August 15, 1958. The day the quiz show scandals, after all the allegations and rumors, came to a head.
That's when Dotto - a show that was so popular that it aired on CBS in the daytime and NBC at night - was canceled after it was revealed that contestants were given answers. Those tuning in to CBS to see Dotto the following Monday (Aug. 18) learned that Dotto had been "mysteriously" (according to news reports at the time) canceled. Eventually, people would learn why. Eventually, the rigging of big-money shows like Twenty One was revealed. (Since most of you know the details, I won't rehash it here.) There would be no successful big money games in prime time until Who Wants to Be a Millionaire premiered on ABC almost 41 years to the day of Dotto's cancellation, in August 1999.
Brian
