This show was a family favorite when I was growing up. As much as a TV show can, it influenced my perception of the grown-up world in general and of New Yorkers in particular.
Seen today, it is like an American time capsule. Its nonstop parade of personalities of all types amounts to a wonderful snapshot of what America was like at the time. It is still greatly entertaining, but has acquired the additional virtue of being a sort of history lesson. What's My Line and To Tell the Truth provide some of that that too, but they don't compare to this crazy freeform show where anything could happen.
Its format, or lack of it, was a perfect match for Steve Allen, and the later shows where he was the host are every bit as much fun as the Garry Moore shows, in my opinion.
If you have any interest at all in what entertainment was like for previous generations, you should include this show in your travels.
