This Week's Game Show Almanac (12/12-18/04)

[AH3RD]

DECEMBER 18, 1956

This date saw CBS taking on a brand-new Goodson-Todman game show. It would become The Eye Network’s third big G-T hit in primetime after What’s My Line? and I’ve Got A Secret. Its name was: To Tell The Truth.

The simple basic premise is as follows: Three contestants, each of whom claims to be the same person, are interrogated by a panel of four celebrities in an attempt to identify who is the real one and who is bluffing. The contestant in question usually holds an unusual occupation or has done something noteworthy. After each celebrity has had a turn to question the guests, they each vote as to who they think is the real person. When this is finished, the moderator says the now-famous line, "Will the real (John Doe) please stand up?" The real person stands, the other two then reveal who they really are, and money is awarded to the players based on how many incorrect votes were placed.

The original pilot, Nothing But The Truth, featured as host future 60 Minutes commentator Mike Wallace!! Numerous other emcees were considered to host Truth: including Vincent Price, Don Ameche, and CBS News’ Walter Cronkite; eventually, the job went to Clayton “Bud” Collyer, the original voice of Superman on radio, once The Eye Network picked up the game. 6 years after the nighttime series bowed, a CBS Daytime edition of To Tell The Truth was instituted, in June 1962. Bern Bennett, Roger Forster, and Johnny Olson all took their turns at announcing Truth on CBS. Panelists which frequently turned up on TTTT during the CBS run include Johnny Carson, Dick Van Dyke, John Cameron Swayze, and creator Mark Goodson himself, who stood in for ailing Bud Collyer as host in 1967. Only 2 regulars saw the series throughout its entire run, daytime and nighttime: host Bud Collyer and panelist Kitty Carlisle. Peggy Cass, another popular Truth panelist, served in this vein for the nighttime edition for its last 3 seasons, yet has become a frequent T4 panelist for its next 2 incarnations (more on them later).

Contd....

[AH3RD]

The CBS primetime edition lasted for 9 seasons, ending on Monday, May 22, 1967; the daytime version outlasted it for over a year, before finally grinding to a halt in September 1968, after 6 years. The cancellation of Daytime Truth seemed to bring down the curtain on an era for CBS, as for the next four years, The Eye Network became the only functioning network not to air game shows of any kind, and sitcom repeats became a regular staple of its daytime schedule…until that magical date of September 4, 1972, when CBS scrapped sitcom repeats in favor of premiering 3 brand-spanking new games on its schedule: The Joker’s Wild, The New Price Is Right, and Gambit!

As for To Tell The Truth itself, in 1969, Goodson-Todman, after launching a rather successful daily syndie revival of the 1950-67 CBS game What’s My Line?, decided to do the same with T4 and revamp it…big time! A psychedelic set and a very 1960s-pop theme song with lyrics helped make it very memorable. Kitty Carlisle and Peggy Cass returned as panelists. With original host Bud Collyer sadly deceased, Garry Moore, original host of G-T’s I’ve Got A Secret for 12 seasons (1952-64), was tapped as new host. The new T4 was originally recorded before a live studio audience in The Ed Sullivan Theater; in 1971, NBC’s Studio 6A became T4's new headquarters, which saw the use of a different set and the title now encased in interlocking letters. Throughout its run, the show was announced by Johnny Olson, Bill Wendell, Alan Kalter, and Don Pardo.

At the end of 1976, Garry left To Tell The Truth undergo throat surgery. Joe Garagiola (previous emcee of TattleTales’ 1969-70 precursor He Said She Said) originally took over the job on an interim basis, But when Moore decided to retire rather than return to Truth, Garagiola became host full-time…even though Moore showed up at the beginning of the final season (1977-78) to officially turn the reins over to Garagiola.

Contd...

[AH3RD]

After 9 seasons, the 1820th and final new episode of the new syndicated TTTT aired in spring 1978, which featured on its panel actor Barry Nelson. Unfortunately, the next 2incarnations of Truth didn’t quite pan out as well: the 1980-81 syndie version hosted by Robin Ward, and the 1990-91 NBC Daytime fiasco emceed by Gordon Elliott,  Lynn Swann, and Jeopardy!’s Alex Trebek. It seems the most recent edition of Truth, the 2000-02 edition emceed by John O’Hurley and Meschach Taylor, Paula Poundstone (2000-01), Kim Coles (2001-02), and with Brooke Burns (2001-02) as panelists, has done well enough. Original panelist Kitty Carlisle [Hart], a staple of every edition of To Tell The Truth ever distributed, even found some time to appear in an episode of the 21st-century edition of Truth! It proves that To Tell The Truth continues to be one of the most popular icons of TV history.

“This is Bud Collyer reminding you to To Tell The Truth!”

(Source of info: The Game $how Page: To Tell The Truth)

[Jimmy Owen]

Has GSN ever shown the first episide of TTTT?  Because the TV Guide listing for the premiere is still titled "Nothing But the Truth."  I guess what I am asking is how soon before the preem did they decide to go with the more cryptic title.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'AH3RD\' date=\'Dec 17 2004, 02:31 PM\']1990-91 NBC Daytime fiasco emceed by Gordon Elliott,  Lynn Swann, and Jeopardy!’s Alex Trebek.

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[/quote]
Why call it a fiasco?  I thought that in spite of its short run on the air and even with the turnover in hosts that it was still a well-done program (well, except possibly for the weeks Swann hosted it ;-) ).

Doug

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Dec 17 2004, 02:21 PM\']Why call it a fiasco?  I thought that in spite of its short run on the air and even with the turnover in hosts that it was still a well-done program (well, except possibly for the weeks Swann hosted it ;-) ).

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[/quote]
It's also notable for the FANTASTIC remix of the 60's theme they did for it...one of my all-time favorites.

[The Ol' Guy]

To avoid the argument as to whether it is coincidence or irony, I remember it was sad to find out that Bud passed away on the same day that the new 1969 versions of both To Tell The Truth and Beat The Clock premiered in our area- September 8th. It was kinda creepy reading about it in the next day's paper.

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'AH3RD\' date=\'Dec 17 2004, 03:28 PM\']The cancellation of Daytime Truth seemed to bring down the curtain on an era for CBS, as for the next four years, The Eye Network became the only functioning network not to air game shows of any kind, and sitcom repeats became a regular staple of its daytime schedule…until that magical date of September 4, 1972, when CBS scrapped sitcom repeats in favor of premiering 3 brand-spanking new games on its schedule: The Joker’s Wild, The New Price Is Right, and Gambit!

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[/quote]

There actually was one game show on CBS daytime in between TTTT's cancellation and the debuts of TJW/TPIR/Gambit: Amateur's Guide to Love which aired for a few months in early 1972.

[Jay Temple]

For the next week, I'll be imagining what Vincent Price would have sounded like reading an affidavit.

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' date=\'Dec 18 2004, 12:07 AM\']For the next week, I'll be imagining what Vincent Price would have sounded like reading an affidavit.

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[/quote]
VP: "......the funk of 40,000 years...."

[calliaume]

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Dec 17 2004, 04:21 PM\'][quote name=\'AH3RD\' date=\'Dec 17 2004, 02:31 PM\']1990-91 NBC Daytime fiasco emceed by Gordon Elliott,  Lynn Swann, and Jeopardy!’s Alex Trebek.

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[/quote]
Why call it a fiasco?  I thought that in spite of its short run on the air and even with the turnover in hosts that it was still a well-done program (well, except possibly for the weeks Swann hosted it ;-) ).

Doug

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[/quote]
Any game that has four different hosts (one of whom aired because the network was given the wrong tape, one who had to leave because he'd signed an exclusive contract with another production company) can't be considered a success.  By the time Alex started hosting, no doubt audiences were confused.

There's never been a truly <I>bad</I> version of <I>TTTT</I> (on the badness scale of, say, <I>Quicksilver</I> or <I>Extreme Gong</I>), but the behind-the-scenes problems helped drag it down.

[SRIV94]

[quote name=\'calliaume\' date=\'Dec 18 2004, 08:46 AM\']Any game that has four different hosts (one of whom aired because the network was given the wrong tape, one who had to leave because he'd signed an exclusive contract with another production company) can't be considered a success.  By the time Alex started hosting, no doubt audiences were confused.

There's never been a truly bad version of TTTT (on the badness scale of, say, Quicksilver or Extreme Gong), but the behind-the-scenes problems helped drag it down.

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[/quote]
You are correct, of course, but I still wouldn't call it a "fiasco."  "Not successful" and "fiasco" aren't necessarily synonymous--I still think the quality of the program was fine and dandy.  But that's just me--YMMV.

And technically, TTTT9x had five different hosts (don't forget about Goodson sitting in for Trebek for a couple of shows).

Doug

[DrBear]

TTTT9X was far from the worst version: The versions, from best to worst (IMHO, your mileage may vary)

7X (Moore/Garagiola). Even with Joe's lesser hosting, still the best; two games, the strongest panel, no sideshow games and a chance to learn more about the main contestants. And Moore.
CBS Version (Collyer) Three games in one show seems rushed, and Collyer seems formal by today's standards. Still, almost as good a panel (Tom Poston and Polly Bergen stand out)
9X (Pick your host). For all the host problems, generally well produced. Elliott, if he could have stayed, could have been one of the better TTTT hosts. Lovely set, weak panelists (except of course for Miss Carlisle)
2K (O'Hurley) O'Hurley did a fine job as host - a funnier Collyer, if you like - and a very attractive set were highlights, as was a return of audience voting. But it was dragged down by too many comedians on the panel (including one very unfunny one) and a lack of game play, as well as some very tacky contestants.
80 (Ward) - The disco version with the same shelf life. Rotating panels meant one never got established; Ward ranks just ahead of Lynn Swann as worst host (barring one-shots such as Ralph Bellamy), there was a tacky one-on-one game, and the set was both spectacular and crap at the same time. And where was the guy raising his hand? Just a poorly done version that didn't last long.

[chris319]

TTTT 2005:

Three panelists, two challengers. Load up the affidavit with stupid jokes*. Each panelist has 20 seconds to question the challengers. After voting, the central character is revealed by dropping the impostor through a trap door. Each panelist who votes incorrectly is showered with green slime, which they must clean up during the 15-minute tape stop for each commercial.

Panel:

Carrot Top

Judy Tenuta

Paul Rubens in Pee Wee Herman character

Emcee:

Donny Osmond

And you thought it wasn't possible to really screw up such a basic format.

*"I, Charley Lipschitz, am a radio engineer for local disk jockey Al Katraz. In fact they call me 'The Board Man of Al Katraz'".

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Dec 18 2004, 01:36 PM\']And you thought it wasn't possible to really screw up such a basic format.
[/quote]
It's called "Figure it Out".