience that turned into a friendly goodbye wave.

"Peace" - Signoff used by Dave Garroway, early host of the TODAY SHOW on NBC beginning in January 1952. He closed each program with an upraised hand and the single word "Peace." A former disc jockey, Dave Garroway originally hosted his own variety program GARROWAY AT LARGE/NBC/1949-51 where he first used his trademark closing phrase "Peace." In April of 1961, Dave Garroway's wife died and in July he left the TODAY program after nine years. He closed the program with his "Peace" signoff to the accompaniment of Lionel Hampton's version of "Sentimental Journey"-Garroway's theme song. In 1988 Arsenio Hall, the late night talk show host of THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW/SYN/1988-93 began to use the same signoff and occasionally added the phrase "Peace and think number one" (a sentiment to always reach for the top in whatever you do).

TRIVIA NOTE: As a bit of odd trivia, Dave Garroway was born July 13, 1913 at 13 Van Valson Street in the 13th Ward of Schenectady, New York. In 1982 Garroway died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Reportedly, he was despondent over his health after having open-heart surgery in 1981.

"Say goodnight, Dick" - Rip off of the classic ending of George Burns and Gracie Allen "Say good night, Gracie" used on the conclusion of comedy variety program ROWAN AND MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN/NBC/1968-73. When Dan Rowan asked his partner Dick Martin to "Say goodnight, Dick" after he had enough of his silliness, Dick responded "Goodnight Dick"

"Say goodnight, Gracie" - What comedian George Burns said to his wife, Gracie Allen at the conclusion of every episode of the sitcom THE GEORGE BURNS AND GRACIE ALLEN SHOW/CBS/1950-58. At the close of each show, Gracie would say something silly, or illogical. Instead of responding to Gracie, George simply said "Say goodnight, Gracie." The scatterbrained Gracie would in turn say "Goodnight." See also "Say Goodnight, Dick."

"See you on the radio" - The classic signoff of journalist Charles Osgood, the man in the dashing bow-tie who spoke to million of people each day on CBS radio and television. His book "The Osgood Files" (Putnam Books, 1991) brought together the best of his printed work with essays guaranteed to make his readers, stop, laugh and listen. He currently hosts SUNDAY MORNING program on the CBS Network.

"Smile, you're on Candid Camera!" - The closing remark heard each week on CANDID CAMERA/ABC/NBC/CBS/1948-53/CBS/1960-67/CBS/1990/SYN/1991. The point of the program was to catch people unawares on camera and have them involuntarily become part of some prank-like situation. When the persons being recorded by hidden camera had made a big enough fools of themselves, they were then informed they were on Candid Camera. At the end of each program the host faced the camera and reminded the home viewers "Don't be surprised if someone comes up to you and says, SMILE! you're on Candid Camera." At this point the cameraman focused on the surprised face of someone in the studio audience. Created by Allen Funt, the series was originally called CANDID MICROPHONE when it was on radio in the 1940s.

"Straight Ahead" - Signature signoff of Elaine Joyce, the host of the syndicated game show THE NEW DATING GAME in 1986. At the end of each telecast Elaine looked into the camera and told the audience, "Straight ahead"

"Till then, to put a little fun in your life, try dancing" - What Kathryn Murray, the wife of Arthur Murray said at the close of THE ARTHUR MURRAY PARTY/ABC/DUM/CBS/NBC/1950-60. The two popular dancers hosted this musical variety program that was nothing more than a commercial for viewers to join their national chain of dance studios.

"Tell Five!" - HAPPY FELTON'S SPOTLIGHT GANG/NBC/1954-55, a live Saturday morning show featuring film clips of European vaudeville acts closed with the phrase "Tell five" which invited five others to watch next week.

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