Pioneers of Television (2008–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Game Shows - full transcript
Game shows existed long before TV and were popular on radio. Producer Mark Goodson created a national sensation with Stop the Music which offered a huge prize to a randomly selected ...
Announcer:
BOB BARKER!
BOY, I HIT THE BULL'S EYE
RIGHT IN THE FACE.
Host: SAY, ARE MOST
STOLEN CARS RECOVERED?
I HAD ONE RECOVERED
IN ZEBRA ONCE.
OKAY, TOMORROW WE MAKE
ANOTHER PHONE CALL,
SO BE SURE AND GET
YOUR CARDS IN.
OPEN IT.
Announcer:
BOB BARKER!
YOU GOT IT!
YOU GOT IT!
YOU GOT IT!
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
THEY INVITED ALL OF US
TO JOIN THEIR GAMES.
YOU MAKE DEALS
EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIVES.
OPEN IT.
Announcer:
BOB BARKER!
WE PLAY GAMES
AT PARTIES.
WE GO TO CLUBS
AND PLAY GAMES.
AMERICANS LOVE GAMES.
THIS IS A SHOW
ABOUT GUESSING
HOW MUCH SOMETHING COSTS.
THAT'S A GAME SHOW?
SAID, "IT'LL NEVER GO!"
BUT YOU LOVE
YOUR HUSBAND, HUH?
YEAH, I LOVE EVERY MAN.
I'M CRAZY ABOUT MEN.
HONEY, I THINK YOU'RE ABOUT
THE PRETTIEST MAN I EVER SEEN.
I NEVER DID LOOK YOU
RIGHT SQUARE IN THE EYE BEFORE.
I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!
I DON'T CARE
IF THEY DO LAUGH.
YOU'RE GOING TO WIN
A LOT OF MONEY
HERE TONIGHT.
THEY WERE ALL LAUGHING
AND SCREAMING.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT THE GAME WAS.
AND BY THE END OF THIS THING,
THEY ALL SAID,
"YOU GOT THE JOB."
AND I WENT, "WHOA."
Narrator: THEY LET US
PARTICIPATE, PLAY ALONG,
EVERY DAY.
BERYL SAN?
UH, BERYL...
BERYL...
OH, NO!
Host: YOUR TIME IS UP,
TIME IS UP.
PLAYING GAMES FOR A LIVING,
IT SOUNDS SO RIDICULOUS.
THEN I FELL IN LOVE
WITH THE GAME.
I LOVE THE GAME OF "PASSWORD."
Barker: JUST LET'S SEE
WHAT WE GOT
COMING UP FOR BIDS
RIGHT NOW
ON "THE PRICE IS RIGHT."
Narrator: THEY OFFERED
THE EXCITEMENT
OF INSTANT RICHES.
Host: WHAT'S BEHIND
DOOR NUMBER 3?
YOU GOT IT!
YOU GOT IT!
WIN OR LOSE, THEY HAD
THE TIME OF THEIR LIFE.
Narrator:
THEY PUSHED BOUNDARIES...
WITH A SMILE.
Host: HOW, HOW DID HE
SPEND HIS TIME
IN THE GEISHA HOUSE?
OH, NEGOTIATING
FOR PEACE.
WE KNOW ALL ABOUT
THESE SWASHBUCKLING HEROES.
BET YOUR LIFE.
WHAT SWASHES
ON THE SCREEN
SOMETIMES BUCKLES
WE WERE THE EDGY SHOW.
THAT NOBODY HAD TALKED ABOUT
AT THAT TIME.
Narrator: THEY GAVE US
AN ESCAPE...
A FEW MOMENTS
OF FUN.
Host: STEADY
AS YOU GO, NOW.
SAVED BY THE BELL!
WONDERFUL!
WE GOT TOGETHER
ONCE A WEEK TO DO FIVE SHOWS,
MAKE A FEW BUCKS,
AND HAVE A LOT OF LAUGHS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
IT'S THE BEST JOB
IN SHOW BIZ,
BECAUSE YOU DON'T
HAVE TO MEMORIZE ANYTHING,
AND YOU GET TO SIT DOWN.
Host: MRS. PETERSON,
WE HAVE A JOB
FOR THE TWO OF YOU
ON THE $100...
GOING TO STOP
THIS FILM COLD.
Narrator: PIONEERING
A SUCCESSFUL GAME SHOW
OVER THE DECADES,
JUST A HANDFUL OF VISIONARIES
HAVE MASTERED
THE FORM,
SHAPING THE GAMES
WE LOVE TO PLAY OVER AND OVER.
THEY ARE THE PIONEERS
OF TELEVISION.
THE 1930s WERE ESPECIALLY HOT.
SUMMER VACATIONS
FOR ONE CALIFORNIA FAMILY
MEANT LONG, MONOTONOUS DRIVES
IN A SWELTERING CAR.
TO RELIEVE THE BOREDOM,
THE TWO YOUNGSTERS
WOULD PLAY
A GAME CALLED "HANGMAN"
OVER AND OVER.
THE GIRL'S NAME
WAS BARBARA.
HER BROTHER WAS MERV...
MERV GRIFFIN.
LATER, THE MEMORY
OF THESE TRIPS
WOULD SPARK MERV'S IMAGINATION.
AND I THOUGHT, "I WONDER
IF THAT'S A GAME SHOW."
Host: OVER $49,000
JUST WAITING TO BE WON
TODAY ON "WHEEL OF FORTUNE"!
Narrator: GRIFFIN'S IDEA WOULD
BECOME "WHEEL OF FORTUNE,"
THE BIGGEST FRANCHISE
IN GAME SHOW HISTORY,
THE SHOW THAT WOULD EARN MERV
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
AND CEMENT HIS POSITION
AS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
GAME SHOW CREATOR IN HISTORY.
BUT THE STORY
OF THE GAME SHOW PIONEERS
BEGINS LONG BEFORE
"WHEEL OF FORTUNE."
IN FACT, IT BEGINS
EVEN BEFORE TELEVISION ITSELF.
WHEN RADIO EXPLODED
IN THE 1920s,
BROADCASTERS SOON DISCOVERED
THEY COULD PLAY GAMES
ON THE AIR,
AND PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN.
Host: WONDER IF THIS LADY
COULD TELL ME,
FOR SEVEN SILVER DOLLARS,
OF ALL THE TERRITORIES
AND STATES
OF THE UNITED STATES,
NO COACHING, PLEASE.
THE LARGEST OF OUR TERRITORIES
OR STATES.
Woman: TEXAS.
WHAT'S THAT?
TEXAS.
Host: I'M SORRY,
IT WOULD BE ALASKA.
INCLUDING THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS,
MORE THAN TWICE THE SIZE
OF TEXAS.
AND TWO TICKETS TO NEXT WEEK'S
PRODUCTION TO THE LADY.
Narrator:
THE EARLIEST PROGRAMS
FOCUSED PURELY
ON THE CONTEST.
THE PEOPLE WERE NEARLY
IRRELEVANT.
THE PLAYER COULD SAY,
"JEEZ, I'M SORRY
"I COULDN'T COME LAST WEEK,
BUT MY MOTHER DIED,
AND I HAD TO GO TO THE FUNERAL,"
AND THE GAME SHOW HOST
WOULD SAY,
"WELL, IT'S REALLY GREAT
TO HAVE YOU WITH US."
I MEAN, IT WOULD JUST
GO COMPLETELY OVER THEM,
WITH NO SYMPATHY... IT WAS LIKE,
"LET'S GET ON WITH THE GAME."
Narrator: BY FAR THE BIGGEST
SUCCESS ON RADIO
WAS A SHOW CALLED
"STOP THE MUSIC,"
CREATED BY THE MOST PROLIFIC
GAME SHOW PRODUCER IN HISTORY,
MARK GOODSON.
"STOP THE MUSIC'S" INNOVATION
WAS MONEY...
EACH WEEK, THE HOST
WOULD MAKE A PHONE CALL
TO A RANDOM NUMBER
SOMEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
IF THE PERSON WHO PICKED UP
COULD NAME THE SONG,
THE PRIZE MIGHT REACH
$30,000...
AN UNHEARD-OF JACKPOT
FOR THE ERA.
Host: MRS. DALEY,
THIS IS BERT PARKS
CALLING FOR BUICK
ON "STOP THE MUSIC."
CAN YOU TELL ME
THE NAME OF THE SELECTION
THE ORCHESTRA
WAS JUST PLAYING?
Man: I REMEMBER, AS A YOUNGSTER,
17, 18 YEARS OLD,
AS A SODA JERK
AT BAKER'S DRUG STORE,
IN JACKSON, TENNESSEE,
GATHERING AROUND THE RADIO
AAT 8:00 ON SUNDAY NIGHT, ,
TO LISTEN TO "STOP THE MUSIC."
WOW, WHAT A GREAT SHOW
THAT WAS.
Narrator: IN TRUTH,
MANY PEOPLE
FOUND THE SHOW ANNOYING,
BUT STILL LISTENED, ANYWAY,
BECAUSE THEY HOPED
TO WIN THE PRIZES.
IN EFFECT, MARK GOODSON
HAD CREATED
THE FIRST NATIONAL LOTTERY.
AND AMERICA COULDN'T RESIST.
THE ONE WORD
THAT I WOULD CHOOSE
TO DESCRIBE MARK
IS "BRILLIANT."
BRILLIANT.
HE WAS BRILLIANT,
AND HE WAS A PERFECTIONIST.
Narrator: SOON, MARK GOODSON
WOULD FACE
A WORTHY CHALLENGER...
AN INNOVATOR
WHO TOOK RADIO GAME SHOWS
IN A BRALPH EDWARDS.ION...
HIS CREATION WAS
"TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES."
AT THE AGE OF 26,
HE SOLD "TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES"
AS A PRIME-TIME SHOW
ON RADIO,
AND HE PUT TOGETHER
THE STAFF,
HE PRODUCED IT,
HE HOSTED IT,
AND IT BECAME...
I BELIEVE IT WAS 1941...
IT WAS THE MOST POPULAR
RADIO SHOW IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND HE GOT IT ALL STARTED
AT 26.
Host: THAT'S JUST ABOUT
GOING TO BE
WHAT YOUR CONSEQUENCE IS...
NOW, DOCTOR, HERE ARE
THE THREE MEN
WHO WILL PRETEND
THEY ARE BABIES
THAT YOU'VE JUST DELIVERED.
NOW, WE'VE SEEN IN MOVIES
HOW A DOCTOR
ALWAYS SORT OF
SLAP THEIR BABIES
TO GET THEM STARTED.
UPSIDE-DOWN
AGAINST THIS BACKBOARD HERE,
JUST GET OVER THERE.
AND SO THE DOCTOR
CAN SLAP YOU,
JUST AS IF...
JUST AS IF
YOU WERE GETTING BORN.
Narrator:
"TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES"
DID HAVE A QUIZ,
BUT EDWARDS' REAL AIM
WAS TO PUT ORDINARY CONTESTANTS
INTO FUNNY SITUATIONS.
THE GAME WAS MERELY
A FRAMEWORK.
THE GOAL WAS FUN.
IT WAS A NEW APPROACH
TO GAME SHOWS.
AND IT WOULD TRANSLATE WELL
AS THE GENRE ADAPTED
TO THE NEXT BIG THING...
TELEVISION.
WHEN THE BELL SOUNDS,
THAT PERSON THEN BECOMES
OUR LUCKY MOTHER.
Narrator: EARLY TELEVISION
NEEDED PROGRAMMING.
AND GAME SHOWS WERE EASY
TO PRODUCE.
IT WAS A PERFECT MATCH.
Host: ALL SET?
♪ OKAY, MOTHER ♪
♪ IT'S YOUR TIME OF DAY ♪
♪ OKAY, MOTHER ♪
♪ TIME TO HAVE YOUR SAY ♪♪
Narrator: THE FIRST
TV GAME SHOWS PREMIERED
IN THE LATE 1940s.
THE PROGRAMS WERE PRIMITIVE.
BUT AUDIENCES
DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE.
THE LIGHTING WAS
SO INTENSE IN THOSE DAYS,
IT WAS, IT WAS JUST...
THEY'D TURN ON THE LIGHTS,
AND YOU BROKE OUT IN A SWEAT.
IT WAS TERRIBLE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT A TIME
WHEN THE FACT
THAT THE SCREEN LIT UP
WAS IN ITSELF A NOVELTY.
SO THAT THE AUDIENCE OUT THERE
WAS SO THRILLED TO HAVE PICTURES
IN THEIR LIVING ROOM!
AND THE MAKEUP...
TONS OF IT.
BLACK LIPSTICK,
DEEP... ALMOST PINK...
PANCAKE MAKEUP.
IT WAS WILD.
Narrator:
IN 1950, RALPH EDWARDS
BROUGHT HIS FRANCHISE
TO TV.
A FEW YEARS LATER,
EDWARDS HANDED OVER
THE EMCEE JOB
TO A YOUNG UNKNOWN
NAMED BOB BARKER.
HE WOULD STAY ON
FOR 19 YEARS.
Announcer:
HELLO THERE!
WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.
IT'S TIME TO PLAY
"TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES."
AND NOW, HERE HE IS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE STAR OF OUR SHOW,
BOB BARKER!
Barker: HE SAID,
"BOB, YOU ARE NOW
THE STAR OF
'TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES.'"
HE SAID, "I DON'T WANT YOU
TO IMITATE ME.
"I DON'T WANT YOU
TO IMITATE ANYBODY.
I WANT YOU TO GO OUT THERE
AND BE BOB BARKER."
AND WHAT BETTER...
WHAT BETTER BREAK
COULD A YOUNG MAN HAVE?
YOU CAN DO IT.
GO AHEAD,
STEP ON THE...
YOUR ARM'S IN THE WAY.
WELL...
PUT YOUR RIGHT FOOT
MYUP THERE.
ISN'T THAT RIGHT?
ALL RIGHT, GO.
PUT YOUR HAND
ON MY SHOULDER, GO AHEAD.
NOW, GET UP THERE FAST,
BEFORE IT FALLS.
OKAY, THERE.
OKAY, I GOT IT.
ALL RIGHT, GO.
I'M GOING TO GO.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THIS IS NOT
MR. BELDEN, THIS IS NOT
DON THOMPSON.
FOR THE INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN
VALENTI BROTHERS.
HERE THEY ARE.
Narrator: THE FIRST FEW YEARS
OF "TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES"
WERE PRODUCED LIVE
AT 8:00 A.M.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
WAS GETTING
A LOS ANGELES AUDIENCE
TO SHOW UP SO EARLY.
THEY HAD UP HERE
ON THE MARQUEE,
THEY HAD,
"FREE DONUTS AND BOB BARKER."
AND AFTER I'D DONE THE SHOW
A FOUR-WEEK OUT CLAUSE
IN MY CONTRACT...
SO THEY KEPT ME.
AND WHEN THEY DID,
I SAID,
"I WANT IT,
'BOB BARKER AND FREE DONUTS.'"
I GOT BILLING OVER THE DONUTS.
I HAD IT MADE!
Narrator:
BY THE EARLY 1950s,
RALPH EDWARDS
HAD TWO HIT SHOWS...
"TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES"
AND ITS SPIN-OFF,
"THIS IS YOUR LIFE."
Announcer:
"THIS IS YOUR LIFE,"
AMERICA'S MOST
TALKED-ABOUT PROGRAM!
NOW HERE HE IS,
MR. "THIS IS YOUR LIFE"
HIMSELF,
RALPH EDWARDS!
DON'T GO AWAY TONIGHT.
I WARN YOU,
DON'T LEAVE THE SET.
THIS IS
GOING TO BE TERRIFIC.
HELLO, EVERYBODY,
THANKS FOR JOINING US AGAIN
ON "THIS IS YOUR LIFE."
Narrator: COMPETITOR
MARK GOODSON
HIS COMPANY WAS BUSY PERFECTING
THE FIRST MAJOR
GAME SHOW INNOVATION
UNIQUE TO TELEVISION...
Host:
ALL RIGHT, MR. OLSON,
COME ON OVER HERE
AND SIT DOWN.
I KNOW IT'S HARD
TO TEAR YOURSELF AWAY
YOUNG LADIES ON IT
AND JUST STEVE ALLEN,
BUT COME OVER HERE
AND JOIN ME,
WE'LL LET THEM
GET GOING.
WE'LL LET OUR VIEWERS
HAVE A FURTHER LOOK
AT MR. OLSON...
AT THE SAME TIME,
WE WILL TELL THEM
WHAT HIS LINE IS.
THE GENERAL QUESTIONING
WITH STEVE ALLEN.
WOULD ANY OF THE MEMBERS
HERE ON THE PANEL TONIGHT...
YES.
I DIDN'T EVEN
HEAR THE QUESTION.
Narrator:
IN "WHAT'S MY LINE?"
GOODSON'S PRODUCER,
BOB STEWART,
CREATED A PANEL
OF FOUR CELEBRITIES
WHO WOULD TRY TO GUESS
A CONTESTANT'S OCCUPATION.
WITH THIS MASTER STROKE,
GAME SHOWS HAD FUSED
WITH TALK SHOWS...
A WINNING FORMULA
THAT WOULD BE REPEATED
MANY TIMES OVER.
NOW, MISS CLEVELAND,
IF YOU'LL WHISPER TO ME,
WE'LL SHOW THE AUDIENCE
WHAT YOU DO
THAT KEEPS YOU
S
THE CLUE
TO MISS CLEVELAND'S SECRET
CONCERNS
SOMETHING SHE DOES.
AND WE'LL START THE GAME
WITH BETTY.
Narrator: IF A PANEL
OF CELEBRITIES WORKED,
WHY NOT INSTALL
A BIG MOVIE STAR
AS A GAME SHOW HOST?
IT'S A FORMULA
THAT WORKED...
JUST ONCE.
Announcer:
"YOU BET YOUR LIFE"!
HERE HE IS,
THE ONE, THE ONLY...
Audience:
GROUCHO!
Narrator: MOVIE COMEDIAN
GROUCHO MARX
APPLIED HIS AD-LIBBING SKILLS
TO TELEVISION
TO CREATE ONE OF THE BIGGEST
GAME SHOW HITS
OF THE ERA.
PESOS, NOT BESOS.
WELL, WHEN DO YOU...
WHAT DID I SAY?
YOU SAID... WELL, BESOS
MEAN "KISSES."
BUT PESOS MEAN,
YOU KNOW, LIKE DOLLARS.
OH, WELL, IF YOU HAVE
ENOUGH PESOS,
YOU CAN GET
ENOUGH BESOS.
ON THAT, HE USED
HIS FULL RANGE
OF GIFTS
AND CONVERSATIONAL ABILITIES,
AND IMPROVISATION,
AD-LIB,
SPONTANEOUS, WHATEVER
YOU WANT TO CALL IT,
OF WHICH HE IS, WAS
OF THE HIGHEST ORDER
OF ANYONE WE HAVE EVER KNOWN.
Narrator: ONE OF GROUCHO'S
MANY CONTESTANTS
YOUNG COMIC MAKING HER FIRST
NETWORK APPEARANCE...
YES, I'VE, UH, Marx:
WORN A WEDDING RINGOU MARRIED?
FOR 18 YEARS.
REALLY?
TWO MORE PAYMENTS,
AND IT'LL BE ALL YOURS.
I WAS NOT ONLY NERVOUS,
I WAS PETRIFIED!
MR. MARX WAS TALKING
ABOUT HIS PSYCHIATRIST,
AND I DECIDED I'D SURELY
BETTER BE WELL ADJUSTED
BEFORE I WENT INTO SUCH
A SHAKY BUSINESS,
AND... SO I DECIDED
I SHOULD BE ANALYZED,
AND I WENT TO THIS ANALYST.
HE'S HELPED ME A GREAT DEAL.
IN FACT,
I AM SO MUCH BETTER NOW
THAT I GET TO SIT UP.
MY DELIVERY WAS
SO SLOW.
I HAD... I LOOKED AWFUL.
I KNEW NOTHING
ABOUT MAKEUP.
I HAD DRAWN EYEBROWS ON
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT
ON HALLOWEEN.
Narrator: WHILE IT'S TRUE
THAT GROUCHO
QUIZZED HIS CONTESTANTS
AND GAVE AWAY SMALL PRIZES,
THE REAL ATTRACTION
OF THE SHOW
WAS THE HUMOR
THAT HE WOULD EXTRACT
FROM THE SITUATION.
WELL, YOU KNOW,
THE GIRLS
USUALLY CONSIDER IT
A COMPLIMENT
WHEN THE BOYS
WHISTLE AT THEM.
I DON'T SEE HOW THE BOYS
COULD WHISTLE AT YOU.
I SHOULD THINK IT WOULD BE
IMPOSSIBLE TO WHISTLE
WHEN THEY ALL HAVE
THEIR TONGUES HANGING OUT.
Narrator: THE NEXT BIG WAVE
IN TELEVISION GAMES
WOULD STRAY
FROM GROUCHO'S APPROACH...
FAR AWAY.
THE RESULT
WAS DEVASTATING
TO THE GAME SHOW INDUSTRY
AND THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU'RE READY, LET'S GET
INTO THE ISOLATION BOOTHS.
Narrator:
BY THE LATE 1950s,
GAME SHOWS WERE
THE HIGHEST-RATED
PROGRAMS ON TELEVISION.
SERIES LIKE
"THE $64,000 CHALLENGE,"
"TWENTY-ONE," AND "DOTTO"
ATTRACTED UNPRECEDENTED
AUDIENCES.
MAY I QUESTION YOU
ONCE AGAIN?
TONIGHT IT'LL BE
THE BIGGEST GAME
WE EVER PLAYED
HERE ON THE PROGRAM.
Narrator:
PRODUCERS HAD LEARNED
TO RATCHET UP THE DRAMA
OF THE GAMES
WITH LARGE CASH PRIZES,
SOUNDPROOF BOOTHS,
THE TECHNIQUE WAS SO REFINED,
ANTHEY EVEN KNEW EXACTLYS.
WHEN TO TURN UP THE HEAT
IN THE STUDIO
TO ENSURE A CONTESTANT
WOULD DAB HIS BROW DRAMATICALLY.
Host:
THEN YOU WIN $20,000!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Narrator:
BUT THEN SOME PRODUCERS
ADDED ONE MORE
DRAMATIC ELEMENT...
A PREDETERMINED OUTCOME.
THEY RIGGED THE GAMES
TO FAVOR APPEALING CONTESTANTS.
THE STRATEGY WAS SUCCESSFUL
FOR A WHILE.
AND RATINGS INCREASED.
THEN THEY GOT CAUGHT.
THE FIRST GAME TO BE EXPOSED
WAS "DOTTO."
EMCEE JACK NARZ
HAD NO IDEA
THE SHOW WAS BEING RIGGED...
UNTIL HE RECEIVED
A LATE-NIGHT PHONE CALL
FROM HIS BOSS.
HE SAID, "COME OVER
TO MY HOUSE,
WOULD YOU COME TO MY HOUSE
FOR DINNER TONIGHT?"
I WENT OVER, AND HE GAVE ME
A MARTINI.
AND THEN HE SAID,
"HOW ABOUT A SECOND MARTINI?"
HE SAID,
"DON'T GO TO WORK MONDAY."
HE SAID, "THE SHOW
HAS BEEN CANCELLED."
IT CAME AS A BOLT
OUT OF THE BLUE FOR ME.
BOOM, HIT ME
RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES.
I WENT FROM CLOUD NINE
TO...
THE NETHER REGIONS,
IN ONE DAY.
THAT WAS TOUGH.
HE WAS STUNNED BY IT,
AND I WAS, TOO.
WHEN HE TOLD ME,
I SAID, "YOU'RE KIDDING!"
EVERYBODY'S FIRST REACTION...
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IT'S OFF?
"YOU'RE KIDDING!
SOMEBODY GAVE AN ANSWER
TO SOMEBODY?
OH, COME ON!"
AND HE'D SAY, "YEAH."
Narrator: SOON, "TWENTY-ONE"
RIGHT AFTER THE SHOW,
IT INSTALLED A NEW HOST...
MONTY HALL.
NOW, WHEN I WAS DOING THE SHOW,
I WOULD BE TAKEN
INTO AN OFFICE,
THEY'D TAKE... OPEN UP A SAFE
AND SHOW ME THE QUESTIONS,
SO I'D FAMILIARIZE MYSELF
WITH THE QUESTIONS,
PUT IT BACK IN THE SAFE,
AND NEXT THING I KNEW,
I WAS ON THE...
IN FRONT OF A CAMERA,
DOING THE SHOW
WITH CONTESTANTS.
I HAD NO IDEA
THAT THE CONTESTANTS
ALSO SAW THE QUESTIONS.
Narrator:
BUT THEY DID.
CONTESTANT CHARLES VAN DOREN
HAD BECOME
A NATIONAL HERO.
WITHIN DAYS,
HE WAS A DISGRACE.
MILLIONS WERE OUTRAGED.
GRAND JURIES
WERE ASSEMBLED.
PERJURY CHARGES
WERE FILED.
AND THE GAME SHOWS
THAT REMAINED ON
Stewart: ONE OF THE PAGES
CAME OVER TO ME
AND SAID, "SOMEBODY JUST CALLED
BACKSTAGE AND SAID
THAT THEY HAD PLANTED
A BOMB IN THE AUDIENCE."
WELL, THIS KIND OF THING
WAS SORT OF TAKING PLACE,
AND THE PEOPLE WERE VERY ANGRY
AT TELEVISION SHOWS
FOR ALL OF THAT SCANDAL.
AND... WE HAD FIVE MINUTES
TO GO ON THE AIR.
"TELL THE AUDIENCE
THAT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,
"WE HAVE A PRIZE
FOR SOMEBODY THERE.
"AT THE COUNT OF THREE,
STAND UP, PICK UP YOUR SEAT,
"AND THE PERSON WHO SEES
A PACKAGE THERE,
RAISE YOUR HAND,
WE'LL COME AND GET IT."
AND WE WERE ABLE TO EXAMINE
THE WHOLE THEATER
IN ONE MINUTE.
THOSE WERE... THOSE WERE
DANGEROUS DAYS.
I MEAN, THERE WAS
A LOT OF ILL WILL GOING ON.
Narrator:
CONGRESS SOON PASSED LAWS
TO PREVENT FURTHER RIGGING.
AND THE NETWORKS WERE DETERMINED
TO POLICE THE GAME SHOW INDUSTRY
CLOSELY...
A PRACTICE THAT WENT ON
FOR MANY YEARS.
ALL THE NETWORKS HAD
A NEW DEPARTMENT
CALLED "STANDARDS
AND PRACTICES," S & P.
AND IT WAS LIKE
AN FBI.
IT WAS AN IN-HOUSE FBI.
BECAUSE AT FIRST, THEY WERE
SO OVERLY PROTECTIVE,
YOU WOULD SEE LITTLE FACES
PEERING OUT FROM BEHIND THE SET,
AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO SEE
IF ANYBODY IS READING A SCRIPT
OR LOOKING ASKANCE AT ANYTHING.
YOUR CONTESTANTS HAD TO BE
CLOSETED IN A DIFFERENT
AND THERE'S SOMEBODY
STANDING THERE,
WATCHING THAT YOU DIDN'T
HAVE CONTACT WITH THEM,
BRUSHED BY THEM IN THE HALLWAY,
STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO WE HAD A SETUP
IN "CONCENTRATION,"
WHERE WE HIRED A GUY
FROM SCOTLAND YARD
WHO WAS BACKSTAGE
TO MAKE SURE
THAT NOBODY... SEE,
THE STAGEHANDS
WOULD KNOW THE ANSWER
TO THE PUZZLE.
AND AS SOON AS THEY...
SO THEY HAD TO MAKE SURE
THAT THAT DIDN'T SOMEHOW
GET TO A CONTESTANT
NBC, ON ITS OWN,
HIRED SOMEBODY TO DO THAT.
AND THEN THE GUARDS CLASHED.
EACH DIDN'T KNOW
THE OTHER WAS HIRED,
AND THEY'RE... AND EACH
THOUGHT THE OTHER
THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE
EVERYTHING WAS ON THE UP AND UP,
WANTED TO MAKE SURE
NO ONE WAS GIVING ANYONE
ANY SIGNALS, YOU KNOW.
AND I WOULD LOOK OVER
AT A CELEBRITY, FOR INSTANCE,
ON "YOU DON'T SAY,"
I CAN REMEMBER,
AND JUST BEYOND THAT,
WITHIN EYE SHOT,
THERE WOULD BE
A LITTLE HEAD PEERING
AROUND THE EDGE OF THE THING.
WE DIDN'T SCORE A POINT,
BUT WE HAD
LOTS OF FUN THAT TIME.
SO, DOROTHY DANDRIDGE
AND PETER LAWFORD,
NEXT NAME.
Announcer:
HE DIDN'T KNOW
A FEATHER IN HIS HAT
FROM MACARONI.
YANKEE DOODLE.
ALL RIGHT,
DOROTHY FIRST,
WHAT IS YOURS?
Narrator: THE QUIZ SHOW SCANDAL
DIDN'T TAINT MARK GOODSON.
HIS PANEL SHOWS
LIKE "WHAT'S MY LINE?"
DIDN'T LEND THEMSELVES
TO CHEATING, ANYWAY.
SO IT WAS NO SURPRISE
THAT HIS COMPANY
DEVELOPED THE FIRST
BIG GAME SHOW HIT
OF THE P "PASSWORD." ERA...
Announcer: THE PASSWORD
IS "BACKFIRE."
Narrator:
MARK GOODSON DIDN'T
CREATE "PASSWORD" PERSONALLY.
INSTEAD, THAT CREDIT
GOES TO HIS PRODUCER,
PERHAPS THE MOST INVENTIVE MIND
IN THE GENRE,
BOB STEWART.
IN MY OPINION, YOU HAVE
A GREAT GAME SHOW
IF THE PERSON AT HOME
IS TALKING TO THE SCREEN ALOUD.
WHEN THEY... WHEN THEY YELL
AT THE SCREEN,
"SAY SO-AND-SO!"
OR "DO SO-AND-SO!"
YOU GOT 'EM HOOKED.
THANK YOU!
HELLO THERE!
Narrator:
YEARS EARLIER,
BOB STEWART HAD CREATED
THE FIRST ITERATION
OF "THE PRICE IS RIGHT,"
AND LATER, "TO TELL THE TRUTH."
"PASSWORD" INTRODUCED
ANOTHER
BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION...
TEAMING ORDINARY CONTESTANTS
WITH CELEBRITIES.
WE SAW CELEBRITIES
STRUGGLING LIKE CONTESTANTS.
BECAUSE THEY PLAYED
EXACTLY THE SAME GAME
THE CONTESTANTS DID.
WASN'T A PANEL OF SHOW-OFFS.
THESE WERE PEOPLE STRUGGLING...
TO GET THE RIGHT WORD
AT THE RIGHT TIME,
AND WIN THE GAME.
AND A NEW DIMENSION
WAS ADDED
TO THEIR PERSONALITY
AS THEY STRUGGLED,
AND THEY STRIPPED THEMSELVES
OF THE KIND OF COVER
THAT AN ACTOR USES.
AND THAT TURNED OUT TO BE
ONE OF THE UNQUESTIONABLY
KEY ASSETS OF THAT IDEA.
AND A KEY ELEMENT
"PAOF THE SHOW'S SUCCESST.
WAS HOST ALLEN LUDDEN.
IF A CONTESTANT GAVE
A DUMB CLUE
HE WOULD, HE WOULD ALWAYS TRY
TO BE VERY NICE ABOUT IT,
BUT HE'D LOOK
AT THE CAMERA WITH THIS LOOK,
LIKE... YOU KNEW
WHAT HE WAS THINKING ABOUT,
"DUMMY, WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?"
AND I THINK THE AUDIENCE
LOVED THAT.
THEY LOVED THAT,
AND THEY ALWAYS LOVED
COPYING HIS, WHENEVER HE GAVE
THE CLUE,
HE WOULD ALWAYS,
HIS HANDS WERE...
ALLEN'S HANDS WERE
SO EXPRESSIVE,
AND IT WAS ALWAYS THIS.
PEOPLE... WE'D BE DRIVING
DOWN THE STREET,
AND SOMEBODY WOULD RECOGNIZE
HIM, AND THEY'D SAY...
Narrator:
CERTAIN CELEBRITIES
HAD A NATURAL GIFT
FOR "PASSWORD"...
PEOPLE LIKE CAROL CHANNING,
JIM BACKUS,
WHO WOULD EVENTUALLY MARRY
AND HOST ALLEN LUDDEN.ITE,
BY THE END OF THE YEAR,
HE BEGAN...
HE WOULDN'T SAY, "HELLO,"
HE'D SAY,
"WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
WELL, I THOUGHT THAT WAS
SUCH A JOKE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
ONE NIGHT, WE WENT
TO DINNER.
AND HE GAVE ME
A JEWELRY BOX,
AND I OPENED IT,
AND THERE'S A WEDDING RING.
WITH DIAMONDS
ALL THE WAY AROUND.
HE SAYS,
"YOU MIGHT AS WELL WEAR IT.
YOU'RE GOING TO SAY YES
SOONER OR LATER."
WELL, AS ANY RED-BLOODED
AMERICAN GIRL WOULD DO,
I GOT MAD,
I GOT FURIOUS.
AND I GAVE IT BACK TO HIM,
AND I SAID, "FORGET IT!
"AND STOP PUSHING ME!
I'M NOT INTERESTED!"
THERE WAS NO WAY
I WAS GOING TO MOVE TO NEW YORK.
DID HE GIVE IT BACK
TO THE JEWELER?
NO, HE PUT IT
ON A CHAIN AROUND HIS NECK.
HE WORE THAT DAMN WEDDING RING
FOR... WE'D GO TO THE BEACH,
THERE'S THE WEDDING RING.
YOU'D SEE IT
AT ALL TIMES,
SO, IN MY IDIOCY,
I WASTED A WHOLE YEAR
WE COULD HAVE BEEN TOGETHER.
I MET THIS LADY
ON THIS GAME.
14 YEARS AGO.
I'VE LOVED
EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
I'VE WORKED
FOR THE BEST.
IT'LL BE A TOUGH GAME
TO REPLACE.
SOMEDAY MAYBE SOMEWHERE
THERE'S ANOTHER GAME SHOW
WORTHY OF THIS KIND
OF INTEREST AND LOVE,
BUT THIS IS THE BEST
GAME SHOW
YOU CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH,
AND I'M DARN GRATEFUL
I HAD 14 LOVELY YEARS
WITH IT.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING IT.
THANK YOU.
Host:
THAT WAS $7,000...
YOU'VE DONE IT!
Narrator:
AFTER "PASSWORD" HIT
IN 1961,
GAME SHOWS BEGAN
A RENAISSANCE.
Announcer: AND NOW,
HERE'S AMERICA'S TOP TRADER,
TV'S BIG DEALER,
MONTY HALL!
CREATED BY MONTY HALL
AND STEFAN HATOS,
"LET'S MAKE A DEAL"
DIDN'T HAVE ANY CELEBRITIES
OR QUIZ QUESTIONS.
IT DIDN'T EVEN HAVE
MUCH OF A SCRIPT.
IT MIGHT BE
BEHIND DOOR NUMBER ONE
OR DOOR NUMBER TWO
OR DOOR NUMBER THREE.
Narrator:
THE GAME RELIED
SOLELY ON MONTY HALL'S
ABILITY TO BUILD DRAMA
FROM INDECISION.
Hall: I WOULD LOOK
INTO HER EYES
AND SEE WHETHER
I HAD MORE DRAMA
IF I WENT
TO 500 OR 700 OR 800,
AND LET THE CAMERA PICK OUT
HER REACTION.
OR YOU CAN HAVE
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
THAT CAROL IS SHOWING US
RIGHT NOW.
OH!
AGH!
Hall: AND YOU'RE NOTICING
THE CONTESTANTS' REACTIONS,
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PLAY
OFF THEIR REACTIONS.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING
YOU DO.
YOU ARE LIKE
AN AMATEUR PSYCHOLOGIST,
BECAUSE YOU'RE WATCHING
THE EYELIDS FLUTTER,
AND YOU THINK YOU KNOW
WHEN HER BREAKING POINT IS.
AND YOU GO TO THAT POINT
AND NO FARTHER.
Narrator: NOT LONG AFTER
"LET'S MAKE A DEAL" STARTED,
CONTESTANTS REALIZED
THAT WEARING A COSTUME
MEANT THEY WERE MORE LIKELY
TO GET PICKED BY MONTY.
Hall: SO NBC CALLED US IN
AND SAID,
"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
ABOUT THIS?
"THERE'S 350 PEOPLE OUT THERE
ON YOUR SHOW
"WITH THESE CRAZY COSTUMES.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
ABOUT IT?"
AND WE SAID, "NOTHING.
"YOU KNOW, THIS IS TELEVISION,
"AND THAT'S VERY PICTORIAL.
YOU WANT ALL THE STUFF
YOU'VE SEEN SO FAR
AND THE MONEY
IN THE POCKETS?
WHEN MOST TV SHOWS PRESENTED
AN ALL-WHITE CAST,
GAME SHOWS LIKE "DEAL" TOOK
A VERY DIFFERENT APPROACH,
SHOWCASING
A CROSS-SECTION OF AMERICA,
REAL PEOPLE
FROM EVERY DEMOGRAPHIC.
WE FIGURED THAT
"LET'S MAKE A DEAL"
WAS A SHOW THAT WAS DONE
IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND THIS AUDIENCE COMPOSITION
HAD TO REPRESENT AMERICA.
"WHEN YOU GO OUTSIDE
TO PICK THE 30 OR 40 PEOPLE
SITTING IN THE FRONT SECTION,
GIVE US A CROSS-SECTION
OF AMERICA.
OF COURSE, IT PROVED
TO BE THE RIGHT DECISION.
Narrator: A YEAR AFTER
"LET'S MAKE A DEAL" DEBUTED,
ANOTHER JUGGERNAUT
WAS LAUNCHED,
A GAME THAT HELPED
MAKE ITS CREATOR
ONE OF THE RICHEST MEN
IN AMERICA.
THE SHOW WAS "JEOPARDY!"
AND THE MAN WHO INVENTED IT
WAS MERV GRIFFIN.
GRIFFIN WAS NO NEWCOMER
TO GAME SHOWS.
AS EARLY AS 1958,
HE'D HOSTED
MARK GOODSON'S
"PLAY YOUR HUNCH."
MY AGENT SAID, "YOU'RE GOING
FOR AN INTERVIEW
THEY HAVE SEEN YOU,
AND THEY ARE INTERESTED IN YOU
AS A GAME SHOW HOST.
I SAID, "BUT I DON'T KNOW
HOW TO DO THAT."
AND I CAME UP TO THIS HIGH FLOOR
IN NEW YORK CITY
AT GOODSON-TODMAN.
IT WAS 9:00 AT NIGHT.
THE ELEVATOR DOOR OPENED,
AND I WALKED OUT,
AND THERE WAS A RECEPTION ROOM,
AND I SAT DOWN
FOR A FEW MINUTES,
AND I WENT, "NO, NO, NO,
THIS IS NOT FOR ME."
AND THERE WAS NOBODY THERE,
AND I STARTED AND RANG
FOR THE ELEVATOR.
AND NOT EVEN MY AGENT WAS THERE.
AND I... SOMEBODY CAME OUT...
A DOOR OPENED,
AND A GIRL CAME OUT,
AND SHE SAID,
IN JUST ABOUT TWO MINUTES,
MR. GRIFFIN."
AND I SAID, "READY FOR WHAT?"
"TO PLAY THE GAME."
I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW THE GAME.
NO ONE HAS EXPLAINED TO ME
WHAT YOUR GAME IS."
SHE SAID, "OH, GO IN,
AND YOU'LL FIGURE IT OUT."
Announcer:
STARRING MERV GRIFFIN!
Griffin: SO I WALKED IN,
AND I STEPPED UP THERE
AND STARTED TO TALK, AND THEY
WERE ALL LAUGHING AND SCREAMING.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT THE GAME WAS.
AND BY THE END OF THIS THING,
THEY ALL SAID,
"YOU GOT THE JOB."
AND I WENT, "WHOA.
THAT WAS
THE STRANGEST INTERVIEW."
AND THEN I WENT TO WORK
ON "PLAY YOUR HUNCH,"
AND LOVED GAME SHOWS.
I THINK YOU'LL HAVE FUN.
HERE'S HOW WE SCORE.
EACH TIME YOU
PLAY YOUR HUNCH CORRECTLY,
YOU GET A POINT...
EACH POINT IS WORTH $100.
THREE POINTS WINS THE GAME
FOR A TOTAL OF $300,
AND, MORE IMPORTANT,
THE RIGHT TO STAY ON
AND MEET NEW COMPETITION.
SO GOOD LUCK TO BOTH TEAMS.
Narrator: GRIFFIN WANTED
TO APPLY ALL HE'D LEARNED
TO CREATE HIS OWN GAME SHOW.
BUT A WINNING CONCEPT
ELUDED HIM.
THE SPARK OF THE IDEA
THAT WOULD BECOME "JEOPARDY!"
FINALLY CAME
FROM GRIFFIN'S WIFE,
JULANN.
MY WIFE SAID TO ME...
I SAID, "I WANT TO DO
A QUIZ SHOW."
AND SHE SAID,
"WELL, DO ONE."
THEY WON'T ACCEPT THEM
AT THE NETWORK."
SHE SAID, "WELL, DO ONE
WHERE YOU GIVE THEM
THE ANSWERS."
AND I SAID, "WELL, THAT'S WHY
EVERYONE WENT TO JAIL.
ARE YOU CRAZY?"
AND SHE SAID, "NO...
AND I SAID,
"HOW MANY FEET IN A MILE?"
AND SHE SAID, "THAT'S GOOD."
AND THEN I THOUGHT,
"WHOA, THAT IS A SHOW!"
BUT THEN TRYING TO PUT IT
INTO A GAME SHOW FORMAT
IS THE MOST DIFFICULT
OF ALL.
Narrator: GRIFFIN SPENT
A FULL YEAR EXPERIMENTING,
PAPERING HIS MANHATTAN APARTMENT
WITH ANSWERS
SCRAWLED ON 3x5 CARDS.
AND MAKESHIFT BULLETIN BOARDS
WITH ROWS OF CATEGORIES.
A YEAR LATER, "JEOPARDY!"
WAS FINALLY READY
TO PITCH
TO THE PRESIDENT OF NBC.
I JUST CUT THE BACKS OFF
OF THE ENVELOPES
AND STUCK THE CARDS IN THERE
AND BROUGHT IN THE CONTESTANTS.
AND THE PRESIDENT SAT THERE,
AND THE TWO OF THEM,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
I RAN THE WHOLE SHOW,
AND THE PRESIDENT OF NBC
LOOKED ME, AND HE SAID,
"I AIN'T GOT ONE OF 'EM!"
AND I WENT,
"OOH... OH, WELL, UH,
IT'S A DIFFICULT SHOW,
YOU KNOW."
"BUT I DIDN'T GET ONE!"
AND I SAID, "WELL,
I CAN'T HELP THAT, SIR."
Narrator: THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
THE END OF "JEOPARDY!"
BUT A YOUNG NBC EXECUTIVE
NAMED GRANT TINKER
PERSUADED HIS BOSS
TO PICK UP THE SHOW.
"JEOPARDY!" PREMIERED
ON NBC IN 1964.
AND IT WAS AN IMMEDIATE HIT.
Host: TRY AGAIN,
PLEASE, KAREN.
Woman: SPORTS
FOR $10, PLEASE.
THE ANSWER IS,
"OF BASEBALL, L FOOTBALL,
AND HORSE RACING..."
THE ONE THAT DRAWS
THE LARGEST
LIVE ATTENDANCE IN
THE UNITED STATES... KAREN.
WHAT'S HORSE RACING?
Narrator: LIGHTING WOULD STRIKE
A SECOND TIME FOR MERV GRIFFIN
WHEN HE REMEMBERED
THE CHILDHOOD GAME OF HANGMAN
AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT MAKE
A GREAT GAME SHOW.
BUT IT NEEDED
A GIMMICK.
FOR THE SOLUTION,
GRIFFIN REACHED BACK
TO ANOTHER MEMORY
FROM HIS YOUTH...
THE BIG SPINNING-WHEEL GAME
AT THE ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC.
GRIFFIN HAD HIS GIMMICK...
ALMOST.
THE FIRST COUPLE OF PILOTS
WE DID ON IT,
THE WHEEL WAS STANDING UPRIGHT
LIKE THIS,
AND IT LOOKED AWFUL.
Narrator:
LAYING THE WHEEL DOWN
MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
BUT MERV STILL HAD
ONE MORE ISSUE TO SOLVE.
WHEN THE ORIGINAL HOSTESS,
SUSAN STAFFORD,
LEFT TO PURSUE
HER Ph.D...
I NEEDED A GIRL
ON THE SHOW.
SO I SAID TO THE WOMAN
WHO PRODUCED IT,
"PLEASE FIND 12 PICTURES,
8x10 GLOSSIES,
"PUT THEM ON MY DESK,
AND I'LL WALK IN
AND SHE DID THAT,
AND POAND I WALKED ININK."
AND JUST WENT, "HER."
GET ME SOME TAPE
ON HER TALKING.
AND IT WAS VANNA,
AND THAT WAS IT.
Narrator: GRIFFIN HAD BROUGHT
TOGETHER THE PERFECT COMBINATION
OF ELEMENTS TO CREATE
WHAT WOULD BECOME
THE MOST PROFITABLE GAME
IN THE HISTORY OF THE GENRE...
"WHEEL OF FORTUNE."
Announcer:
OVER $49,000
JUST WAITING TO BE WON
TODAY ON "WHEEL OF FORTUNE"!
NOW, HERE'S YOUR HOST,
CHUCK WOOLERY!
Narrator: IF A KIDS' GAME
LIKE HANGMAN
COULD BE MORPHED INTO A MAJOR
GAME SHOW FRANCHISE,
WHY NOT ANOTHER
CHILDHOOD FAVORITE,
TIC-TAC-TOE?
THAT WAS THE QUESTION
PRODUCERS MERRILL HEATTER
AND BOB QUIGLEY
PONDERED IN EARLY 1964
AS THEY DEVELOPED A GAME
WITH A GIANT TIC-TAC-TOE BOARD
AND CELEBRITIES
IN THE SQUARES.
Kennedy: WHEN THEY MOUNTED
"HOLLYWOOD SQUARES"
WITH THOSE NINE CUBICLES,
I SAW THAT GOING UP,
AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
THAT WAS REALLY MONUMENTAL.
THAT WAS THE BIGGEST,
STRANGEST,
WILDLY DIFFERENT THING
I'D EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.
IT WAS SO BIG,
I THOUGHT TO MYSELF,
IT CANNOT WORK,
BECAUSE IT'S TOO BIG,
ITIT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.E.
HUGE SUCCESS.
Host: WHAT WOULD
YOU NORMALLY
FIND A CAMPER
MOUNTED ON?
A CAMPRESS.
"HOLLYWOOD SQUARES" IS THE MOST
FUN GAME SHOW IN THE WORLD.
Narrator: MUCH
OF THE SHOW'S POPULARITY
FLOWED FROM
THE PARTY ATMOSPHERE...
NINE CELEBRITIES,
HAVING A GOOD TIME TOGETHER.
Host: KAREN, A PARACHUTIST
HITS THE GROUND
A HOW MANY
MILES PER HOUR?
DID HIS CHUTE OPEN?
"DO THE STARS
KNOW THE QUESTION?"
I SAY, "NO."
THEY NEVER KNEW THE QUESTION.
THEY KNEW AN AREA
OF THE QUESTION.
BUT THEY NEVER KNEW
THE QUESTION.
THEY MIGHT GET A JOKE,
BUT THEY NEVER KNEW
WHAT THE STRAIGHT LINE WAS.
YOU'D TAPE FIVE IN A DAY.
SO YOU'D DO THREE SHOWS,
BREAK FOR DINNER,
AND THEN YOU WOULD DO
TWO MORE.
AND BY THAT TIME...
YOU KNOW,
THEY'D SERVE WINE AT DINNER.
SO THAT WAS ALWAYS INTERESTING.
AT HOME IN BED,
AT 2:00 IN THE MORNING,
YOU'D THINK OF THE GREATEST LINE
THAT YOU DIDN'T USE.
THAT'S ENOUGH
TO KILL A PERSON.
Host: SAY, ARE MOST
STOLEN CARS RECOVERED?
I HAD ONE RECOVERED
IN ZEBRA ONCE.
Henderson:
WE HAD REDD FOXX.
HE LOVED TO BE VERY BAWDY
WITH YOU.
AND DURING THE COMMERCIALS,
HE WOULD SAY
SOME PRETTY WILD THINGS.
AND SOME PEOPLE,
SOME YOUNG GIRLS,
DIDN'T REALLY WANT
TO BE NEXT TO HIM.
I WOULD ALWAYS JUST
SAY SOMETHING BACK TO HIM.
Narrator: "HOLLYWOOD SQUARES"
BECAME SO POPULAR
THAT CELEBRITIES
OFTEN LOBBIED
BUT SOME HAD A HARD TIME
GRASPING THE GAME.
HENNY YOUNGMAN,
FOR EXAMPLE,
WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED COMEDIAN.
BUT HIS APPEARANCE
ON "HOLLYWOOD SQUARES"
DID NOT GO WELL.
I SAID, "HENNY, I'M SO EXCITED
YOU'RE ON THE SHOW.
"NOW, HERE'S THE WAY
THE SHOW WORKS.
"I'LL ASK YOU A QUESTION,
AND IF YOU HAVE A JOKE, DO IT.
"AND THEN GET TO THE ANSWER,
OKAY?
"20 SECONDS, 25 SECONDS.
ANY LONGER IS NO GOOD, OKAY?"
HE SAID, "YOU GOT IT."
FIRST QUESTION WAS,
"DO BIRDS FLY?"
HE SAID, "THESE TWO GUYS,
THEY GO BEAR HUNTING,
"THEY COME TO A SIGN THAT SAYS,
'BEAR LEFT, '
AND SO THEY WENT HOME."
AND I SAID,
"HENNY, DO BIRDS FLY?"
HE SAID, "THERE WAS THIS GIRL
IN CLEVELAND, AND..."
AND GOBEL FELL OFF HIS CHAIR.
AND I SAID,
"WE GOT TO STOP TAPE, GUYS."
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T GET IT.
AND GROUCHO
DIDN'T GET IT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE
DIDN'T WORK ON THE SHOW.
Narrator: THE CELEBRITIES
WHO COULD WORK
WITHIN THE SHOW'S FORMAT
OFTEN STAYED ON
FOR YEARS
AND BECAME HOUSEHOLD NAMES.
CHARLEY WEAVER,
WALLY COX,
PAUL LYNDE.
Host: ACCORDING
TO THE RED CROSS,
WHEN WILL THEY STOP ACCEPTING
BLOOD DONATIONS FROM A PERSON?
OH, WHEN HE DRIES UP.
"HEY, PAUL,
HOW MANY MEN ON A HOCKEY TEAM?"
"ABOUT HALF."
BANG, THAT'S IT,
THERE YOU GO.
YOU CAN'T DO A LONG MONOLOGUE.
Host: WILL
HUMMING, HUMMING
HELP YOUR TENNIS GAME?
THIS STRUCK ME FUNNY!
UM, WILL HUMMING
HELP MY TENNIS GAME?
SURE, WHY NOT?
IT TAKES YOUR MIND
OFF YOUR BALLS
OR SOMETHING.
AND I SAID,
"YES, IT WOULD PROBABLY
TAKE YOUR MIND
OFF YOUR BALLS."
S...
AND THEN I WENT...
WELL, THE AUDIENCE
BECAME HYSTERICAL.
CHARLEY WEAVER GOT UP
AND WALKED OFF,
EVEN THOUGH
HE COULDN'T WALK VERY WELL.
AND IT WAS
ONE OF THOSE THINGS
WHERE THE LAUGHTER
WENT ON FOR,
FOREVER, AND I JUST
HAD MY HEAD DOWN ON THE DESK.
OH, NO!
Narrator: HAVING FUN
WITH CELEBRITIES
BECAME A STAPLE
OF THE GAME SHOW UNIVERSE.
BUT COULD A GAME SUCCEED
BY EXTRACTING HUMOR
FROM THE CONTESTANTS?
THE ONE MAN WHO KNEW
THE ANSWER
WAS GAME SHOW PRODUCER
CHUCK BARRIS,
ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL PEOPLE
IN AMERICAN TELEVISION.
AND WHEN YOU WALK
INTO CHUCK'S OFFICE,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A URINAL
ON THE WALL.
YOU KNOW, AND HE WAS JUST ONE...
YOU KNOW, HE WAS...
HE WAS
JUST AN ECCENTRIC GUY.
BUT I HAVE NOTHING
BUT NICE THINGS
HE KNEW EXACTLY
TO SWHAT HE WAS DOING.RIS.
HE FIGURED OUT VERY EARLY
THAT JOHN AND MARY JONES
ARE THE FUNNIEST PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD.
THIS DAZZLING BACHELORETTE
IS A CHRONIC DISCO DANCER.
SHE'S HERE TONIGHT TO ANSWER
THE MUSICAL QUESTION,
"CAN THE HUSTLE
REALLY CLEAR UP
DISTRESS IN THE LOWER TRACT?"
Narrator: BARRIS MADE
HIS FIRST BIG SPLASH
IN LATE 1965 WITH
"THE DATING GAME."
THE SHOW DIDN'T HAVE
A QUIZ OR BIG MONEY PRIZES.
INSTEAD, IT FEATURED
ORDINARY PEOPLE, HAVING FUN.
BACHELOR NUMBER ONE.
I REALLY LIKE ICE CREAM.
IF YOU WERE ICE CREAM,
WHAT FLAVOR WOULD YOU BE?
Narrator:
BARRIS SOON FOLLOWED UP
WITH "THE NEWLYWED GAME,"
WHICH ALSO GLEANED HUMOR
FROM REGULAR FOLKS.
Host:
WHAT ANIMAL, LISA,
DID YOU INHERIT
YOUR RUMP FROM?
I SAID, "HER MOTHER."
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING
AT MY MOTHER'S RUMP FOR?
IT'S NOT EVEN BIG!
YOU CAN'T MISS IT.
THE THING'S THE SIZE
OF A BUICK.
YOU CAN'T EVEN
GET IT THROUGH THE DOOR.
NO, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT.
IT'S BIG...
IT'S THE SIZE...
SHE'S JUST BIG-BONED.
Narrator:
BARRIS TOOK PRIDE
IN AVOIDING THE USUAL
GAME SHOW HOSTS.
WHEN BOB EUBANKS WAS TAPPED
FOR "THE NEWLYWED GAME,"
HE WAS THE YOUNGEST PERSON
EVER TO EMCEE A GAME SHOW.
AFTER THE FIRST SHOW,
CHUCK BARRIS CAME TO ME,
AND HE SAYS,
"I NEED TO TALK TO YOU."
I SAID, "WHAT'S THE MATTER?"
HE SAYS,
"YOU'VE JUST DONE SOMETHING
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY
DO BEFORE."
HE SAID, "YOU WENT A HALF-HOUR
WITHOUT BLINKING."
SO I HAD TO WRITE MYSELF A NOTE.
"WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE
OF 'THE NEWLYWED GAME, '"
AND IT SAYS, "BLINK,"
AND I GO, BLINK, BLINK.
THAT'S HOW FRIGHTENED I WAS.
I WAS SCARED TO DEATH.
Man: HEAVY DRAIN
UPON THE FILLER RESOURCES...
Narrator: "THE NEWLYWED GAME"
HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE
TO PREMIERE AT THE EXACT MOMENT
DEFENSE SECRETARY
ROBERT McNAMARA
NBC AND CBS
WCARRIED THE SPEECH LIVE..
Announcer: FROM HOLLYWOOD,
HERE COME THE NEWLYWEDS!
Narrator: BUT ABC WENT WITH
THE NEWLYWEDS.
THAT FIRST EPISODE HAD RATINGS
TO RIVAL A SUPER BOWL.
BOTH "THE DATING"
AND "NEWLYWED" GAMES
REFLECTING THE VERY YOUNG
WEAND FREE-WHEELING STAFF,
HE WAS AMONG THE FIRST
THAT BATV PRODUCERSEMBLED.
TO TAP INTO THE CHANGING
NATIONAL CULTURE
OF THE 1960s.
AND IT MADE BARRIS
EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL.
"THE NEWLYWED GAME"
WAS A COMEDY SHOW
THAT HAPPENED TO HAVE
A GAME THERE.
AND THAT'S REALLY
WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW.
"WOW, DID YOU SEE
THAT GREAT PRIZE THEY WON,"
OR, "WOW, THEY SURE
KNEW EACH OTHER."
NO, THEY ONLY TALK
ABOUT THE FUNNY STUFF.
Host: IN COINS,
HOW MUCH MONEY
COULD YOUR
BELLY BUTTON HOLD?
CARRIE?
I GUESS...
I WOULD SAY A DIME.
A DIME.
HE SAID
YOUR BELLY BUTTON
COULD HOLD
ONE DOLLAR!
YOU JERK!
A DOLLAR?
WELL, IT'S BIG
AND ROUND, BUT SHALLOW.
HE SAID, "A BIG OLD SILVER
DOLLAR," IS WHAT HE SAID.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
GIVE HIM A RIDE HOME, TOO!
A SILVER DOLLAR?
Eubanks:
HE FIGURED IT OUT,
AND HE WAS DOING
REALITY TELEVISION BACK THEN,
BEFORE WE KNEW WHAT
THE WORD "REALITY" MEANT.
HE HAD GREAT INSTINCTS.
GREAT INSTINCTS.
Narrator:
BARRIS'S UNIQUE INSTINCTS CAME
AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME
FOR ABC.
A PERENNIAL THIRD-PLACE
ALSO-RAN,
THE NETWORK
WAS IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE.
"THE NEWLYWED GAME"
AND "DATING GAME"
AND "LET'S MAKE A DEAL,"
I BELIEVE LITERALLY SAVED ABC.
WE TOOK THAT NETWORK
FROM HERE TO HERE.
BECAUSE EVERY SHOW... NOT ONLY
DID WE GET THAT TIME PERIOD,
BUT EVERY SHOW FOLLOWING US
ZOOMED UP.
I REMEMBER, MICHAEL EISNER
WAS THE HEAD
OF WEST COAST
DAYTIME TELEVISION,
AND HE CAME UP TO ME ONE TIME
AT A PARTY,
HE SAYS,
"YOU'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME."
HE SAYS, "YOU'RE VERY
IMPORTANT TO ME."
BECAUSE HE REALIZED
THAT THESE THREE SHOWS...
"DATING GAME," "NEWLYWED GAME,"
LITERALLY SAVED THE NETWORK
AND "LEAT THE TIME.EAL"...
I REMEMBER, IT WAS SO MUCH FUN
GOING INTO HIS OFFICES,
BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS YOUNG
AROUND HIM,
THEY WERE EXCITED,
THEY WERE EXUBERANT.
THEY LOVED WHAT CHUCK
WAS DOING.
HE HAD STARTED
WITH PRACTICALLY NOTHING.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
HE WAS
THE KING, QUOTE-UNQUOTE,
OF ABC!
Man:
WHAT'S YOUR IDEA
OF A DREAM GIRL?
JOIN OUR NEW WEEKDAY GAME,
Narrator: BARRIS'S GOLDEN TOUCH.
HAD ITS LIMITS.
MANY OF HIS CREATIONS
DID NOT CATCH ON.
SHOWS LIKE "DREAM GIRL '67,"
"THE PARENT GAME,"
AND "HOW'S YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW?"
AND IT WAS CALLED,
"HOW'S YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW?"
"WHAT WAS THE FORMAT
I'VE HAOF THAT SHOW? TO ME,
WHAT WAS THE CONCEPT?"
AND I'VE LAUGHINGLY SAID...
AND THIS MAY NOT
BE TOTALLY TRUE...
BUT I SAID,
"THERE WAS NO CONCEPT!
THAT WAS THE PROBLEM!"
IT WASN'T ALL THAT GREAT
AN IDEA.
Narrator: WHILE A GREAT IDEA
IS THE KEY
TO A GAME SHOW'S SUCCESS,
ANOTHER ELEMENT
IS EQUALLY CRITICAL...
THE EMCEE.
A LITTLE OLD PAUSE
FOR STATION IDENTIFICATION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT
TO MAKE OF THIS!
OPEN IT.
Announcer:
BOB BARKER!
Narrator: THE JOB
OF A GAME SHOW EMCEE
MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST
COMPLICATED IN SHOW BUSINESS.
PLUS THE PRICE
OF THE TRIP
TOTALS $5,000 TO $6,000.
YOU'LL WIN MONEY
IN THE AMOUNT OF THE CHECK,
AND YOU WILL WIN
THE TRIP TO ATLANTA.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
Narrator: A GOOD EMCEE
HAS TO KNOW THE GAME COLD,
MONITOR THE CLOCK
CONSTANTLY,
INTERACT EFFORTLESSLY
WITH CELEBRITIES
AND CONTESTANTS,
AND CONSTANTLY MAKE
ADJUSTMENTS
TO ENSURE THE PROGRAM
IS ENTERTAINING.
IN ESSENCE, THE HOST
MUST MANUFACTURE
A HALF-HOUR SHOW
EVERY DAY,
OFTEN WITH NOTHING MORE
THAN A BASIC OUTLINE
AND A FEW NOTE CARDS.
MARK GOODSON ONCE DESCRIBED
THE GAME SHOW HOSTING JOB
AS "DRIVING A CAR BACKWARDS
DOWN A MOUNTAIN ROAD,
AND BEING WITTY AND FUNNY
AT THE SAME TIME."
THE SKILL SET IS BASIC
IN TELEVISION,
IN TIME AND UNDERSTANDING TIME,
AND IN BEING ABLE
TO PUT THAT BEHIND YOU
AND GO ON WITH THE SHOW
AND BE SUBCONSCIOUSLY AWARE
THAT YOU HAVE SO MUCH TIME
TO PERFORM THIS
AND TRY TO PULL IT OFF
AS BEST YOU CAN.
AND OVER TIME,
YOU ACQUIRE THAT SKILL
OR YOU DON'T
ACQUIRE THAT SKILL.
AND THE REST OF IT
IS JUST KIND OF
BEING FUNNY AND INTERESTING
AND...
OH, I DON'T KNOW!
TRYING NOT TO FALL DOWN
TOO MANY TIMES.
A GOOD EMCEE FLOWS
WITH THE SHOW.
HE IS... COMPATIBLE
WITH THE CONTESTANTS,
HE'S ON THEIR SIDE,
HE LIKES TO SEE PEOPLE WIN,
AND WITHOUT THINKING,
WITHOUT TRYING,
WITHOUT BEING AT ALL MECHANICAL,
HE'S JUST BECOME
A PART OF THE SHOW.
AND LET IT FLOW.
Narrator: IN THE EARLY YEARS,
COMEDIANS WERE OFTEN TAPPED
GROUCHO MARX,
PEAND EVEN DICK VAN DYKE, ,
WHO AUDITIONED TO BE
THE FIRST HOST
Van Dyke: YES, THEY WERE PUTTING
TOGETHER "THE PRICE IS RIGHT"
BACK IN THE... THIS IS
IN THE LATE '50s.
THEY ASKED ME
TO BE THE HOST.
AND I KEPT TELLING MY WIFE,
"THIS IS A SHOW
"ABOUT GUESSING HOW MUCH
SOMETHING COSTS!
THAT'S A GAME SHOW?"
SAID, "IT'LL NEVER GO!"
Narrator: OVER TIME,
PRODUCERS LEARNED
THAT MANY TRADITIONAL COMEDIANS
WEREN'T QUITE RIGHT
FOR THE EMCEE JOB.
INSTEAD, HOSTING A GAME SHOW
WOULD REQUIRE
A VERY DIFFERENT SET
OF SKILLS.
THE WHOLE SECRET
IS TO LISTEN.
IF YOU LISTEN TO WHAT
THE CONTESTANT IS SAYING,
THEN GO AND MAKE SOMETHING
FROM IT.
CREATING SPONTANEOUS
ENTERTAINMENT,
YOU FIND THIS WONDERFUL
IT'S LITTLE CONTESTANTOLD.
OR BIG CONTESTANT
OR WHATEVER,
AND YOU GO WITH THAT PERSON
AND GET THAT AUDIENCE LAUGHING.
I WOULD HAVE TO WATCH MYSELF,
BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY
OPENINGS FOR JOKES AND THINGS,
AND I SAID,
"NO, NO, NO, PETE.
"YOU'RE THE STRAIGHT MAN.
JUST STAY
RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE."
Narrator: AS WITH MANY
PROFESSIONS OF THE ERA,
WOMEN WERE OFTEN OVERLOOKED
AS POTENTIAL GAME SHOW EMCEES.
IN 1949, ARLENE FRANCIS
BRIEFLY HOSTED
A PROGRAM CALLED "BLIND DATE."
BUT FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS,
WOMEN WERE SHUT OUT.
TV PRODUCERS RECOGNIZED
BETTY WHITE'S POTENTIAL
AS AN EMCEE,
BUT THE NETWORKS REFUSED,
OVER AND OVER.
THE NETWORK SAID, "NO,
A WOMAN JUST CAN'T,
"SHE CAN'T HOLD A SHOW TOGETHER,
"AND SHE JUST DOESN'T HAVE...
IT JUST DOESN'T WORK
WITH A WOMAN," YOU KNOW.
Narrator: WHITE FINALLY
GOT HER CHANCE TO EMCEE
ON A GAME CALLED
"JUST MEN."
SHE WON AN EMMY, BUT THE SHOW
WAS QUICKLY CANCELLED.
Woman: THEN THEY STARTED
DOING RESEARCH.
THEY SAID, "WE HAVE RESEARCH."
YOU KNOW, THEY LOVE
TO DO RESEARCH.
"WE HAVE RESEARCH THAT SAYS
"THAT WOMEN ARE BASICALLY
IN LOVE
"WITH THE GUYS
THAT HOST GAME SHOWS,
"THAT IT'S LIKE A ROMANTIC
KIND OF,
A FANTASY ROMANCE CONNECTION."
Narrator: DESPITE THE RESEARCH,
VICKI LAWRENCE WAS HIRED
TO HOST "WIN, LOSE, OR DRAW."
SHE FACED UNIQUE CHALLENGES,
BECAUSE THE PRODUCERS
WOULDN'T LET HER WEAR SKIRTS.
THEY THOUGHT SUITS
WOULD GIVE HER MORE AUTHORITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DO NOT HAVE
VANNA WHITE'S BODY,
SO SOME DAYS
THE STUFF WOULD NOT WORK.
AND MY WARDROBE GAL AND I
WOULD BE PEEING IN OUR PANTS,
BECAUSE IT WOULD LOOK
SO HORRIBLE ON ME.
SO WE'D HAVE TO GO ON
TO THE NEXT SUIT,
SEE IF WE COULD MAKE THAT WORK,
YOU KNOW,
AND THEN THE BOOTH WOULD BE
CALLING,
GOING,
"WHERE'S THAT RED SUIT?
SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE
IN THAT RED SUIT."
WELL, THE RED SUIT DIDN'T FIT
OVER HER LEFT THIGH,
SO WE HAD TO MOVE ON
TO THE BLUE SUIT, YOU KNOW.
Narrator: WHO WAS THE BEST EMCEE
OF THE PIONEERING ERA?
BOB BARKER HAS THE MOST AWARDS
AND GREATEST LONGEVITY.
BUT FOR SHEER VERSATILITY,
ONE OTHER NAME APPEARS
ON EVERY INSIDER'S LIST.
BUT THERE WAS ONE GUY
WHO WAS GOOD
AT EVAND YOU KNOW WHY? DID.
BECAUSE HE WAS VERY NATURAL,
HE WAS VERY POLITE,
HE LOVED HIS CONTESTANTS
AND THE OTHER PEOPLE,
AND HIS NAME WAS BILL CULLEN.
Bill Cullen:
ACTUAL RETAIL VALUE
$332.94.
MR. McTAGUE,
IT IS YOURS!
YOU'VE JUST SEEN THE MOST TORRID
LOVE SCENE ON TELEVISION.
AND WE'RE GOING TO LOSE
THAT TELEVISION LICENSE, TOO.
BILL CULLEN WAS SO GOOD
THAT IT'S HARD
TO DESCRIBE.
HE WAS VERY SELF-DEPRECATING.
BILL ALSO WAS
VERY, VERY BRIGHT
AND LAUGHED EASILY.
AND ISN'T IT PLEASANT
TO BE AROUND PEOPLE
WHO LAUGH EASILY?
THIS ALSO HAS
A PRESCRIPTION TABLETOP.
YOU KNEW IT WAS BILL CULLEN.
THIS WASN'T A PASTEBOARD CUTOUT.
BILL WAS THE BEST.
HE HAD A GREAT SENSE
OF HUMOR.
HE HAD STYLE.
HE HAD PANACHE,
HE HAD EVERYTHING.
THIS IS BILL CULLEN, SAYING,
THANKS FOR WATCHING,
AND KEEP YOUR MINDS WORKING
QUICK AS A FLASH.
AND THANKS, PANEL,
FOR BEING WITH US.
GOOD NIGHT!
COME ON DOWN!
Narrator: GAME SHOWS CAN EARN
A LOT OF MONEY
AND MAKE THEIR PARTICIPANTS
FAMOUS.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHY
MOST GAME SHOW PIONEERS
GOT INVOLVED
IN THE FORM.
INSTEAD, AT THE MOST
BASIC LEVEL,
THEY LIKE PLAYING GAMES...
THE CHALLENGE, THE COMPETITION,
THE FUN.
OUR NEXT CONTESTANT
IS NONE OTHER THAN
DAVID JENSEN!
I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT GAMES
HAD BEEN AROUND FOREVER.
AND I HAVE LOVED THEM FOREVER.
AND I FELL IN LOVE
WITH THE GAME.
I LOVE THE GAME
OF "PASSWORD."
LET'S FACE IT,
PEOPLE LOVE TO PLAY GAMES.
PEOPLE LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE WIN.
I LOVE THE PEOPLE.
AND SO I DON'T CARE
IF THEY JUMP ON ME,
AND I DON'T CARE IF THEY YELL
AND THEY FAINT.
YOU'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING
LIKE CURING CANCER OR ANYTHING.
YOU'RE JUST HAVING FUN
AND MAKING,
GIVING PEOPLE 30 MINUTES
OF ENTERTAINMENT.
GAME SHOWS GIVE THE PUBLIC
A CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW YOU
AS YOU, AS A PERSON.
BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT
PLAYING A ROLE.
OR NOT SINGING A SONG.
YOU'RE SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF,
IN YOUR OWN VOICE,
SO THEY, THEY FEEL
THAT THEY KNOW YOU
A LOT BETTER THAN IF YOU'RE
IN A MOVIE
OR IN A TELEVISION SHOW.
NOW, EDDIE, I THINK
I'M A PRETTY GOOD
JUDGE OF CHARACTER,
SO WHAT KIND
OF ILLEGITIMATE BUSINESS
ARE YOU IN?
THE AUDIENCE LAUGHED,
AND IT STARTLED ME.
I THOUGHT, "OH,
THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL SOUND!
I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN GET
THEM TO DO THAT AGAIN!"
AND I'VE BEEN DOING IT
FOR 50 YEARS.
WE'RE GOING
TO STOP THIS FILM COLD.
IS THAT RIGHT?
Narrator:
FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS,
WE'VE BEEN
WATCHING GAME SHOWS.
PLAYING ALONG,
JOINING THE PARTY.
KEEP YOUR MINDS WORKING
QUICK AS A FLASH.
GOOD NIGHT, EVERYBODY,
AND THANKS, PANEL,
FOR BEING WITH US.
GOOD NIGHT.
Narrator: THANKS
TO THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"
AND OTHER PBS PROGRAMS,
WHAT DO YOU
MAKE OF THIS, HUH?
YES, SIR.
IT'S PRETTY GOOD.
OPEN IT.
Announcer:
BOB BARKER!
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
BOB BARKER!
BOY, I HIT THE BULL'S EYE
RIGHT IN THE FACE.
Host: SAY, ARE MOST
STOLEN CARS RECOVERED?
I HAD ONE RECOVERED
IN ZEBRA ONCE.
OKAY, TOMORROW WE MAKE
ANOTHER PHONE CALL,
SO BE SURE AND GET
YOUR CARDS IN.
OPEN IT.
Announcer:
BOB BARKER!
YOU GOT IT!
YOU GOT IT!
YOU GOT IT!
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
THEY INVITED ALL OF US
TO JOIN THEIR GAMES.
YOU MAKE DEALS
EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIVES.
OPEN IT.
Announcer:
BOB BARKER!
WE PLAY GAMES
AT PARTIES.
WE GO TO CLUBS
AND PLAY GAMES.
AMERICANS LOVE GAMES.
THIS IS A SHOW
ABOUT GUESSING
HOW MUCH SOMETHING COSTS.
THAT'S A GAME SHOW?
SAID, "IT'LL NEVER GO!"
BUT YOU LOVE
YOUR HUSBAND, HUH?
YEAH, I LOVE EVERY MAN.
I'M CRAZY ABOUT MEN.
HONEY, I THINK YOU'RE ABOUT
THE PRETTIEST MAN I EVER SEEN.
I NEVER DID LOOK YOU
RIGHT SQUARE IN THE EYE BEFORE.
I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!
I DON'T CARE
IF THEY DO LAUGH.
YOU'RE GOING TO WIN
A LOT OF MONEY
HERE TONIGHT.
THEY WERE ALL LAUGHING
AND SCREAMING.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT THE GAME WAS.
AND BY THE END OF THIS THING,
THEY ALL SAID,
"YOU GOT THE JOB."
AND I WENT, "WHOA."
Narrator: THEY LET US
PARTICIPATE, PLAY ALONG,
EVERY DAY.
BERYL SAN?
UH, BERYL...
BERYL...
OH, NO!
Host: YOUR TIME IS UP,
TIME IS UP.
PLAYING GAMES FOR A LIVING,
IT SOUNDS SO RIDICULOUS.
THEN I FELL IN LOVE
WITH THE GAME.
I LOVE THE GAME OF "PASSWORD."
Barker: JUST LET'S SEE
WHAT WE GOT
COMING UP FOR BIDS
RIGHT NOW
ON "THE PRICE IS RIGHT."
Narrator: THEY OFFERED
THE EXCITEMENT
OF INSTANT RICHES.
Host: WHAT'S BEHIND
DOOR NUMBER 3?
YOU GOT IT!
YOU GOT IT!
WIN OR LOSE, THEY HAD
THE TIME OF THEIR LIFE.
Narrator:
THEY PUSHED BOUNDARIES...
WITH A SMILE.
Host: HOW, HOW DID HE
SPEND HIS TIME
IN THE GEISHA HOUSE?
OH, NEGOTIATING
FOR PEACE.
WE KNOW ALL ABOUT
THESE SWASHBUCKLING HEROES.
BET YOUR LIFE.
WHAT SWASHES
ON THE SCREEN
SOMETIMES BUCKLES
WE WERE THE EDGY SHOW.
THAT NOBODY HAD TALKED ABOUT
AT THAT TIME.
Narrator: THEY GAVE US
AN ESCAPE...
A FEW MOMENTS
OF FUN.
Host: STEADY
AS YOU GO, NOW.
SAVED BY THE BELL!
WONDERFUL!
WE GOT TOGETHER
ONCE A WEEK TO DO FIVE SHOWS,
MAKE A FEW BUCKS,
AND HAVE A LOT OF LAUGHS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
IT'S THE BEST JOB
IN SHOW BIZ,
BECAUSE YOU DON'T
HAVE TO MEMORIZE ANYTHING,
AND YOU GET TO SIT DOWN.
Host: MRS. PETERSON,
WE HAVE A JOB
FOR THE TWO OF YOU
ON THE $100...
GOING TO STOP
THIS FILM COLD.
Narrator: PIONEERING
A SUCCESSFUL GAME SHOW
OVER THE DECADES,
JUST A HANDFUL OF VISIONARIES
HAVE MASTERED
THE FORM,
SHAPING THE GAMES
WE LOVE TO PLAY OVER AND OVER.
THEY ARE THE PIONEERS
OF TELEVISION.
THE 1930s WERE ESPECIALLY HOT.
SUMMER VACATIONS
FOR ONE CALIFORNIA FAMILY
MEANT LONG, MONOTONOUS DRIVES
IN A SWELTERING CAR.
TO RELIEVE THE BOREDOM,
THE TWO YOUNGSTERS
WOULD PLAY
A GAME CALLED "HANGMAN"
OVER AND OVER.
THE GIRL'S NAME
WAS BARBARA.
HER BROTHER WAS MERV...
MERV GRIFFIN.
LATER, THE MEMORY
OF THESE TRIPS
WOULD SPARK MERV'S IMAGINATION.
AND I THOUGHT, "I WONDER
IF THAT'S A GAME SHOW."
Host: OVER $49,000
JUST WAITING TO BE WON
TODAY ON "WHEEL OF FORTUNE"!
Narrator: GRIFFIN'S IDEA WOULD
BECOME "WHEEL OF FORTUNE,"
THE BIGGEST FRANCHISE
IN GAME SHOW HISTORY,
THE SHOW THAT WOULD EARN MERV
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
AND CEMENT HIS POSITION
AS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
GAME SHOW CREATOR IN HISTORY.
BUT THE STORY
OF THE GAME SHOW PIONEERS
BEGINS LONG BEFORE
"WHEEL OF FORTUNE."
IN FACT, IT BEGINS
EVEN BEFORE TELEVISION ITSELF.
WHEN RADIO EXPLODED
IN THE 1920s,
BROADCASTERS SOON DISCOVERED
THEY COULD PLAY GAMES
ON THE AIR,
AND PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN.
Host: WONDER IF THIS LADY
COULD TELL ME,
FOR SEVEN SILVER DOLLARS,
OF ALL THE TERRITORIES
AND STATES
OF THE UNITED STATES,
NO COACHING, PLEASE.
THE LARGEST OF OUR TERRITORIES
OR STATES.
Woman: TEXAS.
WHAT'S THAT?
TEXAS.
Host: I'M SORRY,
IT WOULD BE ALASKA.
INCLUDING THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS,
MORE THAN TWICE THE SIZE
OF TEXAS.
AND TWO TICKETS TO NEXT WEEK'S
PRODUCTION TO THE LADY.
Narrator:
THE EARLIEST PROGRAMS
FOCUSED PURELY
ON THE CONTEST.
THE PEOPLE WERE NEARLY
IRRELEVANT.
THE PLAYER COULD SAY,
"JEEZ, I'M SORRY
"I COULDN'T COME LAST WEEK,
BUT MY MOTHER DIED,
AND I HAD TO GO TO THE FUNERAL,"
AND THE GAME SHOW HOST
WOULD SAY,
"WELL, IT'S REALLY GREAT
TO HAVE YOU WITH US."
I MEAN, IT WOULD JUST
GO COMPLETELY OVER THEM,
WITH NO SYMPATHY... IT WAS LIKE,
"LET'S GET ON WITH THE GAME."
Narrator: BY FAR THE BIGGEST
SUCCESS ON RADIO
WAS A SHOW CALLED
"STOP THE MUSIC,"
CREATED BY THE MOST PROLIFIC
GAME SHOW PRODUCER IN HISTORY,
MARK GOODSON.
"STOP THE MUSIC'S" INNOVATION
WAS MONEY...
EACH WEEK, THE HOST
WOULD MAKE A PHONE CALL
TO A RANDOM NUMBER
SOMEWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
IF THE PERSON WHO PICKED UP
COULD NAME THE SONG,
THE PRIZE MIGHT REACH
$30,000...
AN UNHEARD-OF JACKPOT
FOR THE ERA.
Host: MRS. DALEY,
THIS IS BERT PARKS
CALLING FOR BUICK
ON "STOP THE MUSIC."
CAN YOU TELL ME
THE NAME OF THE SELECTION
THE ORCHESTRA
WAS JUST PLAYING?
Man: I REMEMBER, AS A YOUNGSTER,
17, 18 YEARS OLD,
AS A SODA JERK
AT BAKER'S DRUG STORE,
IN JACKSON, TENNESSEE,
GATHERING AROUND THE RADIO
AAT 8:00 ON SUNDAY NIGHT, ,
TO LISTEN TO "STOP THE MUSIC."
WOW, WHAT A GREAT SHOW
THAT WAS.
Narrator: IN TRUTH,
MANY PEOPLE
FOUND THE SHOW ANNOYING,
BUT STILL LISTENED, ANYWAY,
BECAUSE THEY HOPED
TO WIN THE PRIZES.
IN EFFECT, MARK GOODSON
HAD CREATED
THE FIRST NATIONAL LOTTERY.
AND AMERICA COULDN'T RESIST.
THE ONE WORD
THAT I WOULD CHOOSE
TO DESCRIBE MARK
IS "BRILLIANT."
BRILLIANT.
HE WAS BRILLIANT,
AND HE WAS A PERFECTIONIST.
Narrator: SOON, MARK GOODSON
WOULD FACE
A WORTHY CHALLENGER...
AN INNOVATOR
WHO TOOK RADIO GAME SHOWS
IN A BRALPH EDWARDS.ION...
HIS CREATION WAS
"TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES."
AT THE AGE OF 26,
HE SOLD "TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES"
AS A PRIME-TIME SHOW
ON RADIO,
AND HE PUT TOGETHER
THE STAFF,
HE PRODUCED IT,
HE HOSTED IT,
AND IT BECAME...
I BELIEVE IT WAS 1941...
IT WAS THE MOST POPULAR
RADIO SHOW IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND HE GOT IT ALL STARTED
AT 26.
Host: THAT'S JUST ABOUT
GOING TO BE
WHAT YOUR CONSEQUENCE IS...
NOW, DOCTOR, HERE ARE
THE THREE MEN
WHO WILL PRETEND
THEY ARE BABIES
THAT YOU'VE JUST DELIVERED.
NOW, WE'VE SEEN IN MOVIES
HOW A DOCTOR
ALWAYS SORT OF
SLAP THEIR BABIES
TO GET THEM STARTED.
UPSIDE-DOWN
AGAINST THIS BACKBOARD HERE,
JUST GET OVER THERE.
AND SO THE DOCTOR
CAN SLAP YOU,
JUST AS IF...
JUST AS IF
YOU WERE GETTING BORN.
Narrator:
"TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES"
DID HAVE A QUIZ,
BUT EDWARDS' REAL AIM
WAS TO PUT ORDINARY CONTESTANTS
INTO FUNNY SITUATIONS.
THE GAME WAS MERELY
A FRAMEWORK.
THE GOAL WAS FUN.
IT WAS A NEW APPROACH
TO GAME SHOWS.
AND IT WOULD TRANSLATE WELL
AS THE GENRE ADAPTED
TO THE NEXT BIG THING...
TELEVISION.
WHEN THE BELL SOUNDS,
THAT PERSON THEN BECOMES
OUR LUCKY MOTHER.
Narrator: EARLY TELEVISION
NEEDED PROGRAMMING.
AND GAME SHOWS WERE EASY
TO PRODUCE.
IT WAS A PERFECT MATCH.
Host: ALL SET?
♪ OKAY, MOTHER ♪
♪ IT'S YOUR TIME OF DAY ♪
♪ OKAY, MOTHER ♪
♪ TIME TO HAVE YOUR SAY ♪♪
Narrator: THE FIRST
TV GAME SHOWS PREMIERED
IN THE LATE 1940s.
THE PROGRAMS WERE PRIMITIVE.
BUT AUDIENCES
DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE.
THE LIGHTING WAS
SO INTENSE IN THOSE DAYS,
IT WAS, IT WAS JUST...
THEY'D TURN ON THE LIGHTS,
AND YOU BROKE OUT IN A SWEAT.
IT WAS TERRIBLE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT A TIME
WHEN THE FACT
THAT THE SCREEN LIT UP
WAS IN ITSELF A NOVELTY.
SO THAT THE AUDIENCE OUT THERE
WAS SO THRILLED TO HAVE PICTURES
IN THEIR LIVING ROOM!
AND THE MAKEUP...
TONS OF IT.
BLACK LIPSTICK,
DEEP... ALMOST PINK...
PANCAKE MAKEUP.
IT WAS WILD.
Narrator:
IN 1950, RALPH EDWARDS
BROUGHT HIS FRANCHISE
TO TV.
A FEW YEARS LATER,
EDWARDS HANDED OVER
THE EMCEE JOB
TO A YOUNG UNKNOWN
NAMED BOB BARKER.
HE WOULD STAY ON
FOR 19 YEARS.
Announcer:
HELLO THERE!
WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.
IT'S TIME TO PLAY
"TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES."
AND NOW, HERE HE IS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE STAR OF OUR SHOW,
BOB BARKER!
Barker: HE SAID,
"BOB, YOU ARE NOW
THE STAR OF
'TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES.'"
HE SAID, "I DON'T WANT YOU
TO IMITATE ME.
"I DON'T WANT YOU
TO IMITATE ANYBODY.
I WANT YOU TO GO OUT THERE
AND BE BOB BARKER."
AND WHAT BETTER...
WHAT BETTER BREAK
COULD A YOUNG MAN HAVE?
YOU CAN DO IT.
GO AHEAD,
STEP ON THE...
YOUR ARM'S IN THE WAY.
WELL...
PUT YOUR RIGHT FOOT
MYUP THERE.
ISN'T THAT RIGHT?
ALL RIGHT, GO.
PUT YOUR HAND
ON MY SHOULDER, GO AHEAD.
NOW, GET UP THERE FAST,
BEFORE IT FALLS.
OKAY, THERE.
OKAY, I GOT IT.
ALL RIGHT, GO.
I'M GOING TO GO.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THIS IS NOT
MR. BELDEN, THIS IS NOT
DON THOMPSON.
FOR THE INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN
VALENTI BROTHERS.
HERE THEY ARE.
Narrator: THE FIRST FEW YEARS
OF "TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES"
WERE PRODUCED LIVE
AT 8:00 A.M.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
WAS GETTING
A LOS ANGELES AUDIENCE
TO SHOW UP SO EARLY.
THEY HAD UP HERE
ON THE MARQUEE,
THEY HAD,
"FREE DONUTS AND BOB BARKER."
AND AFTER I'D DONE THE SHOW
A FOUR-WEEK OUT CLAUSE
IN MY CONTRACT...
SO THEY KEPT ME.
AND WHEN THEY DID,
I SAID,
"I WANT IT,
'BOB BARKER AND FREE DONUTS.'"
I GOT BILLING OVER THE DONUTS.
I HAD IT MADE!
Narrator:
BY THE EARLY 1950s,
RALPH EDWARDS
HAD TWO HIT SHOWS...
"TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES"
AND ITS SPIN-OFF,
"THIS IS YOUR LIFE."
Announcer:
"THIS IS YOUR LIFE,"
AMERICA'S MOST
TALKED-ABOUT PROGRAM!
NOW HERE HE IS,
MR. "THIS IS YOUR LIFE"
HIMSELF,
RALPH EDWARDS!
DON'T GO AWAY TONIGHT.
I WARN YOU,
DON'T LEAVE THE SET.
THIS IS
GOING TO BE TERRIFIC.
HELLO, EVERYBODY,
THANKS FOR JOINING US AGAIN
ON "THIS IS YOUR LIFE."
Narrator: COMPETITOR
MARK GOODSON
HIS COMPANY WAS BUSY PERFECTING
THE FIRST MAJOR
GAME SHOW INNOVATION
UNIQUE TO TELEVISION...
Host:
ALL RIGHT, MR. OLSON,
COME ON OVER HERE
AND SIT DOWN.
I KNOW IT'S HARD
TO TEAR YOURSELF AWAY
YOUNG LADIES ON IT
AND JUST STEVE ALLEN,
BUT COME OVER HERE
AND JOIN ME,
WE'LL LET THEM
GET GOING.
WE'LL LET OUR VIEWERS
HAVE A FURTHER LOOK
AT MR. OLSON...
AT THE SAME TIME,
WE WILL TELL THEM
WHAT HIS LINE IS.
THE GENERAL QUESTIONING
WITH STEVE ALLEN.
WOULD ANY OF THE MEMBERS
HERE ON THE PANEL TONIGHT...
YES.
I DIDN'T EVEN
HEAR THE QUESTION.
Narrator:
IN "WHAT'S MY LINE?"
GOODSON'S PRODUCER,
BOB STEWART,
CREATED A PANEL
OF FOUR CELEBRITIES
WHO WOULD TRY TO GUESS
A CONTESTANT'S OCCUPATION.
WITH THIS MASTER STROKE,
GAME SHOWS HAD FUSED
WITH TALK SHOWS...
A WINNING FORMULA
THAT WOULD BE REPEATED
MANY TIMES OVER.
NOW, MISS CLEVELAND,
IF YOU'LL WHISPER TO ME,
WE'LL SHOW THE AUDIENCE
WHAT YOU DO
THAT KEEPS YOU
S
THE CLUE
TO MISS CLEVELAND'S SECRET
CONCERNS
SOMETHING SHE DOES.
AND WE'LL START THE GAME
WITH BETTY.
Narrator: IF A PANEL
OF CELEBRITIES WORKED,
WHY NOT INSTALL
A BIG MOVIE STAR
AS A GAME SHOW HOST?
IT'S A FORMULA
THAT WORKED...
JUST ONCE.
Announcer:
"YOU BET YOUR LIFE"!
HERE HE IS,
THE ONE, THE ONLY...
Audience:
GROUCHO!
Narrator: MOVIE COMEDIAN
GROUCHO MARX
APPLIED HIS AD-LIBBING SKILLS
TO TELEVISION
TO CREATE ONE OF THE BIGGEST
GAME SHOW HITS
OF THE ERA.
PESOS, NOT BESOS.
WELL, WHEN DO YOU...
WHAT DID I SAY?
YOU SAID... WELL, BESOS
MEAN "KISSES."
BUT PESOS MEAN,
YOU KNOW, LIKE DOLLARS.
OH, WELL, IF YOU HAVE
ENOUGH PESOS,
YOU CAN GET
ENOUGH BESOS.
ON THAT, HE USED
HIS FULL RANGE
OF GIFTS
AND CONVERSATIONAL ABILITIES,
AND IMPROVISATION,
AD-LIB,
SPONTANEOUS, WHATEVER
YOU WANT TO CALL IT,
OF WHICH HE IS, WAS
OF THE HIGHEST ORDER
OF ANYONE WE HAVE EVER KNOWN.
Narrator: ONE OF GROUCHO'S
MANY CONTESTANTS
YOUNG COMIC MAKING HER FIRST
NETWORK APPEARANCE...
YES, I'VE, UH, Marx:
WORN A WEDDING RINGOU MARRIED?
FOR 18 YEARS.
REALLY?
TWO MORE PAYMENTS,
AND IT'LL BE ALL YOURS.
I WAS NOT ONLY NERVOUS,
I WAS PETRIFIED!
MR. MARX WAS TALKING
ABOUT HIS PSYCHIATRIST,
AND I DECIDED I'D SURELY
BETTER BE WELL ADJUSTED
BEFORE I WENT INTO SUCH
A SHAKY BUSINESS,
AND... SO I DECIDED
I SHOULD BE ANALYZED,
AND I WENT TO THIS ANALYST.
HE'S HELPED ME A GREAT DEAL.
IN FACT,
I AM SO MUCH BETTER NOW
THAT I GET TO SIT UP.
MY DELIVERY WAS
SO SLOW.
I HAD... I LOOKED AWFUL.
I KNEW NOTHING
ABOUT MAKEUP.
I HAD DRAWN EYEBROWS ON
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT
ON HALLOWEEN.
Narrator: WHILE IT'S TRUE
THAT GROUCHO
QUIZZED HIS CONTESTANTS
AND GAVE AWAY SMALL PRIZES,
THE REAL ATTRACTION
OF THE SHOW
WAS THE HUMOR
THAT HE WOULD EXTRACT
FROM THE SITUATION.
WELL, YOU KNOW,
THE GIRLS
USUALLY CONSIDER IT
A COMPLIMENT
WHEN THE BOYS
WHISTLE AT THEM.
I DON'T SEE HOW THE BOYS
COULD WHISTLE AT YOU.
I SHOULD THINK IT WOULD BE
IMPOSSIBLE TO WHISTLE
WHEN THEY ALL HAVE
THEIR TONGUES HANGING OUT.
Narrator: THE NEXT BIG WAVE
IN TELEVISION GAMES
WOULD STRAY
FROM GROUCHO'S APPROACH...
FAR AWAY.
THE RESULT
WAS DEVASTATING
TO THE GAME SHOW INDUSTRY
AND THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU'RE READY, LET'S GET
INTO THE ISOLATION BOOTHS.
Narrator:
BY THE LATE 1950s,
GAME SHOWS WERE
THE HIGHEST-RATED
PROGRAMS ON TELEVISION.
SERIES LIKE
"THE $64,000 CHALLENGE,"
"TWENTY-ONE," AND "DOTTO"
ATTRACTED UNPRECEDENTED
AUDIENCES.
MAY I QUESTION YOU
ONCE AGAIN?
TONIGHT IT'LL BE
THE BIGGEST GAME
WE EVER PLAYED
HERE ON THE PROGRAM.
Narrator:
PRODUCERS HAD LEARNED
TO RATCHET UP THE DRAMA
OF THE GAMES
WITH LARGE CASH PRIZES,
SOUNDPROOF BOOTHS,
THE TECHNIQUE WAS SO REFINED,
ANTHEY EVEN KNEW EXACTLYS.
WHEN TO TURN UP THE HEAT
IN THE STUDIO
TO ENSURE A CONTESTANT
WOULD DAB HIS BROW DRAMATICALLY.
Host:
THEN YOU WIN $20,000!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Narrator:
BUT THEN SOME PRODUCERS
ADDED ONE MORE
DRAMATIC ELEMENT...
A PREDETERMINED OUTCOME.
THEY RIGGED THE GAMES
TO FAVOR APPEALING CONTESTANTS.
THE STRATEGY WAS SUCCESSFUL
FOR A WHILE.
AND RATINGS INCREASED.
THEN THEY GOT CAUGHT.
THE FIRST GAME TO BE EXPOSED
WAS "DOTTO."
EMCEE JACK NARZ
HAD NO IDEA
THE SHOW WAS BEING RIGGED...
UNTIL HE RECEIVED
A LATE-NIGHT PHONE CALL
FROM HIS BOSS.
HE SAID, "COME OVER
TO MY HOUSE,
WOULD YOU COME TO MY HOUSE
FOR DINNER TONIGHT?"
I WENT OVER, AND HE GAVE ME
A MARTINI.
AND THEN HE SAID,
"HOW ABOUT A SECOND MARTINI?"
HE SAID,
"DON'T GO TO WORK MONDAY."
HE SAID, "THE SHOW
HAS BEEN CANCELLED."
IT CAME AS A BOLT
OUT OF THE BLUE FOR ME.
BOOM, HIT ME
RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES.
I WENT FROM CLOUD NINE
TO...
THE NETHER REGIONS,
IN ONE DAY.
THAT WAS TOUGH.
HE WAS STUNNED BY IT,
AND I WAS, TOO.
WHEN HE TOLD ME,
I SAID, "YOU'RE KIDDING!"
EVERYBODY'S FIRST REACTION...
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IT'S OFF?
"YOU'RE KIDDING!
SOMEBODY GAVE AN ANSWER
TO SOMEBODY?
OH, COME ON!"
AND HE'D SAY, "YEAH."
Narrator: SOON, "TWENTY-ONE"
RIGHT AFTER THE SHOW,
IT INSTALLED A NEW HOST...
MONTY HALL.
NOW, WHEN I WAS DOING THE SHOW,
I WOULD BE TAKEN
INTO AN OFFICE,
THEY'D TAKE... OPEN UP A SAFE
AND SHOW ME THE QUESTIONS,
SO I'D FAMILIARIZE MYSELF
WITH THE QUESTIONS,
PUT IT BACK IN THE SAFE,
AND NEXT THING I KNEW,
I WAS ON THE...
IN FRONT OF A CAMERA,
DOING THE SHOW
WITH CONTESTANTS.
I HAD NO IDEA
THAT THE CONTESTANTS
ALSO SAW THE QUESTIONS.
Narrator:
BUT THEY DID.
CONTESTANT CHARLES VAN DOREN
HAD BECOME
A NATIONAL HERO.
WITHIN DAYS,
HE WAS A DISGRACE.
MILLIONS WERE OUTRAGED.
GRAND JURIES
WERE ASSEMBLED.
PERJURY CHARGES
WERE FILED.
AND THE GAME SHOWS
THAT REMAINED ON
Stewart: ONE OF THE PAGES
CAME OVER TO ME
AND SAID, "SOMEBODY JUST CALLED
BACKSTAGE AND SAID
THAT THEY HAD PLANTED
A BOMB IN THE AUDIENCE."
WELL, THIS KIND OF THING
WAS SORT OF TAKING PLACE,
AND THE PEOPLE WERE VERY ANGRY
AT TELEVISION SHOWS
FOR ALL OF THAT SCANDAL.
AND... WE HAD FIVE MINUTES
TO GO ON THE AIR.
"TELL THE AUDIENCE
THAT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,
"WE HAVE A PRIZE
FOR SOMEBODY THERE.
"AT THE COUNT OF THREE,
STAND UP, PICK UP YOUR SEAT,
"AND THE PERSON WHO SEES
A PACKAGE THERE,
RAISE YOUR HAND,
WE'LL COME AND GET IT."
AND WE WERE ABLE TO EXAMINE
THE WHOLE THEATER
IN ONE MINUTE.
THOSE WERE... THOSE WERE
DANGEROUS DAYS.
I MEAN, THERE WAS
A LOT OF ILL WILL GOING ON.
Narrator:
CONGRESS SOON PASSED LAWS
TO PREVENT FURTHER RIGGING.
AND THE NETWORKS WERE DETERMINED
TO POLICE THE GAME SHOW INDUSTRY
CLOSELY...
A PRACTICE THAT WENT ON
FOR MANY YEARS.
ALL THE NETWORKS HAD
A NEW DEPARTMENT
CALLED "STANDARDS
AND PRACTICES," S & P.
AND IT WAS LIKE
AN FBI.
IT WAS AN IN-HOUSE FBI.
BECAUSE AT FIRST, THEY WERE
SO OVERLY PROTECTIVE,
YOU WOULD SEE LITTLE FACES
PEERING OUT FROM BEHIND THE SET,
AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO SEE
IF ANYBODY IS READING A SCRIPT
OR LOOKING ASKANCE AT ANYTHING.
YOUR CONTESTANTS HAD TO BE
CLOSETED IN A DIFFERENT
AND THERE'S SOMEBODY
STANDING THERE,
WATCHING THAT YOU DIDN'T
HAVE CONTACT WITH THEM,
BRUSHED BY THEM IN THE HALLWAY,
STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO WE HAD A SETUP
IN "CONCENTRATION,"
WHERE WE HIRED A GUY
FROM SCOTLAND YARD
WHO WAS BACKSTAGE
TO MAKE SURE
THAT NOBODY... SEE,
THE STAGEHANDS
WOULD KNOW THE ANSWER
TO THE PUZZLE.
AND AS SOON AS THEY...
SO THEY HAD TO MAKE SURE
THAT THAT DIDN'T SOMEHOW
GET TO A CONTESTANT
NBC, ON ITS OWN,
HIRED SOMEBODY TO DO THAT.
AND THEN THE GUARDS CLASHED.
EACH DIDN'T KNOW
THE OTHER WAS HIRED,
AND THEY'RE... AND EACH
THOUGHT THE OTHER
THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE
EVERYTHING WAS ON THE UP AND UP,
WANTED TO MAKE SURE
NO ONE WAS GIVING ANYONE
ANY SIGNALS, YOU KNOW.
AND I WOULD LOOK OVER
AT A CELEBRITY, FOR INSTANCE,
ON "YOU DON'T SAY,"
I CAN REMEMBER,
AND JUST BEYOND THAT,
WITHIN EYE SHOT,
THERE WOULD BE
A LITTLE HEAD PEERING
AROUND THE EDGE OF THE THING.
WE DIDN'T SCORE A POINT,
BUT WE HAD
LOTS OF FUN THAT TIME.
SO, DOROTHY DANDRIDGE
AND PETER LAWFORD,
NEXT NAME.
Announcer:
HE DIDN'T KNOW
A FEATHER IN HIS HAT
FROM MACARONI.
YANKEE DOODLE.
ALL RIGHT,
DOROTHY FIRST,
WHAT IS YOURS?
Narrator: THE QUIZ SHOW SCANDAL
DIDN'T TAINT MARK GOODSON.
HIS PANEL SHOWS
LIKE "WHAT'S MY LINE?"
DIDN'T LEND THEMSELVES
TO CHEATING, ANYWAY.
SO IT WAS NO SURPRISE
THAT HIS COMPANY
DEVELOPED THE FIRST
BIG GAME SHOW HIT
OF THE P "PASSWORD." ERA...
Announcer: THE PASSWORD
IS "BACKFIRE."
Narrator:
MARK GOODSON DIDN'T
CREATE "PASSWORD" PERSONALLY.
INSTEAD, THAT CREDIT
GOES TO HIS PRODUCER,
PERHAPS THE MOST INVENTIVE MIND
IN THE GENRE,
BOB STEWART.
IN MY OPINION, YOU HAVE
A GREAT GAME SHOW
IF THE PERSON AT HOME
IS TALKING TO THE SCREEN ALOUD.
WHEN THEY... WHEN THEY YELL
AT THE SCREEN,
"SAY SO-AND-SO!"
OR "DO SO-AND-SO!"
YOU GOT 'EM HOOKED.
THANK YOU!
HELLO THERE!
Narrator:
YEARS EARLIER,
BOB STEWART HAD CREATED
THE FIRST ITERATION
OF "THE PRICE IS RIGHT,"
AND LATER, "TO TELL THE TRUTH."
"PASSWORD" INTRODUCED
ANOTHER
BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION...
TEAMING ORDINARY CONTESTANTS
WITH CELEBRITIES.
WE SAW CELEBRITIES
STRUGGLING LIKE CONTESTANTS.
BECAUSE THEY PLAYED
EXACTLY THE SAME GAME
THE CONTESTANTS DID.
WASN'T A PANEL OF SHOW-OFFS.
THESE WERE PEOPLE STRUGGLING...
TO GET THE RIGHT WORD
AT THE RIGHT TIME,
AND WIN THE GAME.
AND A NEW DIMENSION
WAS ADDED
TO THEIR PERSONALITY
AS THEY STRUGGLED,
AND THEY STRIPPED THEMSELVES
OF THE KIND OF COVER
THAT AN ACTOR USES.
AND THAT TURNED OUT TO BE
ONE OF THE UNQUESTIONABLY
KEY ASSETS OF THAT IDEA.
AND A KEY ELEMENT
"PAOF THE SHOW'S SUCCESST.
WAS HOST ALLEN LUDDEN.
IF A CONTESTANT GAVE
A DUMB CLUE
HE WOULD, HE WOULD ALWAYS TRY
TO BE VERY NICE ABOUT IT,
BUT HE'D LOOK
AT THE CAMERA WITH THIS LOOK,
LIKE... YOU KNEW
WHAT HE WAS THINKING ABOUT,
"DUMMY, WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?"
AND I THINK THE AUDIENCE
LOVED THAT.
THEY LOVED THAT,
AND THEY ALWAYS LOVED
COPYING HIS, WHENEVER HE GAVE
THE CLUE,
HE WOULD ALWAYS,
HIS HANDS WERE...
ALLEN'S HANDS WERE
SO EXPRESSIVE,
AND IT WAS ALWAYS THIS.
PEOPLE... WE'D BE DRIVING
DOWN THE STREET,
AND SOMEBODY WOULD RECOGNIZE
HIM, AND THEY'D SAY...
Narrator:
CERTAIN CELEBRITIES
HAD A NATURAL GIFT
FOR "PASSWORD"...
PEOPLE LIKE CAROL CHANNING,
JIM BACKUS,
WHO WOULD EVENTUALLY MARRY
AND HOST ALLEN LUDDEN.ITE,
BY THE END OF THE YEAR,
HE BEGAN...
HE WOULDN'T SAY, "HELLO,"
HE'D SAY,
"WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
WELL, I THOUGHT THAT WAS
SUCH A JOKE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
ONE NIGHT, WE WENT
TO DINNER.
AND HE GAVE ME
A JEWELRY BOX,
AND I OPENED IT,
AND THERE'S A WEDDING RING.
WITH DIAMONDS
ALL THE WAY AROUND.
HE SAYS,
"YOU MIGHT AS WELL WEAR IT.
YOU'RE GOING TO SAY YES
SOONER OR LATER."
WELL, AS ANY RED-BLOODED
AMERICAN GIRL WOULD DO,
I GOT MAD,
I GOT FURIOUS.
AND I GAVE IT BACK TO HIM,
AND I SAID, "FORGET IT!
"AND STOP PUSHING ME!
I'M NOT INTERESTED!"
THERE WAS NO WAY
I WAS GOING TO MOVE TO NEW YORK.
DID HE GIVE IT BACK
TO THE JEWELER?
NO, HE PUT IT
ON A CHAIN AROUND HIS NECK.
HE WORE THAT DAMN WEDDING RING
FOR... WE'D GO TO THE BEACH,
THERE'S THE WEDDING RING.
YOU'D SEE IT
AT ALL TIMES,
SO, IN MY IDIOCY,
I WASTED A WHOLE YEAR
WE COULD HAVE BEEN TOGETHER.
I MET THIS LADY
ON THIS GAME.
14 YEARS AGO.
I'VE LOVED
EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
I'VE WORKED
FOR THE BEST.
IT'LL BE A TOUGH GAME
TO REPLACE.
SOMEDAY MAYBE SOMEWHERE
THERE'S ANOTHER GAME SHOW
WORTHY OF THIS KIND
OF INTEREST AND LOVE,
BUT THIS IS THE BEST
GAME SHOW
YOU CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH,
AND I'M DARN GRATEFUL
I HAD 14 LOVELY YEARS
WITH IT.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING IT.
THANK YOU.
Host:
THAT WAS $7,000...
YOU'VE DONE IT!
Narrator:
AFTER "PASSWORD" HIT
IN 1961,
GAME SHOWS BEGAN
A RENAISSANCE.
Announcer: AND NOW,
HERE'S AMERICA'S TOP TRADER,
TV'S BIG DEALER,
MONTY HALL!
CREATED BY MONTY HALL
AND STEFAN HATOS,
"LET'S MAKE A DEAL"
DIDN'T HAVE ANY CELEBRITIES
OR QUIZ QUESTIONS.
IT DIDN'T EVEN HAVE
MUCH OF A SCRIPT.
IT MIGHT BE
BEHIND DOOR NUMBER ONE
OR DOOR NUMBER TWO
OR DOOR NUMBER THREE.
Narrator:
THE GAME RELIED
SOLELY ON MONTY HALL'S
ABILITY TO BUILD DRAMA
FROM INDECISION.
Hall: I WOULD LOOK
INTO HER EYES
AND SEE WHETHER
I HAD MORE DRAMA
IF I WENT
TO 500 OR 700 OR 800,
AND LET THE CAMERA PICK OUT
HER REACTION.
OR YOU CAN HAVE
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
THAT CAROL IS SHOWING US
RIGHT NOW.
OH!
AGH!
Hall: AND YOU'RE NOTICING
THE CONTESTANTS' REACTIONS,
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PLAY
OFF THEIR REACTIONS.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING
YOU DO.
YOU ARE LIKE
AN AMATEUR PSYCHOLOGIST,
BECAUSE YOU'RE WATCHING
THE EYELIDS FLUTTER,
AND YOU THINK YOU KNOW
WHEN HER BREAKING POINT IS.
AND YOU GO TO THAT POINT
AND NO FARTHER.
Narrator: NOT LONG AFTER
"LET'S MAKE A DEAL" STARTED,
CONTESTANTS REALIZED
THAT WEARING A COSTUME
MEANT THEY WERE MORE LIKELY
TO GET PICKED BY MONTY.
Hall: SO NBC CALLED US IN
AND SAID,
"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
ABOUT THIS?
"THERE'S 350 PEOPLE OUT THERE
ON YOUR SHOW
"WITH THESE CRAZY COSTUMES.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
ABOUT IT?"
AND WE SAID, "NOTHING.
"YOU KNOW, THIS IS TELEVISION,
"AND THAT'S VERY PICTORIAL.
YOU WANT ALL THE STUFF
YOU'VE SEEN SO FAR
AND THE MONEY
IN THE POCKETS?
WHEN MOST TV SHOWS PRESENTED
AN ALL-WHITE CAST,
GAME SHOWS LIKE "DEAL" TOOK
A VERY DIFFERENT APPROACH,
SHOWCASING
A CROSS-SECTION OF AMERICA,
REAL PEOPLE
FROM EVERY DEMOGRAPHIC.
WE FIGURED THAT
"LET'S MAKE A DEAL"
WAS A SHOW THAT WAS DONE
IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND THIS AUDIENCE COMPOSITION
HAD TO REPRESENT AMERICA.
"WHEN YOU GO OUTSIDE
TO PICK THE 30 OR 40 PEOPLE
SITTING IN THE FRONT SECTION,
GIVE US A CROSS-SECTION
OF AMERICA.
OF COURSE, IT PROVED
TO BE THE RIGHT DECISION.
Narrator: A YEAR AFTER
"LET'S MAKE A DEAL" DEBUTED,
ANOTHER JUGGERNAUT
WAS LAUNCHED,
A GAME THAT HELPED
MAKE ITS CREATOR
ONE OF THE RICHEST MEN
IN AMERICA.
THE SHOW WAS "JEOPARDY!"
AND THE MAN WHO INVENTED IT
WAS MERV GRIFFIN.
GRIFFIN WAS NO NEWCOMER
TO GAME SHOWS.
AS EARLY AS 1958,
HE'D HOSTED
MARK GOODSON'S
"PLAY YOUR HUNCH."
MY AGENT SAID, "YOU'RE GOING
FOR AN INTERVIEW
THEY HAVE SEEN YOU,
AND THEY ARE INTERESTED IN YOU
AS A GAME SHOW HOST.
I SAID, "BUT I DON'T KNOW
HOW TO DO THAT."
AND I CAME UP TO THIS HIGH FLOOR
IN NEW YORK CITY
AT GOODSON-TODMAN.
IT WAS 9:00 AT NIGHT.
THE ELEVATOR DOOR OPENED,
AND I WALKED OUT,
AND THERE WAS A RECEPTION ROOM,
AND I SAT DOWN
FOR A FEW MINUTES,
AND I WENT, "NO, NO, NO,
THIS IS NOT FOR ME."
AND THERE WAS NOBODY THERE,
AND I STARTED AND RANG
FOR THE ELEVATOR.
AND NOT EVEN MY AGENT WAS THERE.
AND I... SOMEBODY CAME OUT...
A DOOR OPENED,
AND A GIRL CAME OUT,
AND SHE SAID,
IN JUST ABOUT TWO MINUTES,
MR. GRIFFIN."
AND I SAID, "READY FOR WHAT?"
"TO PLAY THE GAME."
I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW THE GAME.
NO ONE HAS EXPLAINED TO ME
WHAT YOUR GAME IS."
SHE SAID, "OH, GO IN,
AND YOU'LL FIGURE IT OUT."
Announcer:
STARRING MERV GRIFFIN!
Griffin: SO I WALKED IN,
AND I STEPPED UP THERE
AND STARTED TO TALK, AND THEY
WERE ALL LAUGHING AND SCREAMING.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT THE GAME WAS.
AND BY THE END OF THIS THING,
THEY ALL SAID,
"YOU GOT THE JOB."
AND I WENT, "WHOA.
THAT WAS
THE STRANGEST INTERVIEW."
AND THEN I WENT TO WORK
ON "PLAY YOUR HUNCH,"
AND LOVED GAME SHOWS.
I THINK YOU'LL HAVE FUN.
HERE'S HOW WE SCORE.
EACH TIME YOU
PLAY YOUR HUNCH CORRECTLY,
YOU GET A POINT...
EACH POINT IS WORTH $100.
THREE POINTS WINS THE GAME
FOR A TOTAL OF $300,
AND, MORE IMPORTANT,
THE RIGHT TO STAY ON
AND MEET NEW COMPETITION.
SO GOOD LUCK TO BOTH TEAMS.
Narrator: GRIFFIN WANTED
TO APPLY ALL HE'D LEARNED
TO CREATE HIS OWN GAME SHOW.
BUT A WINNING CONCEPT
ELUDED HIM.
THE SPARK OF THE IDEA
THAT WOULD BECOME "JEOPARDY!"
FINALLY CAME
FROM GRIFFIN'S WIFE,
JULANN.
MY WIFE SAID TO ME...
I SAID, "I WANT TO DO
A QUIZ SHOW."
AND SHE SAID,
"WELL, DO ONE."
THEY WON'T ACCEPT THEM
AT THE NETWORK."
SHE SAID, "WELL, DO ONE
WHERE YOU GIVE THEM
THE ANSWERS."
AND I SAID, "WELL, THAT'S WHY
EVERYONE WENT TO JAIL.
ARE YOU CRAZY?"
AND SHE SAID, "NO...
AND I SAID,
"HOW MANY FEET IN A MILE?"
AND SHE SAID, "THAT'S GOOD."
AND THEN I THOUGHT,
"WHOA, THAT IS A SHOW!"
BUT THEN TRYING TO PUT IT
INTO A GAME SHOW FORMAT
IS THE MOST DIFFICULT
OF ALL.
Narrator: GRIFFIN SPENT
A FULL YEAR EXPERIMENTING,
PAPERING HIS MANHATTAN APARTMENT
WITH ANSWERS
SCRAWLED ON 3x5 CARDS.
AND MAKESHIFT BULLETIN BOARDS
WITH ROWS OF CATEGORIES.
A YEAR LATER, "JEOPARDY!"
WAS FINALLY READY
TO PITCH
TO THE PRESIDENT OF NBC.
I JUST CUT THE BACKS OFF
OF THE ENVELOPES
AND STUCK THE CARDS IN THERE
AND BROUGHT IN THE CONTESTANTS.
AND THE PRESIDENT SAT THERE,
AND THE TWO OF THEM,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
I RAN THE WHOLE SHOW,
AND THE PRESIDENT OF NBC
LOOKED ME, AND HE SAID,
"I AIN'T GOT ONE OF 'EM!"
AND I WENT,
"OOH... OH, WELL, UH,
IT'S A DIFFICULT SHOW,
YOU KNOW."
"BUT I DIDN'T GET ONE!"
AND I SAID, "WELL,
I CAN'T HELP THAT, SIR."
Narrator: THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
THE END OF "JEOPARDY!"
BUT A YOUNG NBC EXECUTIVE
NAMED GRANT TINKER
PERSUADED HIS BOSS
TO PICK UP THE SHOW.
"JEOPARDY!" PREMIERED
ON NBC IN 1964.
AND IT WAS AN IMMEDIATE HIT.
Host: TRY AGAIN,
PLEASE, KAREN.
Woman: SPORTS
FOR $10, PLEASE.
THE ANSWER IS,
"OF BASEBALL, L FOOTBALL,
AND HORSE RACING..."
THE ONE THAT DRAWS
THE LARGEST
LIVE ATTENDANCE IN
THE UNITED STATES... KAREN.
WHAT'S HORSE RACING?
Narrator: LIGHTING WOULD STRIKE
A SECOND TIME FOR MERV GRIFFIN
WHEN HE REMEMBERED
THE CHILDHOOD GAME OF HANGMAN
AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT MAKE
A GREAT GAME SHOW.
BUT IT NEEDED
A GIMMICK.
FOR THE SOLUTION,
GRIFFIN REACHED BACK
TO ANOTHER MEMORY
FROM HIS YOUTH...
THE BIG SPINNING-WHEEL GAME
AT THE ANNUAL CHURCH PICNIC.
GRIFFIN HAD HIS GIMMICK...
ALMOST.
THE FIRST COUPLE OF PILOTS
WE DID ON IT,
THE WHEEL WAS STANDING UPRIGHT
LIKE THIS,
AND IT LOOKED AWFUL.
Narrator:
LAYING THE WHEEL DOWN
MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
BUT MERV STILL HAD
ONE MORE ISSUE TO SOLVE.
WHEN THE ORIGINAL HOSTESS,
SUSAN STAFFORD,
LEFT TO PURSUE
HER Ph.D...
I NEEDED A GIRL
ON THE SHOW.
SO I SAID TO THE WOMAN
WHO PRODUCED IT,
"PLEASE FIND 12 PICTURES,
8x10 GLOSSIES,
"PUT THEM ON MY DESK,
AND I'LL WALK IN
AND SHE DID THAT,
AND POAND I WALKED ININK."
AND JUST WENT, "HER."
GET ME SOME TAPE
ON HER TALKING.
AND IT WAS VANNA,
AND THAT WAS IT.
Narrator: GRIFFIN HAD BROUGHT
TOGETHER THE PERFECT COMBINATION
OF ELEMENTS TO CREATE
WHAT WOULD BECOME
THE MOST PROFITABLE GAME
IN THE HISTORY OF THE GENRE...
"WHEEL OF FORTUNE."
Announcer:
OVER $49,000
JUST WAITING TO BE WON
TODAY ON "WHEEL OF FORTUNE"!
NOW, HERE'S YOUR HOST,
CHUCK WOOLERY!
Narrator: IF A KIDS' GAME
LIKE HANGMAN
COULD BE MORPHED INTO A MAJOR
GAME SHOW FRANCHISE,
WHY NOT ANOTHER
CHILDHOOD FAVORITE,
TIC-TAC-TOE?
THAT WAS THE QUESTION
PRODUCERS MERRILL HEATTER
AND BOB QUIGLEY
PONDERED IN EARLY 1964
AS THEY DEVELOPED A GAME
WITH A GIANT TIC-TAC-TOE BOARD
AND CELEBRITIES
IN THE SQUARES.
Kennedy: WHEN THEY MOUNTED
"HOLLYWOOD SQUARES"
WITH THOSE NINE CUBICLES,
I SAW THAT GOING UP,
AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
THAT WAS REALLY MONUMENTAL.
THAT WAS THE BIGGEST,
STRANGEST,
WILDLY DIFFERENT THING
I'D EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.
IT WAS SO BIG,
I THOUGHT TO MYSELF,
IT CANNOT WORK,
BECAUSE IT'S TOO BIG,
ITIT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.E.
HUGE SUCCESS.
Host: WHAT WOULD
YOU NORMALLY
FIND A CAMPER
MOUNTED ON?
A CAMPRESS.
"HOLLYWOOD SQUARES" IS THE MOST
FUN GAME SHOW IN THE WORLD.
Narrator: MUCH
OF THE SHOW'S POPULARITY
FLOWED FROM
THE PARTY ATMOSPHERE...
NINE CELEBRITIES,
HAVING A GOOD TIME TOGETHER.
Host: KAREN, A PARACHUTIST
HITS THE GROUND
A HOW MANY
MILES PER HOUR?
DID HIS CHUTE OPEN?
"DO THE STARS
KNOW THE QUESTION?"
I SAY, "NO."
THEY NEVER KNEW THE QUESTION.
THEY KNEW AN AREA
OF THE QUESTION.
BUT THEY NEVER KNEW
THE QUESTION.
THEY MIGHT GET A JOKE,
BUT THEY NEVER KNEW
WHAT THE STRAIGHT LINE WAS.
YOU'D TAPE FIVE IN A DAY.
SO YOU'D DO THREE SHOWS,
BREAK FOR DINNER,
AND THEN YOU WOULD DO
TWO MORE.
AND BY THAT TIME...
YOU KNOW,
THEY'D SERVE WINE AT DINNER.
SO THAT WAS ALWAYS INTERESTING.
AT HOME IN BED,
AT 2:00 IN THE MORNING,
YOU'D THINK OF THE GREATEST LINE
THAT YOU DIDN'T USE.
THAT'S ENOUGH
TO KILL A PERSON.
Host: SAY, ARE MOST
STOLEN CARS RECOVERED?
I HAD ONE RECOVERED
IN ZEBRA ONCE.
Henderson:
WE HAD REDD FOXX.
HE LOVED TO BE VERY BAWDY
WITH YOU.
AND DURING THE COMMERCIALS,
HE WOULD SAY
SOME PRETTY WILD THINGS.
AND SOME PEOPLE,
SOME YOUNG GIRLS,
DIDN'T REALLY WANT
TO BE NEXT TO HIM.
I WOULD ALWAYS JUST
SAY SOMETHING BACK TO HIM.
Narrator: "HOLLYWOOD SQUARES"
BECAME SO POPULAR
THAT CELEBRITIES
OFTEN LOBBIED
BUT SOME HAD A HARD TIME
GRASPING THE GAME.
HENNY YOUNGMAN,
FOR EXAMPLE,
WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED COMEDIAN.
BUT HIS APPEARANCE
ON "HOLLYWOOD SQUARES"
DID NOT GO WELL.
I SAID, "HENNY, I'M SO EXCITED
YOU'RE ON THE SHOW.
"NOW, HERE'S THE WAY
THE SHOW WORKS.
"I'LL ASK YOU A QUESTION,
AND IF YOU HAVE A JOKE, DO IT.
"AND THEN GET TO THE ANSWER,
OKAY?
"20 SECONDS, 25 SECONDS.
ANY LONGER IS NO GOOD, OKAY?"
HE SAID, "YOU GOT IT."
FIRST QUESTION WAS,
"DO BIRDS FLY?"
HE SAID, "THESE TWO GUYS,
THEY GO BEAR HUNTING,
"THEY COME TO A SIGN THAT SAYS,
'BEAR LEFT, '
AND SO THEY WENT HOME."
AND I SAID,
"HENNY, DO BIRDS FLY?"
HE SAID, "THERE WAS THIS GIRL
IN CLEVELAND, AND..."
AND GOBEL FELL OFF HIS CHAIR.
AND I SAID,
"WE GOT TO STOP TAPE, GUYS."
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T GET IT.
AND GROUCHO
DIDN'T GET IT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE
DIDN'T WORK ON THE SHOW.
Narrator: THE CELEBRITIES
WHO COULD WORK
WITHIN THE SHOW'S FORMAT
OFTEN STAYED ON
FOR YEARS
AND BECAME HOUSEHOLD NAMES.
CHARLEY WEAVER,
WALLY COX,
PAUL LYNDE.
Host: ACCORDING
TO THE RED CROSS,
WHEN WILL THEY STOP ACCEPTING
BLOOD DONATIONS FROM A PERSON?
OH, WHEN HE DRIES UP.
"HEY, PAUL,
HOW MANY MEN ON A HOCKEY TEAM?"
"ABOUT HALF."
BANG, THAT'S IT,
THERE YOU GO.
YOU CAN'T DO A LONG MONOLOGUE.
Host: WILL
HUMMING, HUMMING
HELP YOUR TENNIS GAME?
THIS STRUCK ME FUNNY!
UM, WILL HUMMING
HELP MY TENNIS GAME?
SURE, WHY NOT?
IT TAKES YOUR MIND
OFF YOUR BALLS
OR SOMETHING.
AND I SAID,
"YES, IT WOULD PROBABLY
TAKE YOUR MIND
OFF YOUR BALLS."
S...
AND THEN I WENT...
WELL, THE AUDIENCE
BECAME HYSTERICAL.
CHARLEY WEAVER GOT UP
AND WALKED OFF,
EVEN THOUGH
HE COULDN'T WALK VERY WELL.
AND IT WAS
ONE OF THOSE THINGS
WHERE THE LAUGHTER
WENT ON FOR,
FOREVER, AND I JUST
HAD MY HEAD DOWN ON THE DESK.
OH, NO!
Narrator: HAVING FUN
WITH CELEBRITIES
BECAME A STAPLE
OF THE GAME SHOW UNIVERSE.
BUT COULD A GAME SUCCEED
BY EXTRACTING HUMOR
FROM THE CONTESTANTS?
THE ONE MAN WHO KNEW
THE ANSWER
WAS GAME SHOW PRODUCER
CHUCK BARRIS,
ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL PEOPLE
IN AMERICAN TELEVISION.
AND WHEN YOU WALK
INTO CHUCK'S OFFICE,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A URINAL
ON THE WALL.
YOU KNOW, AND HE WAS JUST ONE...
YOU KNOW, HE WAS...
HE WAS
JUST AN ECCENTRIC GUY.
BUT I HAVE NOTHING
BUT NICE THINGS
HE KNEW EXACTLY
TO SWHAT HE WAS DOING.RIS.
HE FIGURED OUT VERY EARLY
THAT JOHN AND MARY JONES
ARE THE FUNNIEST PEOPLE
IN THE WORLD.
THIS DAZZLING BACHELORETTE
IS A CHRONIC DISCO DANCER.
SHE'S HERE TONIGHT TO ANSWER
THE MUSICAL QUESTION,
"CAN THE HUSTLE
REALLY CLEAR UP
DISTRESS IN THE LOWER TRACT?"
Narrator: BARRIS MADE
HIS FIRST BIG SPLASH
IN LATE 1965 WITH
"THE DATING GAME."
THE SHOW DIDN'T HAVE
A QUIZ OR BIG MONEY PRIZES.
INSTEAD, IT FEATURED
ORDINARY PEOPLE, HAVING FUN.
BACHELOR NUMBER ONE.
I REALLY LIKE ICE CREAM.
IF YOU WERE ICE CREAM,
WHAT FLAVOR WOULD YOU BE?
Narrator:
BARRIS SOON FOLLOWED UP
WITH "THE NEWLYWED GAME,"
WHICH ALSO GLEANED HUMOR
FROM REGULAR FOLKS.
Host:
WHAT ANIMAL, LISA,
DID YOU INHERIT
YOUR RUMP FROM?
I SAID, "HER MOTHER."
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING
AT MY MOTHER'S RUMP FOR?
IT'S NOT EVEN BIG!
YOU CAN'T MISS IT.
THE THING'S THE SIZE
OF A BUICK.
YOU CAN'T EVEN
GET IT THROUGH THE DOOR.
NO, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT.
IT'S BIG...
IT'S THE SIZE...
SHE'S JUST BIG-BONED.
Narrator:
BARRIS TOOK PRIDE
IN AVOIDING THE USUAL
GAME SHOW HOSTS.
WHEN BOB EUBANKS WAS TAPPED
FOR "THE NEWLYWED GAME,"
HE WAS THE YOUNGEST PERSON
EVER TO EMCEE A GAME SHOW.
AFTER THE FIRST SHOW,
CHUCK BARRIS CAME TO ME,
AND HE SAYS,
"I NEED TO TALK TO YOU."
I SAID, "WHAT'S THE MATTER?"
HE SAYS,
"YOU'VE JUST DONE SOMETHING
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY
DO BEFORE."
HE SAID, "YOU WENT A HALF-HOUR
WITHOUT BLINKING."
SO I HAD TO WRITE MYSELF A NOTE.
"WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE
OF 'THE NEWLYWED GAME, '"
AND IT SAYS, "BLINK,"
AND I GO, BLINK, BLINK.
THAT'S HOW FRIGHTENED I WAS.
I WAS SCARED TO DEATH.
Man: HEAVY DRAIN
UPON THE FILLER RESOURCES...
Narrator: "THE NEWLYWED GAME"
HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE
TO PREMIERE AT THE EXACT MOMENT
DEFENSE SECRETARY
ROBERT McNAMARA
NBC AND CBS
WCARRIED THE SPEECH LIVE..
Announcer: FROM HOLLYWOOD,
HERE COME THE NEWLYWEDS!
Narrator: BUT ABC WENT WITH
THE NEWLYWEDS.
THAT FIRST EPISODE HAD RATINGS
TO RIVAL A SUPER BOWL.
BOTH "THE DATING"
AND "NEWLYWED" GAMES
REFLECTING THE VERY YOUNG
WEAND FREE-WHEELING STAFF,
HE WAS AMONG THE FIRST
THAT BATV PRODUCERSEMBLED.
TO TAP INTO THE CHANGING
NATIONAL CULTURE
OF THE 1960s.
AND IT MADE BARRIS
EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL.
"THE NEWLYWED GAME"
WAS A COMEDY SHOW
THAT HAPPENED TO HAVE
A GAME THERE.
AND THAT'S REALLY
WHAT IT IS, YOU KNOW.
"WOW, DID YOU SEE
THAT GREAT PRIZE THEY WON,"
OR, "WOW, THEY SURE
KNEW EACH OTHER."
NO, THEY ONLY TALK
ABOUT THE FUNNY STUFF.
Host: IN COINS,
HOW MUCH MONEY
COULD YOUR
BELLY BUTTON HOLD?
CARRIE?
I GUESS...
I WOULD SAY A DIME.
A DIME.
HE SAID
YOUR BELLY BUTTON
COULD HOLD
ONE DOLLAR!
YOU JERK!
A DOLLAR?
WELL, IT'S BIG
AND ROUND, BUT SHALLOW.
HE SAID, "A BIG OLD SILVER
DOLLAR," IS WHAT HE SAID.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
GIVE HIM A RIDE HOME, TOO!
A SILVER DOLLAR?
Eubanks:
HE FIGURED IT OUT,
AND HE WAS DOING
REALITY TELEVISION BACK THEN,
BEFORE WE KNEW WHAT
THE WORD "REALITY" MEANT.
HE HAD GREAT INSTINCTS.
GREAT INSTINCTS.
Narrator:
BARRIS'S UNIQUE INSTINCTS CAME
AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME
FOR ABC.
A PERENNIAL THIRD-PLACE
ALSO-RAN,
THE NETWORK
WAS IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE.
"THE NEWLYWED GAME"
AND "DATING GAME"
AND "LET'S MAKE A DEAL,"
I BELIEVE LITERALLY SAVED ABC.
WE TOOK THAT NETWORK
FROM HERE TO HERE.
BECAUSE EVERY SHOW... NOT ONLY
DID WE GET THAT TIME PERIOD,
BUT EVERY SHOW FOLLOWING US
ZOOMED UP.
I REMEMBER, MICHAEL EISNER
WAS THE HEAD
OF WEST COAST
DAYTIME TELEVISION,
AND HE CAME UP TO ME ONE TIME
AT A PARTY,
HE SAYS,
"YOU'RE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME."
HE SAYS, "YOU'RE VERY
IMPORTANT TO ME."
BECAUSE HE REALIZED
THAT THESE THREE SHOWS...
"DATING GAME," "NEWLYWED GAME,"
LITERALLY SAVED THE NETWORK
AND "LEAT THE TIME.EAL"...
I REMEMBER, IT WAS SO MUCH FUN
GOING INTO HIS OFFICES,
BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS YOUNG
AROUND HIM,
THEY WERE EXCITED,
THEY WERE EXUBERANT.
THEY LOVED WHAT CHUCK
WAS DOING.
HE HAD STARTED
WITH PRACTICALLY NOTHING.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,
HE WAS
THE KING, QUOTE-UNQUOTE,
OF ABC!
Man:
WHAT'S YOUR IDEA
OF A DREAM GIRL?
JOIN OUR NEW WEEKDAY GAME,
Narrator: BARRIS'S GOLDEN TOUCH.
HAD ITS LIMITS.
MANY OF HIS CREATIONS
DID NOT CATCH ON.
SHOWS LIKE "DREAM GIRL '67,"
"THE PARENT GAME,"
AND "HOW'S YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW?"
AND IT WAS CALLED,
"HOW'S YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW?"
"WHAT WAS THE FORMAT
I'VE HAOF THAT SHOW? TO ME,
WHAT WAS THE CONCEPT?"
AND I'VE LAUGHINGLY SAID...
AND THIS MAY NOT
BE TOTALLY TRUE...
BUT I SAID,
"THERE WAS NO CONCEPT!
THAT WAS THE PROBLEM!"
IT WASN'T ALL THAT GREAT
AN IDEA.
Narrator: WHILE A GREAT IDEA
IS THE KEY
TO A GAME SHOW'S SUCCESS,
ANOTHER ELEMENT
IS EQUALLY CRITICAL...
THE EMCEE.
A LITTLE OLD PAUSE
FOR STATION IDENTIFICATION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT
TO MAKE OF THIS!
OPEN IT.
Announcer:
BOB BARKER!
Narrator: THE JOB
OF A GAME SHOW EMCEE
MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST
COMPLICATED IN SHOW BUSINESS.
PLUS THE PRICE
OF THE TRIP
TOTALS $5,000 TO $6,000.
YOU'LL WIN MONEY
IN THE AMOUNT OF THE CHECK,
AND YOU WILL WIN
THE TRIP TO ATLANTA.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
Narrator: A GOOD EMCEE
HAS TO KNOW THE GAME COLD,
MONITOR THE CLOCK
CONSTANTLY,
INTERACT EFFORTLESSLY
WITH CELEBRITIES
AND CONTESTANTS,
AND CONSTANTLY MAKE
ADJUSTMENTS
TO ENSURE THE PROGRAM
IS ENTERTAINING.
IN ESSENCE, THE HOST
MUST MANUFACTURE
A HALF-HOUR SHOW
EVERY DAY,
OFTEN WITH NOTHING MORE
THAN A BASIC OUTLINE
AND A FEW NOTE CARDS.
MARK GOODSON ONCE DESCRIBED
THE GAME SHOW HOSTING JOB
AS "DRIVING A CAR BACKWARDS
DOWN A MOUNTAIN ROAD,
AND BEING WITTY AND FUNNY
AT THE SAME TIME."
THE SKILL SET IS BASIC
IN TELEVISION,
IN TIME AND UNDERSTANDING TIME,
AND IN BEING ABLE
TO PUT THAT BEHIND YOU
AND GO ON WITH THE SHOW
AND BE SUBCONSCIOUSLY AWARE
THAT YOU HAVE SO MUCH TIME
TO PERFORM THIS
AND TRY TO PULL IT OFF
AS BEST YOU CAN.
AND OVER TIME,
YOU ACQUIRE THAT SKILL
OR YOU DON'T
ACQUIRE THAT SKILL.
AND THE REST OF IT
IS JUST KIND OF
BEING FUNNY AND INTERESTING
AND...
OH, I DON'T KNOW!
TRYING NOT TO FALL DOWN
TOO MANY TIMES.
A GOOD EMCEE FLOWS
WITH THE SHOW.
HE IS... COMPATIBLE
WITH THE CONTESTANTS,
HE'S ON THEIR SIDE,
HE LIKES TO SEE PEOPLE WIN,
AND WITHOUT THINKING,
WITHOUT TRYING,
WITHOUT BEING AT ALL MECHANICAL,
HE'S JUST BECOME
A PART OF THE SHOW.
AND LET IT FLOW.
Narrator: IN THE EARLY YEARS,
COMEDIANS WERE OFTEN TAPPED
GROUCHO MARX,
PEAND EVEN DICK VAN DYKE, ,
WHO AUDITIONED TO BE
THE FIRST HOST
Van Dyke: YES, THEY WERE PUTTING
TOGETHER "THE PRICE IS RIGHT"
BACK IN THE... THIS IS
IN THE LATE '50s.
THEY ASKED ME
TO BE THE HOST.
AND I KEPT TELLING MY WIFE,
"THIS IS A SHOW
"ABOUT GUESSING HOW MUCH
SOMETHING COSTS!
THAT'S A GAME SHOW?"
SAID, "IT'LL NEVER GO!"
Narrator: OVER TIME,
PRODUCERS LEARNED
THAT MANY TRADITIONAL COMEDIANS
WEREN'T QUITE RIGHT
FOR THE EMCEE JOB.
INSTEAD, HOSTING A GAME SHOW
WOULD REQUIRE
A VERY DIFFERENT SET
OF SKILLS.
THE WHOLE SECRET
IS TO LISTEN.
IF YOU LISTEN TO WHAT
THE CONTESTANT IS SAYING,
THEN GO AND MAKE SOMETHING
FROM IT.
CREATING SPONTANEOUS
ENTERTAINMENT,
YOU FIND THIS WONDERFUL
IT'S LITTLE CONTESTANTOLD.
OR BIG CONTESTANT
OR WHATEVER,
AND YOU GO WITH THAT PERSON
AND GET THAT AUDIENCE LAUGHING.
I WOULD HAVE TO WATCH MYSELF,
BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY
OPENINGS FOR JOKES AND THINGS,
AND I SAID,
"NO, NO, NO, PETE.
"YOU'RE THE STRAIGHT MAN.
JUST STAY
RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE."
Narrator: AS WITH MANY
PROFESSIONS OF THE ERA,
WOMEN WERE OFTEN OVERLOOKED
AS POTENTIAL GAME SHOW EMCEES.
IN 1949, ARLENE FRANCIS
BRIEFLY HOSTED
A PROGRAM CALLED "BLIND DATE."
BUT FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS,
WOMEN WERE SHUT OUT.
TV PRODUCERS RECOGNIZED
BETTY WHITE'S POTENTIAL
AS AN EMCEE,
BUT THE NETWORKS REFUSED,
OVER AND OVER.
THE NETWORK SAID, "NO,
A WOMAN JUST CAN'T,
"SHE CAN'T HOLD A SHOW TOGETHER,
"AND SHE JUST DOESN'T HAVE...
IT JUST DOESN'T WORK
WITH A WOMAN," YOU KNOW.
Narrator: WHITE FINALLY
GOT HER CHANCE TO EMCEE
ON A GAME CALLED
"JUST MEN."
SHE WON AN EMMY, BUT THE SHOW
WAS QUICKLY CANCELLED.
Woman: THEN THEY STARTED
DOING RESEARCH.
THEY SAID, "WE HAVE RESEARCH."
YOU KNOW, THEY LOVE
TO DO RESEARCH.
"WE HAVE RESEARCH THAT SAYS
"THAT WOMEN ARE BASICALLY
IN LOVE
"WITH THE GUYS
THAT HOST GAME SHOWS,
"THAT IT'S LIKE A ROMANTIC
KIND OF,
A FANTASY ROMANCE CONNECTION."
Narrator: DESPITE THE RESEARCH,
VICKI LAWRENCE WAS HIRED
TO HOST "WIN, LOSE, OR DRAW."
SHE FACED UNIQUE CHALLENGES,
BECAUSE THE PRODUCERS
WOULDN'T LET HER WEAR SKIRTS.
THEY THOUGHT SUITS
WOULD GIVE HER MORE AUTHORITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DO NOT HAVE
VANNA WHITE'S BODY,
SO SOME DAYS
THE STUFF WOULD NOT WORK.
AND MY WARDROBE GAL AND I
WOULD BE PEEING IN OUR PANTS,
BECAUSE IT WOULD LOOK
SO HORRIBLE ON ME.
SO WE'D HAVE TO GO ON
TO THE NEXT SUIT,
SEE IF WE COULD MAKE THAT WORK,
YOU KNOW,
AND THEN THE BOOTH WOULD BE
CALLING,
GOING,
"WHERE'S THAT RED SUIT?
SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE
IN THAT RED SUIT."
WELL, THE RED SUIT DIDN'T FIT
OVER HER LEFT THIGH,
SO WE HAD TO MOVE ON
TO THE BLUE SUIT, YOU KNOW.
Narrator: WHO WAS THE BEST EMCEE
OF THE PIONEERING ERA?
BOB BARKER HAS THE MOST AWARDS
AND GREATEST LONGEVITY.
BUT FOR SHEER VERSATILITY,
ONE OTHER NAME APPEARS
ON EVERY INSIDER'S LIST.
BUT THERE WAS ONE GUY
WHO WAS GOOD
AT EVAND YOU KNOW WHY? DID.
BECAUSE HE WAS VERY NATURAL,
HE WAS VERY POLITE,
HE LOVED HIS CONTESTANTS
AND THE OTHER PEOPLE,
AND HIS NAME WAS BILL CULLEN.
Bill Cullen:
ACTUAL RETAIL VALUE
$332.94.
MR. McTAGUE,
IT IS YOURS!
YOU'VE JUST SEEN THE MOST TORRID
LOVE SCENE ON TELEVISION.
AND WE'RE GOING TO LOSE
THAT TELEVISION LICENSE, TOO.
BILL CULLEN WAS SO GOOD
THAT IT'S HARD
TO DESCRIBE.
HE WAS VERY SELF-DEPRECATING.
BILL ALSO WAS
VERY, VERY BRIGHT
AND LAUGHED EASILY.
AND ISN'T IT PLEASANT
TO BE AROUND PEOPLE
WHO LAUGH EASILY?
THIS ALSO HAS
A PRESCRIPTION TABLETOP.
YOU KNEW IT WAS BILL CULLEN.
THIS WASN'T A PASTEBOARD CUTOUT.
BILL WAS THE BEST.
HE HAD A GREAT SENSE
OF HUMOR.
HE HAD STYLE.
HE HAD PANACHE,
HE HAD EVERYTHING.
THIS IS BILL CULLEN, SAYING,
THANKS FOR WATCHING,
AND KEEP YOUR MINDS WORKING
QUICK AS A FLASH.
AND THANKS, PANEL,
FOR BEING WITH US.
GOOD NIGHT!
COME ON DOWN!
Narrator: GAME SHOWS CAN EARN
A LOT OF MONEY
AND MAKE THEIR PARTICIPANTS
FAMOUS.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHY
MOST GAME SHOW PIONEERS
GOT INVOLVED
IN THE FORM.
INSTEAD, AT THE MOST
BASIC LEVEL,
THEY LIKE PLAYING GAMES...
THE CHALLENGE, THE COMPETITION,
THE FUN.
OUR NEXT CONTESTANT
IS NONE OTHER THAN
DAVID JENSEN!
I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT GAMES
HAD BEEN AROUND FOREVER.
AND I HAVE LOVED THEM FOREVER.
AND I FELL IN LOVE
WITH THE GAME.
I LOVE THE GAME
OF "PASSWORD."
LET'S FACE IT,
PEOPLE LOVE TO PLAY GAMES.
PEOPLE LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE WIN.
I LOVE THE PEOPLE.
AND SO I DON'T CARE
IF THEY JUMP ON ME,
AND I DON'T CARE IF THEY YELL
AND THEY FAINT.
YOU'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING
LIKE CURING CANCER OR ANYTHING.
YOU'RE JUST HAVING FUN
AND MAKING,
GIVING PEOPLE 30 MINUTES
OF ENTERTAINMENT.
GAME SHOWS GIVE THE PUBLIC
A CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW YOU
AS YOU, AS A PERSON.
BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT
PLAYING A ROLE.
OR NOT SINGING A SONG.
YOU'RE SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF,
IN YOUR OWN VOICE,
SO THEY, THEY FEEL
THAT THEY KNOW YOU
A LOT BETTER THAN IF YOU'RE
IN A MOVIE
OR IN A TELEVISION SHOW.
NOW, EDDIE, I THINK
I'M A PRETTY GOOD
JUDGE OF CHARACTER,
SO WHAT KIND
OF ILLEGITIMATE BUSINESS
ARE YOU IN?
THE AUDIENCE LAUGHED,
AND IT STARTLED ME.
I THOUGHT, "OH,
THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL SOUND!
I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN GET
THEM TO DO THAT AGAIN!"
AND I'VE BEEN DOING IT
FOR 50 YEARS.
WE'RE GOING
TO STOP THIS FILM COLD.
IS THAT RIGHT?
Narrator:
FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS,
WE'VE BEEN
WATCHING GAME SHOWS.
PLAYING ALONG,
JOINING THE PARTY.
KEEP YOUR MINDS WORKING
QUICK AS A FLASH.
GOOD NIGHT, EVERYBODY,
AND THANKS, PANEL,
FOR BEING WITH US.
GOOD NIGHT.
Narrator: THANKS
TO THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"
AND OTHER PBS PROGRAMS,
WHAT DO YOU
MAKE OF THIS, HUH?
YES, SIR.
IT'S PRETTY GOOD.
OPEN IT.
Announcer:
BOB BARKER!
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.