Happy Birthday, To Tell the Truth

[MrBuddwing]

The Associated Press, in its "Today in History" column, reports that today (Mon. Dec. 18) is the 50th anniversary of the first episode of "To Tell the Truth."

The first challenger on the first show was West Virginia Gov. Cecil Underwood (or maybe that should be governor-elect, since his term apparently began in 1957).

And word has it that this first episode is LOST.

[cweaver]

[quote name=\'MrBuddwing\' post=\'140870\' date=\'Dec 18 2006, 03:11 AM\']
The first challenger on the first show was West Virginia Gov. Cecil Underwood (or maybe that should be governor-elect, since his term apparently began in 1957).

And word has it that this first episode is LOST.
[/quote]

Cecil appeared again on the show's fifth anniversary in 1961, with Johnny Carson on the panel.  GSN has at least rerun this one.

Last night, BTW, GSN reran the syndicated Stan Lee ep in its overnight block.

[Marshall Akers]

[quote name=\'cweaver\' post=\'140876\' date=\'Dec 18 2006, 09:00 AM\']Cecil appeared again on the show's fifth anniversary in 1961, with Johnny Carson on the panel.  GSN has at least rerun this one.

Last night, BTW, GSN reran the syndicated Stan Lee ep in its overnight block.
[/quote]

"TTTT" brought back Governor Underwood at least twice more after his '61 reappearance: as an impostor and One-on-One subject in 1980, then strictly as a One-on-One contestant in 1991.  

To celebrate "TTTT"'s 50th anniversary, "To Tell the Truth" on the Web today begins a "This Moment in ('TTTT') History" segment, featuring notable show moments each day over the course of the next year.  Tomorrow's installment comes from December 19, 1960 and features a funny moment from the usually staid Don Ameche...


Marshall

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'cweaver\' post=\'140876\' date=\'Dec 18 2006, 06:00 AM\']
Last night, BTW, GSN reran the syndicated Stan Lee ep in its overnight block.[/quote]
Stan Lee? Everything old is new again. Watch "Identity" this week and see what I mean!

Randy
tvrandywest.com

[Adam Nedeff]

[quote name=\'Marshall Akers\' post=\'140878\' date=\'Dec 18 2006, 10:11 AM\']
"TTTT" brought back Governor Underwood at least twice more after his '61 reappearance: as an impostor and One-on-One subject in 1980, then strictly as a One-on-One contestant in 1991.  
[/quote]

And I was disappointed that he wasn't on John O'Hurley version in 2000 because by that point he had a really neat story. In addition to being the series' first contestant, he was--at that point--serving his second non-consecutive term as governor, which made him both the youngest AND oldest governor in the state's history. Just thought I'd mention that.