The following month, guest panelist Johnny Carson would sign with NBC to be the host of 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)'. Due to Carson having six months left on his ABC contract, NBC used multiple guest hosts until he could take over, including regular panelist Arlene Francis (the first woman to host The Tonight Show).
Guest panelist Dana Andrews had just ended a short run in the Broadway play 'The Captains and the Kings' at the Playhouse Theatre. The production had a star cast, including Lee Grant, Peter Graves, and Gavin MacLeod, but closed on January 06, 1962, after only seven performances.