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DavoTB t1_iyapfdw wrote

The press team was represented by NBC broadcaster Jessica Savitch, Washington Post columnists Art Buchwald and David S. Broder. All were well-known and regarded in the journalistic world, and local to the production at DC NBC affiliate WRC-TV. Savitch died tragically about four years later.

Though changing hosts and broadcast channels, the show, which began in 1961, continues today.

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dishonourableaccount t1_iybn93a wrote

I was on a couple episodes of It’s Academic with a team against other high schools in my county. It was so cool as a 16 year old seeing what a tv studio looked like, even if it was just for local tv.

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DavoTB t1_iyc6uht wrote

Was this in the DC area or another part of the country? The show was very popular in the DC area for decades. The host was Mac McGarry, who would sometimes make unexpected asides during the show. The highlight was sometimes when he called down the cheerleaders or the marching band from the stands.

I’d agree, it was cool seeing the shows being filmed.I was there for another syndicated show. The tv studio itself was far smaller than expected, since the cameras did not show the entire view.

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dishonourableaccount t1_iyd0icb wrote

Yes, Montgomery County which is right north of DC in Maryland. I guess I assumed it was a show that would happen in a lot of major metro areas, but maybe it was just a DC thing!

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DavoTB t1_iyd12gw wrote

There were several versions, but DC area was the primary one.

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Gumburcules t1_iyequ62 wrote

> The host was Mac McGarry, who would sometimes make unexpected asides during the show.

I was on It's Academic! back in the early 2000s. Because of Mac's unexpected asides there was a rumor his "coffee" cup was always filled with vodka. My teammates and I kept trying to get to his cup to see if the rumor was true but we never managed it.

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