Why The Host Of Name That Tune Looks So Familiar
When audiences were first introduced to "Name That Tune" in 1952, the musical game show looked, or should we say sounded very different? Beginning as a radio show on NBC Radio Network, "Name That Tune" featured Red Benson as its host. Shortly after its radio premiere, the show moved to television, first on NBC and then on CBS in 1953, with Bill Cullen – the Dean of Game Show Hosts – taking over for Benson. "Name That Tune" ran until 1959, before being revived in the 1970s, with Tom Kennedy taking over hosting duties. After seven seasons, the game show ended in 1981. Another revival was attempted in 1984, with Jim Lange as host, but that version lasted only one season (per TV Tropes).
Since its end in 1984, there have been several planned revivals – one in the '90s, another in the '00s, and one more in 2017. But none came to fruition. Fox kicked off 2021 by introducing a whole new generation to the show. For the first time in its long history, "Name That Tune" is now hosted by a woman, Jane Krakowski, who should be very familiar to television audiences.
Jane Krakowski created the face bra on Ally McBeal
After cutting her teeth in soap operas, Jane Krakowski's career reached new heights with Fox's "Ally McBeal." On the quirky legal dramedy, the actor played Elaine Vassal, Ally's (Calista Flockhart) oversexed assistant and friend. In a cast of oddball characters, Krakowski's Elaine often managed to out-quirk her colleagues. Dripping with confidence, Elaine was rarely intimidated by the well-schooled lawyers of the show's fictional firm, Cage and Fish. Fairly narcissistic, Elaine often pushed herself into the limelight, especially when singing at the firm's local watering hole.
In addition to her friendship with Ally, Elaine was most known for her lusty behavior and her get-rich-quick schemes. The moment an attractive gentleman stepped off the firm's elevator, Elaine was on the hunt, often straddling the line of predatory behavior. Throughout the series' five-season run, Elaine had an endless list of (ridiculous) inventions designed to make her rich. In one episode, she promotes her "Husband CD," a collection of relationship sounds (think snoring and farting) targeting single women. But, her most famous and visually absurd creation was the "face bra," which looked like a cross between a burn victim's wrap and Hannibal Lecter's face shield. Krakowski played Vassal until the series' end in 2002, earning a Golden Globe nod along the way.
Krakowski played Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock
After "Ally McBeal" ended, Jane Krakowski starred in a few Broadway and West End musicals before landing her next big TV role. As Jenna Maroney on NBC's "30 Rock," Krakowski brought much of Elaine Vassal's over-the-top persona to Jenna, the host of a fictionalized sketch comedy at the series' center. Much like Elaine, Jenna is a narcissist who uses her feminine wiles to promote and advance her career. Also a fan of the spotlight, Jenna has an impressive ability to make everything about her, including any change to the sketch comedy, which she often views as a threat to her career.
Much like she did on "Ally McBeal," Krakwoski portrays Jenna as a melodramatic ditz who often finds herself in hot water after over-exaggerating her intelligence. One humorous example comes in Season 1 when Jenna mishears an interview question about the Iraq War. Confusing military "troops" with acting "troupes," Jenna declares that she "hates the troops," which leads to an even more offensive apology tour. Krakowski played Jenna for all seven seasons of "30 Rock." Her performance earned four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress.
Krakowski teamed with Tina Fey for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
In 2015, two years after "30 Rock" ended, Jane Krakowski once again teamed up with Tina Fey, who created the NBC series, for Fey's "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." The Netflix series focused on the title character, played by Ellie Kemper, re-entering the world after being held captive by a cult for 15 years. In the series, Krakowski plays Jacqueline White, a wealthy – and largely disconnected from reality – socialite who came from humble beginnings before marrying a billionaire.
The series premiere featured Kimmy being hired by Jacqueline to work as a nanny for the latter's two children, after which the two strike up a friendship. While initially rejecting her Native American heritage by dying her hair blonde and wearing color contacts, Jacqueline eventually embraces her background and becomes an advocate, with varying and often comical success, for Indigenous people. Krakowski was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for the role, which she played for the four-season run of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."