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| To Tell the Truth | |
|---|---|
| Show name | To Tell the Truth |
| Genre | Game show |
| Creator | Bob Stewart |
| Developer | Mark Goodson |
| Presenter | See below |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Runtime | 22–25 minutes |
| Company | Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions |
| Channel | CBS; syndicated |
| First aired | April 1, 1956 |
| Last aired | present |
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American panel game show in which a celebrity panel questions a group of contestants to identify which individual holds a particular occupation or claim. Conceived during the 1950s quiz-show era, the program has featured rotating celebrities, public figures, and everyday people, intersecting with personalities from Ed Sullivan, Jack Paar, Milton Berle, Bob Hope, and generations of entertainers, politicians, and athletes. The show's format has been produced and adapted in multiple countries and showcased guest appearances by figures tied to presidential campaigns, Academy Awards, and international competitions such as the Olympic Games.
The series centers on a panel of four celebrities who interrogate three challengers, only one of whom is the authentic claimant; the other two are impostors. The show bridges popular culture and public affairs by featuring contestants connected to events involving NASA, NASA missions, Pentagon programs, and headline-making personalities from Time and The New York Times. Over decades, the program has spotlighted individuals linked to World War II, Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, and notable scientific achievements such as those associated with Theodore von Kármán–era aeronautics. Recurring celebrity panelists and guest challengers have included stars from MGM, Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, and leaders from institutions like Harvard University, Yale University, and Princeton University.
Premiering in 1956 on CBS, the series was produced by Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions and navigated the transition from prime time to daytime and syndicated runs. Hosts and versions have appeared across networks and syndication periods that intersect with personalities from NBC and ABC, and have been scheduled around flagship programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Revivals in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s brought contemporary hosts and guest stars tied to Saturday Night Live, The Late Show, and cable outlets including Comedy Central and Bravo. Notable broadcast milestones involved cross-promotion with events like the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, and national telecasts during significant historical anniversaries.
Each episode presents a central claim—often occupational, heroic, or unusual—with three contestants asserting it; the panel asks questions to expose inconsistencies. The structure encourages appearances by celebrities and public figures from Hollywood, Broadway, and sports leagues such as the National Football League, National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball. Prizes and incentives have varied, sometimes drawing contestants affiliated with Philanthropy organizations and nonprofits connected to foundations like the Ford Foundation and Guggenheim Foundation. Producers have periodically revised rules to reflect broadcasting standards overseen by entities such as the Federal Communications Commission.
Over its run the program featured hosts and regulars who were themselves public figures associated with networks and productions involving Jack Paar, Garry Moore, Bob Barker, Alan Ludden, and modern-era hosts with ties to Steve Allen and Tom Bergeron. Panelists have included journalists and entertainers linked to Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters, Merv Griffin, Phil Donahue, Oprah Winfrey, Doris Day, Sally Field, John Cleese, Candice Bergen, Betty White, Neil Sedaka, Burt Reynolds, Groucho Marx, and politicians moving between media and public office such as Sonny Bono and Fred Thompson.
The format spawned versions in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and Japan, engaging hosts and celebrities from institutions like the BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, TF1, ARD, and NHK. Local adaptations often enlisted cultural figures tied to national events such as the British Royal Family, Canadian Parliament, Australian Open, and French festivals like Cannes Film Festival, integrating regional celebrities from film studios and national sports federations.
The show influenced panel-based television and intersected with public life by featuring subjects connected to Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and entertainers honored at the Kennedy Center Honors. Critics and audiences have compared it to contemporaneous programs produced by Mark Goodson that included personalities associated with What's My Line? and Match Game. Its long-running presence created a forum where figures from Hollywood, Broadway, Silicon Valley, and political spheres such as Capitol Hill could reach daytime and prime-time viewers, shaping celebrity visibility during eras dominated by print outlets like Life and broadcasters such as CBS News.
Memorable installments featured guests linked to historic events—astronauts connected to Mercury program and Apollo program, entertainers who later won Academy Awards or Tony Awards, athletes from Olympic Games medal teams, and public servants who later served in bodies like the United States Congress. The program's legacy persists in parodies and homages across television series tied to Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, and late-night formats, and in scholarly discussions of postwar American popular culture and broadcasting history preserved in archives at institutions like the Paley Center for Media and Library of Congress.
Category:American game shows