The following is a list of episodes of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! , NPR 's news panel game , that aired during 2016 .[ 1] All episodes, unless otherwise indicated, are hosted by Peter Sagal with announcer/scorekeeper Bill Kurtis , and originated at Chicago 's Chase Auditorium . Dates indicated are the episodes' original Saturday air dates. Job titles and backgrounds of the guests reflect their status at the time of their appearance.
Date Guest Panelists Notes January 2 "Best of" episode, featuring comedians Richard Lewis and Jenny Slate and writer/producer Matthew Weiner January 9 Rapper/actor/producer Ice Cube Greg Proops , Amy Dickinson , Roy Blount, Jr. January 16 Actress/singer/dancer Sutton Foster Bobcat Goldthwait , Roxanne Roberts , Mo Rocca Guest host Mike Pesca January 23 U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez Paula Poundstone , Luke Burbank , Faith Salie January 30 Actor Richard Dreyfuss Peter Grosz , Shelby Fero , Tom Bodett Guest host Mike Pesca
Date Guest Panelists Notes February 6 Actress Lena Headey Alonzo Bodden , Roy Blount, Jr. , Helen Hong February 13 Film & TV producers/directors Mark and Jay Duplass Maz Jobrani , Roxanne Roberts , Mo Rocca February 20 "Best of" episode featuring French chef Jacques Pépin , hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper , and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson February 27 Singer Trisha Yearwood Paula Poundstone , Roy Blount, Jr., Faith Salie Show recorded at Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA
Date Guest Panelists Notes March 5 U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey Adam Burke, Roxanne Roberts , Bobcat Goldthwait March 12 Singer Josh Groban Faith Salie , Mo Rocca , Paula Poundstone Show recorded at Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, NY March 19 Actor Andre Royo Peter Grosz , Marina Franklin, Tom Bodett March 26 Jazz musician Esperanza Spalding Luke Burbank , Roxanne Roberts, Roy Blount, Jr.
Date Guest Panelists Notes April 2 Author R. L. Stine Alonzo Bodden , Amy Dickinson , Adam Felber April 9 Reality TV personalities Drew Scott and Jonathan Scott Peter Grosz , Paula Poundstone , Tom Bodett April 16 NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth Mo Rocca , Roxanne Roberts , Luke Burbank Show recorded at Riverside Theater in Milwaukee, WI April 23 "Best of" episode featuring U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez , singer Trisha Yearwood , rapper Ice Cube , and motivational speaker Tony Robbins April 30 Journalist Lesley Stahl Adam Burke, Faith Salie , Alonzo Bodden
Date Guest Panelists Notes May 7 Actress and writer Rachel Bloom Tom Bodett , Helen Hong , P. J. O'Rourke May 14 Governor Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island Amy Dickinson , Peter Grosz , Mo Rocca Show recorded at PPAC in Providence, RI May 21 Race car and stunt driver Ben Collins Faith Salie , Adam Felber , Paula Poundstone May 28 FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate Roy Blount, Jr. , Luke Burbank , Roxanne Roberts
Date Guest Panelists Notes June 4 Musician-themed "Best Of 'Not My Job,'" featuring Esperanza Spalding , Marky Ramone , Josh Groban , Jewel , and Max Weinberg June 11 Chris Wink and Phil Stanton of Blue Man Group Faith Salie , Peter Grosz , Brian Babylon June 18 Actor Terry O'Quinn Paula Poundstone , Mo Rocca , Tom Bodett June 25 Portland Pilots men's basketball coach and former Trail Blazers star Terry Porter Bobcat Goldthwait , Maz Jobrani , Roxanne Roberts Show recorded at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, OR
Date Guest Panelists Notes July 2 TV producer Norman Lear Adam Burke, Amy Dickinson , Gabe Liedman July 9 Best of "Not My Job," featuring fashion consultant Tim Gunn , authors Elizabeth Gilbert and Lee Child , travel guru Rick Steves , and actress Lena Headey July 16 Julian Castro , U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Brian Babylon , Jessi Klein , Roy Blount, Jr. July 23 NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Roxanne Roberts , Tom Bodett , Paula Poundstone Show recorded at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA July 30 Singer Sharon Jones Peter Grosz , Amy Dickinson, Adam Burke
Date Guest Panelists Notes September 3 Former Major League Baseball pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee Roy Blount, Jr. , Paula Poundstone , Tom Bodett Show recorded at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA September 10 Actress/singer Kristin Chenoweth Luke Burbank , Adam Felber , Faith Salie September 17 Musician and A Prairie Home Companion host Chris Thile Peter Grosz , Roxanne Roberts , Adam Burke September 24 Actress Jamie Lee Curtis Maz Jobrani , Amy Dickinson , Mo Rocca
Date Guest Panelists Notes October 1 Author Randy Wayne White Alonzo Bodden , Tom Bodett , Faith Salie Show recorded at Straz Center in Tampa, FL October 8 Chef Marcus Samuelsson Luke Burbank , Peter Grosz , Helen Hong October 15 Best of "Not My Job," featuring producer Norman Lear , supermodel Cindy Crawford , NASA Administrator Charles Bolden , Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo , and Portland Pilots men's basketball coach Terry Porter October 22 Choreographer Garth Fagan Paula Poundstone , Adam Felber , Amy Dickinson Show recorded at Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, NY October 29 Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young P. J. O'Rourke , Faith Salie, Mo Rocca Guest host Mike Pesca
Date Guest Panelists Notes November 5 Country singer Wynonna Peter Grosz , Roxanne Roberts , Alonzo Bodden Show recorded at TPAC in Nashville, TN November 12 Sportscaster Joe Buck Maz Jobrani , Amy Dickinson , Luke Burbank November 19 Country singer Garth Brooks Roxanne Roberts, Adam Felber , Paula Poundstone November 26 Best of "Not My Job," featuring author R. L. Stine , actor Richard Dreyfuss , journalist Katie Couric , comedian/actor Keegan-Michael Key , and NASCAR's Matt Kenseth
Date Guest Panelists Notes December 3 Actor/singer Alan Cumming Adam Felber , Helen Hong , Luke Burbank December 10 U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont Peter Grosz , Paula Poundstone , Faith Salie Show recorded at State Theatre in Cleveland 's Playhouse Square December 17 Chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain Tom Bodett , Adam Burke, Roxanne Roberts December 24 Composer Michael Giacchino Brian Babylon , Amy Dickinson , Adam Felber December 31 "Best of 2016" episode featuring musicians Chris Thile and Esperanza Spalding , Property Brothers ' Drew & Jonathan Scott , and an all-Paula Poundstone segment
Episodes by year Hosts Judge and scorekeeper Regular panelists