"Masquerade Party" Ads from TV Guide, 1974-75.

Hello dere, how's your year going? Things is swell here--or they were, until I recently found out that practically NO full episodes of 1974's syndicated game show Masquerade Party exist anymore! At least, they're not out there for everyone's enjoyment, although Wink Martindale has one from his "vault" on YouTube. In that one, guests Charles Nelson Reilly and William Shatner, among others, participated by dressing in disguises so the panelists and contestants could guess their identities through questions and clues. The reveal, of course, is the best part. Shatner, clad in layers of heavy clothing and finally peeling the thick rubber appliances off his sweaty face, exclaims something like, "This is the worst experience of my life!" (Suck it up, Bill--Kirk's not coming back for another five years.)

I was five-and-a-half years old in the fall of '74, when our local CBS station (WCBS out of New York City) began airing MP in the 7:30 pm slot on Fridays. I think I already knew and liked host Richard Dawson from reruns of Hogan's Heroes on WNEW channel 5 (then shown weeknights at the same time). I recall enjoying the game immensely, which seems kind of odd to me now. When I began collecting old TV Guide issues some twenty-plus years ago, I discovered from the weekly ads that WCBS had run that the disguises they created for the mystery celebrity guests were downright grotesque! I can't even imagine your little Non-Parader seeking out this show week after week, when there was clearly so much nightmare fuel on display!

I've thought about compiling the TVG ads that I have for quite a while, and now that I know there's not much to be found on this program anymore, I figured I'd do it. I don't have every issue published during its run, and there were many weeks where no ad was placed, thus it amounts to a mere eleven (one of which has Dawson pictured instead of a costumed player).

There is a scanned image to be found on the web of WCBS' premiere ad, but the earliest one in my collection, currently, is from December 6th, 1974. Presumably there were many more preceding this one throughout that autumn, but I don't really seek out issues from that year, with my collection beginning in earnest with 1975. (Click pics to enlarge, of course.)
[July 2023 UPDATE! Just got the issue for Thanksgiving week, '74, so now this is the earliest, from the day after the holiday.]

I only have one more from 1974 after that, and the rest are from winter 1975. I've inserted the dates from the top of the pages into the ads. Don't ask me who the costumed celebs are--the only one I remember them having was Avery Schreiber, who I guessed because he was munching on Doritos, which he did the commercials for. I was heavily invested in the ads even then, I guess...

Enjoy!