The following is a list of episodes of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! that aired during the NPR news panel game's first year in 1998. Dan Coffey served as original host until being succeeded by Peter Sagal in May. Carl Kasell served as announcer and scorekeeper. Dates indicated are the episodes' original Saturday air dates. Job titles and backgrounds of the guests reflect their status at the time of their appearance.
January Date Guest PanelistsJanuary 3 Roy Blount, Jr., Roxanne Roberts, Peter SagalJanuary 10 Roxanne Roberts, Peter Sagal, Margo KaufmanJanuary 17 Roxanne Roberts, Amy Dickinson, Charlie PierceJanuary 24 Margo Kaufman, Roxanne Roberts, Peter SagalJanuary 31Tim Foecke, Titanic scientist Roy Blount, Jr., Margo Kaufman, Peter Sagal
February Date PanelistsFebruary 7Margo Kaufman, Roxanne Roberts, Peter SagalFebruary 14February 21February 28
March Date PanelistsMarch 7Roy Blount, Jr., Margo Kaufman, Peter SagalMarch 14Margo Kaufman, Peter Sagal, Roxanne RobertsMarch 21Roxanne Roberts, Peter Sagal, Charlie PierceMarch 28Margo Kaufman, Peter Sagal, Adam Felber
April Date Panelists NotesApril 4Margo Kaufman, Roxanne Roberts, Peter SagalApril 11Roxanne Roberts, Peter Sagal, Charlie PierceApril 18Margo Kaufman, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne RobertsApril 25Margo Kaufman, Roxanne Roberts, Peter SagalDan Coffey's final episode as host
May Date Guest Panelists NotesMay 2NPR special correspondent Susan StambergAdam Felber, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne RobertsPeter Sagal's first episode as hostFirst edition of the "Not My Job" guest segment"‘Wait Wait’ … Please Tell Me: The Story Behind NPR’s Beloved Quiz Show," from The Ringer, 1/4/2018May 9Robert Siegel, host of NPR's All Things ConsideredMay 16 NPR correspondent Peter OverbyFirst episode to feature "Who's Carl This Time?" as a segmentMay 23NPR Pentagon correspondent Martha RaddatzAdam Felber, Roxanne Roberts, Margo KaufmanMay 30NPR correspondent Joe PalcaCharlie Pierce, Margo Kaufman, Roxanne Roberts
June Date Guest PanelistsJune 6NPR newscaster Corey FlintoffAdam Felber, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne RobertsJune 13NPR Talk of the Nation host Ray Suarez Charlie Pierce, Adam Felber, Roxanne RobertsJune 20Columnist and radio personality Bob GarfieldAdam Felber, Charlie Pierce, Margo KaufmanJune 27NPR Midwest correspondent Cheryl CorleyMargo Kaufman, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne Roberts
July Date Guest PanelistsJuly 4This American Life host/producer Ira GlassAdam Felber, Margo Kaufman, Roxanne RobertsJuly 11NPR correspondent Renée MontagneRoy Blount Jr., Roxanne Roberts, Charlie PierceJuly 18NPR sports correspondent Tom GoldmanAdam Felber, Roxanne Roberts, Charlie PierceJuly 25Linda Wertheimer, host of NPR's All Things ConsideredMargo Kaufman, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne Roberts
August Date Guest PanelistsAugust 1NPR science correspondent Richard HarrisRoy Blount Jr., Adam Felber, Roxanne RobertsAugust 8NPR business reporter Madeleine BrandAdam Felber, Roxanne Roberts, Charlie PierceAugust 15NPR contributor Kevin KlingAdam Felber, Roxanne Roberts, Margo KaufmanAugust 22NPR Theme music composer B. J. LeidermanRoy Blount, Jr., Charlie Pierce, Roxanne RobertsAugust 29NPR Los Angeles correspondent Andy BowersAdam Felber, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne Roberts
September Date Guest Panelists NotesSeptember 5NPR correspondent Neal ConanRoxanne Roberts, Margo Kaufman, Charlie PierceSeptember 12NPR correspondent Margot AdlerRoy Blount Jr., Adam Felber, Roxanne RobertsSeptember 19NPR State Department reporter Ted ClarkAdam Felber, Roxanne Roberts, Charlie PierceSeptember 26NPR senior correspondent Jacki LydenFirst edition of the "Bluff the Listener" segment
October Date Guest Panelists NotesOctober 3Weekend Edition Saturday commentator Ketzel LevineRoy Blount Jr., Adam Felber, Roxanne RobertsOctober 10NPR cultural correspondent Dean OlsherRoy Blount Jr., Roxanne Roberts, Margo KaufmanOctober 17no guestRoy Blount Jr., Adam Felber, Roxanne RobertsFirst edition of the "Listener Limerick Challenge"October 24NPR media correspondent Brooke GladstoneRoxanne Roberts, Nell Benjamin, Charlie PierceOctober 31NPR news reference librarian Kee MaleskyRoy Blount Jr., Charlie Pierce, Roxanne Roberts
November Date Guest PanelistsNovember 7NPR correspondent Melissa BlockAdam Felber, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne RobertsNovember 14NPR transportation correspondent Steve InskeepNovember 21NPR president Kevin KloseNovember 28Best Of Wait Wait Episode
December Date Guest PanelistsDecember 5NPR environment correspondent John NeilsenSue Ellicott, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne RobertsDecember 12NPR London correspondent Michael GoldfarbRoxanne Roberts, Roy Blount, Jr., Adam FelberDecember 19NPR health care correspondent Joanne SilbernerAdam Felber, Charlie Pierce, Roxanne RobertsDecember 26Liane Hansen, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday
References
External links Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Archives WWDT.Me, an unofficial Wait Wait historical site