▁spons ored ▁by ▁cost ume ▁j ew el ry ▁manufact urer ▁Allen ▁G ell man ; ▁and ▁then ▁on ▁CBS ▁( 1 9 4 9 – 5 0 ), ▁and ▁finally ▁N BC . ▁The ▁show ▁was ▁on ▁radio ▁only ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 0 ; ▁on ▁both ▁radio ▁and ▁television ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 0 ; ▁and ▁on ▁television ▁only , ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁The ▁show ▁proved ▁a ▁huge ▁hit , ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁on ▁television ▁by ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 5 0 s . ▁With ▁George ▁F enn eman ▁as ▁his ▁announ cer ▁and ▁straight ▁man , ▁Marx ▁ent ert ained ▁his ▁aud ien ces ▁with ▁impro vised ▁conversation ▁with ▁his ▁guests . ▁Since ▁You ▁Bet ▁Your ▁Life ▁was ▁mostly ▁ad - li bb ed ▁and ▁un script ed — although ▁writers ▁did ▁pre - inter view ▁the ▁guests ▁and ▁feed ▁Marx ▁ready - made ▁lines ▁in ▁advance — the ▁produ cers ▁ins isted ▁that ▁the ▁network ▁pr ere cord ▁it ▁instead ▁of ▁it ▁being ▁broadcast ▁live . ▁There ▁were ▁two ▁reasons ▁for ▁this : ▁pr ere c ording ▁provided ▁Marx ▁with ▁time ▁to ▁fish ▁around ▁for ▁fun ny ▁ex changes ▁and ▁any ▁interven ing ▁dead ▁sp ots ▁to ▁be ▁edited ▁out ; ▁and ▁second ly ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁network , ▁since ▁Marx ▁was ▁a ▁not orious ▁loose ▁can non ▁and ▁known ▁to