List of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! episodes (2023)

The following is a list of episodes of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, NPR's news panel game, that aired during 2023.[1] All episodes, unless otherwise indicated, originate from the Studebaker Theatre at Chicago's Fine Arts Building. Dates indicated are the episodes' original Saturday air dates. Job titles and backgrounds of the guests reflect their status and positions at the time of their appearance.

Also unless otherwise indicated, each episode features Peter Sagal as host and Bill Kurtis as announcer/scorekeeper. Sagal announced on January 28 that he would step away from the show on parental leave (after the birth of his 5th child),[2] but would return to the show the week of March 25.

January

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Date Guest Panelists
January 7 Previously unaired segments, including an interview with actress Mariska Hargitay
Encore segments including interviews with actor Sean Hayes, vermiculturist Myles Stubblefield, and comedian Mohammed Amer
January 14 Author George Saunders Emmy Blotnick, Peter Grosz, Paula Poundstone
January 21 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tom Bodett, Eugene Cordero, Dulcé Sloan
January 28 Actress Natasha Lyonne Brian Babylon, Negin Farsad, Maz Jobrani

February

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
February 4 Actor/singer Billy Porter Adam Burke, Helen Hong, Zainab Johnson Guest host Peter Grosz
February 11 Actress Geena Davis Alonzo Bodden, Hari Kondabolu, Paula Poundstone Guest host Tom Papa
February 18 Actress/dancer Rosie Perez Cristela Alonzo, Negin Farsad, Josh Gondelman Guest host Alzo Slade
February 25 Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode, featuring athletes Mikaela Shiffrin & Ozzie Smith, humorist John Hodgman, entertainers Stephen Colbert, Rob Reiner, & Leonard Nimoy, and astronaut Mae Jemison

March

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
March 4 Education activist Malala Yousafzai Alonzo Bodden, Maeve Higgins, Mo Rocca Guest host Josh Gondelman
March 11 Actor/comedian Nick Kroll Amy Dickinson, Peter Grosz, Shane O'Neill Guest host Negin Farsad
March 18 Actor Sam Waterston Helen Hong, Tom Papa, Alzo Slade Guest host Karen Chee
March 25 Political consultant David Axelrod Jessi Klein, Hari Kondabolu, Paula Poundstone Show recorded in Tucson, AZ (Centennial Hall)

April

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
April 1 Actress Michelle Rodriguez Luke Burbank, Zainab Johnson, Matt Rogers
April 8 Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode part 2, featuring musicians Bonnie Raitt & Duke Fakir, comedian & current Wait Wait panelist Maz Jobrani, actor Ed Helms, and athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, as well as some favorite panelist moments.
April 15 Beatboxer Kaila Mullady Alonzo Bodden, Negin Farsad, Shane O'Neill
April 22 Comedic musician "Weird Al" Yankovic Tom Bodett, Josh Gondelman, Robby Hoffman
April 29 Country musician Brad Paisley Negin Farsad, Maeve Higgins, Faith Salie Show recorded in Nashville, TN (Tennessee Performing Arts Center)
Date Guest Panelists Notes
May 6 Actor/comedian Ray Romano Helen Hong, Tom Papa, Matt Rogers
May 13 Actress/comedienne Gabrielle Dennis Alonzo Bodden, Adam Felber, Paula Poundstone Guest host Alzo Slade
May 20 Actress Golda Rosheuvel Luke Burbank, Adam Burke, Negin Farsad
May 27 Actor John Goodman Mo Rocca, Maeve Higgins, Hari Kondabolu Show recorded in New Orleans, LA (Saenger Theatre)

June

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
June 3 Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode part 3, featuring actor/comedian & former Wait Wait panelist Keegan-Michael Key, actors Regina King & Colin Hanks, musician Bobby McFerrin, and author Susan Orlean.
June 10 Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Radhika Jones Emmy Blotnick, Skyler Higley, Tom Papa
June 17 Actor James Marsden Karen Chee, Adam Felber, Faith Salie
June 24 Actress Karen Allen Karen Chee, Roy Blount Jr., Negin Farsad Show recorded in Lenox, MA (Tanglewood)

July

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
July 1 Author/relationship coach Aleeza Ben Shalom Brian Babylon, Adam Burke, Roxanne Roberts
July 8 Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode part 4, featuring actors Mariska Hargitay & George Takei, TV host/author Martha Stewart, musician Vince Gill, and director Greta Gerwig
July 15 Actress/singer Patti LuPone Emmy Blotnick, Adam Felber, Joyelle Nicole Johnson
July 22 Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard Luke Burbank, Paula Poundstone, Helen Hong Show recorded in Portland, OR (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall)
July 29 Actor/comedian Randall Park Tom Bodett, Josh Gondelman, Zainab Johnson Guest host Karen Chee

August

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
August 5 Poet/writer Maggie Smith Shane O'Neill, Emmy Blotnick, Adam Burke
August 12 Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode part 5, featuring actors Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, & Mindy Kaling, writer/television personality Ina Garten, musician Donny Osmond, and rocket scientist Tiera Fletcher.
August 19 Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode part 6, featuring musicians Brian May, Esperanza Spalding, & Cyndi Lauper, actor/comedians Bashir & Sultan Salahuddin, and ballet dancer Misty Copeland. On demand replay was delayed or unavailable in some platforms due to music licensing issues
August 26 Musician Mark Ronson Shantira Jackson, Luke Burbank, Alzo Slade Guest host Negin Farsad

September

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
September 2 Musician Bob Seger Roy Blount Jr., Josh Gondelman, Helen Hong Show recorded in Ann Arbor, MI (Hill Auditorium)
September 9 Marathoner/writer Martinus Evans Amy Dickinson, Peter Grosz, Maeve Higgins
September 16 Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Josh Gondelman, Faith Salie, Dulcé Sloan
September 23 Filmmaker John Wilson Tom Bodett, Eugene Cordero, Joyelle Nicole Johnson
September 30 Actor/writer Bob Odenkirk and his daughter, visual artist Erin Odenkirk Karen Chee, Maz Jobrani, Jessi Klein Show recorded in Los Angeles, CA (Greek Theatre)

October

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
October 7 U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar Roy Blount Jr., Shantira Jackson, Maz Jobrani
October 14 Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode part 7, featuring previously unaired segments, including an interview with musician/composer Stewart Copeland.
Also features encore segments with actors John Goodman & Sam Waterston, and actress/comedian Jenny Slate.
October 21 Author James Patterson Faith Salie, Matt Rogers, Alzo Slade Show recorded in Hartford, CT (The Bushnell)
October 28 Bernie Taupin, lyricist for Elton John Paula Poundstone, Alonzo Bodden, Zainab Johnson Guest host Peter Grosz

November

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
November 4 Ecologist and co-host of Wild Kingdom (2023 revival) Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant Tom Papa, Maeve Higgins, Adam Burke Guest scorekeeper Lakshmi Singh
November 11 Actor John Stamos Tom Bodett, Emmy Blotnick, Skyler Higley
November 18 CEO of L.L.Bean Stephen Smith Hari Kondabolu, Maeve Higgins, Roy Blount Jr. Show recorded in Portland, ME (Merrill Auditorium)
November 25 Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode part 8, featuring actress/comedian Jane Curtin, former chairman/CEO of Google Eric Schmidt, Olympic mogul skier Hannah Kearney, former host of Mythbusters Adam Savage, and former Notre Dame women's basketball coach Muffet McGraw.

December

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Date Guest Panelists Notes
December 2[3] Actress Dakota Johnson Alonzo Bodden, Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Adam Felber
December 9[4] Singer & frontman of The B-52's Fred Schneider Eugene Cordero, Paula Poundstone, Luke Burbank Guest host Negin Farsad
December 16[5] Television personality Bethenny Frankel Josh Gondelman, Helen Hong, Alzo Slade Show recorded in New York City, NY (Carnegie Hall)
December 23[6] Olympic long distance runner Molly Seidel Shantira Jackson, Bobcat Goldthwait, Roxanne Roberts
December 30 Wait Wait 25th anniversary "best of" episode part 9, featuring previously unaired segments, including an interview with 5th generation lobster fisherman Jacob Knowles
Encore segments including interviews with actresses Geena Davis & Karen Allen, and comedic musician "Weird Al" Yankovic
Some stations may altered the segments due to donation drive during the airing.

References

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  1. ^ "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! archive". npr.org NPR:National Public Radio. npr.org. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  2. ^ Source: Peter Sagal on Twitter (posted 1/28/2023 and accessed 2/3/2023)
  3. ^ Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me [@waitwaitnpr] (December 2, 2023). "Actress, king slayer, and lover of limes @dakotajohnson joins us on the show this week to talk about her new documentary The Disappearance of Shere Hite! @zofunny @joyellenicole and @adam_felber join us on the panel!! #50shadesofwaitwait". Retrieved January 8, 2024 – via Instagram.
  4. ^ Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me [@waitwaitnpr] (December 9, 2023). "The Rock Lobster himself @funfred1 of the B-52s takes us to the Love Shack this week with SPECIAL GUEST HOST @neginfarsad and panelists @eugcordero @paulapoundstone and @luke_burbank !!! Get ready to dance, sing, and shout the answers in this extra special ep!". Retrieved January 8, 2024 – via Instagram.
  5. ^ Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me [@waitwaitnpr] (December 16, 2023). "New York City is her playground and Wait Wait is the show she's on!! Skinny Girl founder, business mogul, influencer, and New York icon @bethennyfrankel joins this week at Carnegie Hall! And we have panelists @joshgondelman @funnyhelenhong @alzoslade to make it all extra fun 🗽🥳". Retrieved January 8, 2024 – via Instagram.
  6. ^ Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me [@waitwaitnpr] (December 23, 2023). "Olympic marathon bronze medalist, Strava legend, and midwestern native @bygolly.molly joins us for our last live show of 2023! Tune in to hear Molly onstage with esteemed panelists @tira_tira_tira @bobcatgoldthwait and Roxanne Roberts 🏃🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️". Retrieved January 8, 2024 – via Instagram.
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