# List of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! episodes (2012)

The following is a list of episodes of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, NPR's news panel game, during 2012. Job titles and lines of work reflect the position of individuals at the time of the appearance. All shows, unless otherwise indicated, are hosted by Peter Sagal with announcer/scorekeeper Carl Kassel, and originated at Chicago's Chase Auditorium.

## Contents

* Top
* January
* February
* March
* April
* May
* June
* July
* August
* September
* October
* November
* December

## January

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| January 7 | Director Paul Feig | Roy Blount, Jr., Amy Dickinson, Adam Felber | |
| January 14 | Comedian David Cross | Kyrie O'Connor, Brian Babylon, Paula Poundstone | |
| January 21 | Singer Duke Fakir Of The Four Tops | Mo Rocca, Tom Bodett, Faith Salie | Show recorded in Detroit, MI |
| January 28 | Children's author Jack Gantos | Peter Grosz, Roxanne Roberts, Brian Babylon | |

## February

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| February 4 | Actor Gary Oldman | Faith Salie, Charlie Pierce, P. J. O'Rourke | |
| February 11 | Jazz singer Kurt Elling | Roxanne Roberts, Tom Bodett, Paula Poundstone | |
| February 18 | Speedskater Nick Pearson | Peter Grosz, Kyrie O'Connor, Mo Rocca | Show recorded in Salt Lake City, UT |
| February 25 | Actor-themed "Best of" episode, featuring Kevin Bacon, Lisa Kudrow, Pee-wee Herman, Lucy Lawless and John Leguizamo | Actor-themed "Best of" episode, featuring Kevin Bacon, Lisa Kudrow, Pee-wee Herman, Lucy Lawless and John Leguizamo | Actor-themed "Best of" episode, featuring Kevin Bacon, Lisa Kudrow, Pee-wee Herman, Lucy Lawless and John Leguizamo |

## March

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| March 3 | Actor Alec Baldwin | Alonzo Bodden, Luke Burbank, Roxanne Roberts | |
| March 10 | Chef Rick Bayless | Brian Babylon, Tom Bodett, Amy Dickinson | |
| March 17 | Musician Joey Burns of Calexico | Charlie Pierce, Faith Salie, Roy Blount, Jr. | Show recorded in Tucson, AZ |
| March 24 | Actress Ana Gasteyer | Mo Rocca, Jessi Klein, Tom Bodett | |
| March 31 | Writer and musician Carrie Brownstein | Maz Jobrani, Brian Babylon, Paula Poundstone | |

## April

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| April 7 | Comedian Rachel Dratch | Roxanne Roberts, Adam Felber, Roy Blount, Jr. | |
| April 14 | Author and former baseball pitcher Jim Bouton | Alonzo Bodden, Jessi Klein, Mo Rocca | Show recorded in Boston, MA |
| April 21 | Writer-themed "Best of" episode, featuring Jack Gantos, Tom Robbins, Susan Orlean, Mary Roach, and Carl Hiaasen | Writer-themed "Best of" episode, featuring Jack Gantos, Tom Robbins, Susan Orlean, Mary Roach, and Carl Hiaasen | Writer-themed "Best of" episode, featuring Jack Gantos, Tom Robbins, Susan Orlean, Mary Roach, and Carl Hiaasen |
| April 28 | Director Barry Sonnenfeld | Paula Poundstone, Tom Bodett, Amy Dickinson | |

## May

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| May 5 | Former talk show host Dick Cavett | Charlie Pierce, Kyrie O'Connor, Roy Blount, Jr. | Show recorded in Lincoln, NE |
| May 12 | Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait | Amy Dickinson, Mo Rocca, Tom Bodett | |
| May 19 | Kyle Gass and Jack Black Of Tenacious D | Brian Babylon, Roxanne Roberts, Charlie Pierce | |
| May 26 | Folk singer Bonnie 'Prince' Billy | P. J. O'Rourke, Luke Burbank, Paula Poundstone | |

## June

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| June 2 | "Best of" episode featuring actor Gary Oldman, actor Simon Pegg and baseball legend Cal Ripken | "Best of" episode featuring actor Gary Oldman, actor Simon Pegg and baseball legend Cal Ripken | "Best of" episode featuring actor Gary Oldman, actor Simon Pegg and baseball legend Cal Ripken |
| June 9 | White House chef Sam Kass | Roxanne Roberts, Mo Rocca, P. J. O'Rourke | Show recorded in North Bethesda, MD |
| June 16 | Novelist John Irving | Maz Jobrani, Amy Dickinson, Roy Blount, Jr. | |
| June 23 | Director Rob Reiner | Brian Babylon, Paula Poundstone, Luke Burbank | Guest host Peter Grosz |
| June 30 | Comedian Drew Carey | Alonzo Bodden, Kyrie O'Connor, Mo Rocca | Show recorded in Cleveland, OH |

## July

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| July 7 | "Best of" episode, featuring rapper/actor Ice-T, actor Tony Shalhoub, and former US President Bill Clinton | "Best of" episode, featuring rapper/actor Ice-T, actor Tony Shalhoub, and former US President Bill Clinton | "Best of" episode, featuring rapper/actor Ice-T, actor Tony Shalhoub, and former US President Bill Clinton |
| July 14 | Actress Brooke Shields | Peter Grosz, Roxanne Roberts, Bobcat Goldthwait | |
| July 21 | Author Norton Juster | Jessi Klein, Paula Poundstone, Brian Babylon | |
| July 28 | Economist Paul Krugman | Mo Rocca, Kyrie O'Connor, Simon Amstell | |

## August

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| August 4 | Actors Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell | Paula Pell, Charlie Pierce, Adam Felber | |
| August 11 | NASA engineers Bobak Ferdowsi and Adam Steltzner | Tom Bodett, Amy Dickinson, Roy Blount, Jr. | Show recorded in Portland, ME |
| August 18 | Comedian Mike Birbiglia | Luke Burbank, Faith Salie, Paula Poundstone | Guest announcer/scorekeeper Bill Kurtis |
| August 25 | British ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott | Charlie Pierce, Jessi Klein, Tom Bodett | Political-themed episode Show recorded in North Bethesda, MD |

## September

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| September 1 | "Best of" episode, featuring former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton, director Barry Sonnenfeld, and rock band Tenacious D | "Best of" episode, featuring former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton, director Barry Sonnenfeld, and rock band Tenacious D | "Best of" episode, featuring former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton, director Barry Sonnenfeld, and rock band Tenacious D |
| September 8 | Singer and songwriter Bonnie Raitt | Jessi Klein, Tom Bodett, Paula Poundstone | Guest announcer/scorekeeper Bill Kurtis |
| September 15 | Author George R.R. Martin | Charlie Pierce, Roxanne Roberts, P. J. O'Rourke | Guest announcer/scorekeeper Bill Kurtis |
| September 22 | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Thomas Frieden | Mo Rocca, Faith Salie, Roy Blount, Jr. | Show recorded in Atlanta, GA |
| September 29 | Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe | Brian Babylon, Kyrie O'Connor, Adam Felber | Guest host Peter Grosz |

## October

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| October 6 | Musician Ben Folds | Amy Dickinson, Maz Jobrani, Paula Poundstone | |
| October 13 | "Best Of" episode, featuring actor Tom Hanks, puppeteer Kevin Clash, actress Carrie Fisher, singer Linda Ronstadt, and voiceover artist Don LaFontaine | "Best Of" episode, featuring actor Tom Hanks, puppeteer Kevin Clash, actress Carrie Fisher, singer Linda Ronstadt, and voiceover artist Don LaFontaine | "Best Of" episode, featuring actor Tom Hanks, puppeteer Kevin Clash, actress Carrie Fisher, singer Linda Ronstadt, and voiceover artist Don LaFontaine |
| October 20 | Congresswoman and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California | Faith Salie, Luke Burbank, Charlie Pierce | |
| October 27 | United States women's national soccer team member Abby Wambach | Brian Babylon, Kyrie O'Connor, Tom Bodett | Guest host Drew Carey |

## November

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| November 3 | Smithsonian Institution secretary Dr. Wayne Clough | Paula Poundstone, Luke Burbank, Firoozeh Dumas | |
| November 10 | TV host and author Martha Stewart | Alonzo Bodden, Roxanne Roberts, P. J. O'Rourke | |
| November 17 | Beer maker and Sprecher Brewery owner Randy Sprecher | Faith Salie, Charlie Pierce, Mo Rocca | Show recorded in Milwaukee, WI |
| November 24 | Science-themed "best of," featuring NASA engineers Bobak Ferdowsi & Adam Steltzner, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist Adam Riess, and economist Paul Krugman | Science-themed "best of," featuring NASA engineers Bobak Ferdowsi & Adam Steltzner, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist Adam Riess, and economist Paul Krugman | Science-themed "best of," featuring NASA engineers Bobak Ferdowsi & Adam Steltzner, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist Adam Riess, and economist Paul Krugman |

## December

| Date | Guest | Panelists | Notes |
| December 1 | ABC News journalist Jake Tapper | Brian Babylon, Amy Dickinson, Adam Felber | |
| December 8 | Actor Hugh Bonneville | Adam Felber, Paula Poundstone, Maz Jobrani | Show recorded in Los Angeles, CA |
| December 15 | National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins | Luke Burbank, Jessi Klein, Tom Bodett | |
| December 22 | Actor and comedian Fred Armisen | Brian Babylon, Roxanne Roberts, Bobcat Goldthwait | |
| December 29 | Reprisal of political-themed 8/25/2012 episode featuring British ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott | Reprisal of political-themed 8/25/2012 episode featuring British ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott | Reprisal of political-themed 8/25/2012 episode featuring British ambassador to the US Peter Westmacott |