Journalist and stand-up comic Alzo Slade is the new judge and scorekeeper on NPR's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" stepping into a role most recently held by veteran broadcaster Bill Kurtis, who retired at the end of May.
Slade takes on the job full time during this weekend's show, recorded in Austin, Texas. He is already a familiar voice to listeners, having appeared for years as a panelist and occasional guest judge and scorekeeper.
The appointment is a milestone for the long-running news quiz program. Slade becomes only the third person to hold the judge and scorekeeper role in the show's 29-year history. NPR's Carl Kasell created the position in 1998 and held it until Kurtis took over.
"Joining 'Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!' as co-host, judge and scorekeeper feels equal parts honor and elaborate hoax or clerical error," Slade said in a statement. He added that the show "somehow makes the news feel intelligent, human and just unhinged enough to survive the week."
Slade also saluted his predecessor. "Stepping into anything connected to that legendary voice is a bit like following a jazz legend at an open mic," he said.
Like Kasell and Kurtis, Slade brings a decorated journalism résumé to the role, including a Peabody Award and three Emmy Awards. His background reaches well beyond the newsroom: he has worked as a stand-up comedian, shot concert photography for Prince, won the Mr. Prairie View A&M pageant, and created Grits and Biscuits, a Southern hip-hop dance party that tours cities across the country.
Host Peter Sagal said Slade will reshape the chemistry of the show. "If Bill Kurtis has the voice of the Dad you always wished you had, Alzo's is the voice of the friend you always wanted," Sagal said. "He's funny, he's kind, he's ridiculously smart, and knows just how to cut you down to size when you need it — or at least, when I need it."
To mark his debut, the program plans a special segment in which a caller joins Slade and Sagal in the studio for a game centered on Slade's wide-ranging career. Executive Producer Mike Danforth shared the news with NPR staff this week.
"Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" remains one of public radio's most popular weekend programs. The change keeps continuity at the scorer's table while handing the gavel to a contributor regular listeners already know — pairing Slade's journalism credentials with a comedy and storytelling background that's anything but conventional.