Armchair Detective

Armchair Detective is an American television game show that was broadcast on CBS from July 6, 1949, through September 28, 1949. It was the first CBS TV program to originate on the West Coast and be shown in the East and Midwest via kinescope recordings, and it was nominated for the Most Popular Television Program Emmy Award in 1949.

Overview
Each week's episode contained two one-act mysteries with John Milton Kennedy as a Mr. Crime Investigator and H. Allen Smith as Mr. Crime Authority. At the end of each play, Smith explained how clues in that skit related to the solution of the mystery.

Production
Armchair Detective originated from KTLA-TV in Los Angeles. The sponsor was Whitehall Pharmacal Company. Mike Stokey was the producer. It was broadcast on Wednesdays from 9 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Critical response
A review of the premiere episode in the trade publication Variety found the kinescope flawed in comparison to live transmissions, which had been customary for many viewers on the East Coast. "Kine," the review said, "as was to be expected, came out on the losing end of the deal." Specifically the review mentioned "considerable haze" on the kinescope and excessive brightness that "at times washed out the action on the screen fringes".

Beyond that problem, the review said that Armchair Detective "was as good as many eastern programs", holding interest for fans of mystery shows. It said that the cast was "capable".