Wisdom of the Ages

Wisdom of the Ages
Publicity shot
GenrePanel show
Presented byJack Barry
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time23-25 minutes
Original release
NetworkDuMont
ReleaseDecember 16, 1952 (1952-12-16) 
June 30, 1953 (1953-06-30)

Wisdom of the Ages is a panel show aired on the DuMont Television Network from December 16, 1952, to June 30, 1953. The show combined the ideas of Juvenile Jury and Life Begins at Eighty, with a combined panel of youth and the elderly. Wisdom of the Ages aired Tuesdays at 9:30pm ET, and replaced Quick on the Draw which ended December 9, 1952.

The show was hosted by Jack Barry, and was a production of Barry & Enright Productions. Viewers submitted often-amusing questions or problems to be discussed by five panelists from different age groups – under 20 (Ronnie Mulluzzo, age 8), 20-40 (Marcia Van Dyke, age 28), 40-60 (Leo Cherne, age 40), 60-80 (Mrs. H. V. Kaltenborn, age 64), and over 80 years old (Thomas Clark, age 82). Marcia Van Dyke was Jack Barry's wife.

The panelists gave their opinion on such topics as spanking children and wives who worked outside of the home. The eight-year-old and 82-year-old panelists were most often in agreement with each other.