Truth or Consequences: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Short description|American radio and television game show}}

{{distinguish|Truth and Consequences (disambiguation){{!}}Truth and Consequences}}

{{other uses}}

{{Infobox television

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| first_aired = {{start date|1940|3|23}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1988|2|26}}

| num_episodes = 39 (CBS Primetime; 1950-1951)<br />124 (NBC Primetime; 1954-1956)<br />2,254 (NBC Daytime; 1956-1965)<br />26 (NBC Primetime; 1957-1958)<br />1,755 (Syndication; 1966-1975)<br />32 (Syndication; 1977-1978)<ref name="Memorandum">Inter-Office Memorandum from Pat Gleason on existing episodes of ''Truth or Consequences''. Date: June 25, 1987.</ref><br />195 (Syndication; 1987-1988)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/87-OCR/BC-1987-09-21-OCR-Page-0071.pdf|title=First-run {{Baresyndication URL PDFscorecard|date=MarchSeptember 202221, 1987|magazine=Broadcasting|page=71}}</ref>

}}

'''''Truth or Consequences''''' was

'''''Truth or Consequences''''' is an American [[game show]] originally hosted on [[NBC]] [[radio]] by [[Ralph Edwards]] (1940–19571940–57) and later on television by Edwards (1950–19541950–54), [[Jack Bailey (actor)|Jack Bailey]] (1954–19561954–56), [[Bob Barker]] (1956–19751956–75), [[Stephen Dunne (actor)|Steve Dunne]] (1957–19581957–58), [[Bob Hilton]] (1977–19781977–78) and [[Larry Anderson (actor)|Larry Anderson]] (1987–19881987–88).<ref name=Daytime>{{cite book |last1=Hyatt |first1=Wesley |title=The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television |date=1997 |publisher=Watson-Guptill Publications |isbn=978-0823083152 |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofda00hyat|url-access=registration |access-date=22 March 2020|page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofda00hyat/page/444 444]}}</ref> The television show ran on [[CBS]], [[NBC]] and also in [[television syndication|syndication]]. The premise of the show was to mix the original quiz element of game shows with wacky stunts.

The daily syndicated show was produced by Ralph Edwards Productions (later Ralph Edwards/Stu Billett Productions), in association with and distributed by [[Metromedia|Metromedia Producers Corporation]] (1966–19781966–78) and [[Lorimar-Telepictures]] (1987–19881987–88). Current rights are owned by Ralph Edwards Productions and FremantleMedia.

==Game play==

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During Barker's run as host, a side game, "Barker's Box", was played at the end of the show. Barker's Box had four drawers; three contained money, while a pop-up "surprise" was in the fourth. The contestant chose one drawer at a time and won the money in each. The game ended if the contestant found the surprise, while avoiding it awarded a bonus prize.

Barker traditionally ended each episode with the phrase, "Hoping all your consequences are happy ones." In one 1994 episode of ''[[The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)|The Price Is Right]]'', he started to deliver that closing, but caught his mistake and covered it by saying "hoping all your...prices are right!", instead of the familiar "Have your pets spayed or neutered" line he was best known for using at the time.<ref>''The Price is Right'', Episode 9345D, airdate November 11, 1994.</ref>

==Broadcast history==

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[[Image:Bob Barker dec 31 1956.JPG|thumb|right|200px|[[Bob Barker]]'s hosting debut on ''Truth or Consequences,'' 1956''.'']]

[[File:Bob Barker 1958 Truth or Consequences.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Barker on ''Truth or Consequences'', circa 1958.]]

Ralph Edwards stated he got the idea for a new radio program from a favorite childhood parlor game, "Forfeits".<ref>"Ralph Edwards," ''Current Biography 1943'', p192, 193.</ref> The show premiered on NBC Radio on March 23, 1940, and was an instant hit with listeners.

''Truth or Consequences'' was the first game show to air on broadcast television,{{Citation needed |date=September 2022}} airing as a one-time experiment on the first day of [[New York City|New York]] station [[WNBC|WNBT]]'s commercial program schedule on July 1, 1941. However, the series did not appear on TV again until 1950, when the medium had caught on commercially.<ref>{{cite web|title=Station WNBT Week of June 30th–July 5th, 1941|url=httphttps://www.tvhistory.tv/1941_June_30_WNBT_Program.jpg|access-date=10 January 2012}}</ref> On September 6, 1950, [[WCBS-TV]] in New York City began local broadcasts of kinescopes of episodes that had been broadcast on [[KTTV]] in Los Angeles. Phillip Morris sponsored the series in New York.<ref>{{cite news |title=Debuts, Highlights, Changes (Continued) |url=https://archive.org/details/rossreportstele10ross/page/n98/mode/1up?view=theater |access-date=September 17, 2022 |work=Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index |date=September 3, 1950 |page=2}}</ref>

The program originated as a prime time series, airing on [[CBS]] from Sept.September 7, 1950, to May 31, 1951, hosted by Edwards. Three years later, it returned on [[NBC]] with Jack Bailey (of ''[[Queen for a Day]]'') as host, this time running from May 18, 1954, to September 28, 1956. Only three months after its demise, NBC launched a new daytime version on Dec.December 31 of that year, with radio personality Bob Barker at the helm. This run not only marked the start of a hugely successful television career for Barker, but also became the longest-running incarnation of ''Truth or Consequences'' yet, airing until September 24, 1965. During Barker's run, another prime time version was attempted, this one with actor Steve Dunne emceeing, which ran on NBC from December 13, 1957, to June 6, 1958.

Edwards pioneered several technologies for recording live television programs. When ''Truth or Consequences'' established a permanent presence on TV in 1950, Edwards arranged to have it be recorded on 35mm film, using multiple cameras simultaneously—the first TV program recorded before a live audience to do so.<ref>Ralph Edwards discusses the details of the process in a 1997 interview conducted by the Television Academy Foundation, httphttps://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/ralph-edwards .</ref> A similar process was then adapted by [[Desilu]] for ''[[I Love Lucy]]'' the following year. On January 22, 1957, the show, which was produced in Hollywood, became the first program to be broadcast in all time zones from a prerecorded [[videotape]]. This technology, which had only been introduced the previous year, had previously been used only for time-delayed broadcasts to the West Coast.<ref>"Daily N.B.C. Show Will Be on Tape", ''The New York Times'', Jan. 18, 1957, p. 31.</ref>

In 1966, ''Truth or Consequences'' became the first successful daily game show in first-run syndication (as opposed to reruns) to not air on a network, having ended its NBC run one year earlier. This version continued through 1975.

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*all episodes of the 1977–1978 syndicated version

The show has been rarely broadcast outside of its initial presentations.

However, the show has been rarely, if ever, seen outside of its initial broadcasts. A few assorted clips and full episodes can be seen on [[YouTube]], including an episode hosted by Jack Bailey from April 1956, the first daytime episode from December 31, 1956 (featuring Bob Barker's debut), an episode from December 1961, a syndicated episode from 1966, and a few episodes from 1987.

A previously unseen, unsold pilot pitched to [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]], produced around 2003 or 2004, was uploaded by veteran game show host [[Wink Martindale]] on his YouTube page. The pilot was hosted by sports journalist [[Chris Rose]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Truth or Consequences RARE Game Show Pilot|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFgCaTS-enU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/FFgCaTS-enU |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-10-10}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2023, Martindale uploaded the pilot of the 1977–1978 version.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XdRPUY23Dc |title=New Truth or Consequences - Rare Pilot - Bob Hilton |date=January 12, 2023 |last=Martindale |first=Wink |type=Television production}}</ref>

=="Jimmy" episode==

On May 22, 1948, ''Truth or Consequences'' broadcast live from the newly founded [[Dana-FarberDana–Farber Cancer Institute]], and surprised 12-year-old cancer patient [[Einar Gustafson]] by having members of the [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] visit the boy in his room. Gustafson was referred to only as "Jimmy" to protect his identity. (Not only did Gustafson's cancer go into remission, but the [[1948 Boston Braves season|Braves]] won the National League pennant, their last before moving to Milwaukee in 1953.) The broadcast launched [[The Jimmy Fund]] and its long-standing relationship with the [[Boston Red Sox]] as their official charity beginning in 1953.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Jimmy Fund |url=http://www.jimmyfund.org/about-us/about-the-jimmy-fund/ |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=www.jimmyfund.org |language=en}}</ref> (After many years in seclusion—leading to speculation that "Jimmy" had died—Gustafson re-emerged in the 1990s and was made honorary chairman of the Jimmy Fund in 1998. He died in 2001, aged 65.)<ref name=NYTIMES>{{cite web |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/24/sports/einar-gustafson-65-jimmy-of-child-cancer-fund-dies.html |title=Einar Gustafson, 65, 'Jimmy' of Child Cancer Fund, Dies |last=Martin |first=Douglas|date=January 24, 2021 |website=www.nytimes.com |publisher= |access-date=July 15, 2022 |quote=}}</ref>▼

{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2022}}

▲On May 22, 1948, ''Truth or Consequences'' broadcast live from the newly founded [[Dana-Farber Cancer Institute]], and surprised 12-year-old cancer patient [[Einar Gustafson]] by having members of the [[Boston Braves (baseball)|Boston Braves]] visit the boy in his room. Gustafson was referred to only as "Jimmy" to protect his identity. (Not only did Gustafson's cancer go into remission, but the [[1948 Boston Braves season|Braves]] won the National League pennant, their last before moving to Milwaukee in 1953.) The broadcast launched [[The Jimmy Fund]] and its long-standing relationship with the [[Boston Red Sox]] as their official charity beginning in 1953.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Jimmy Fund |url=http://www.jimmyfund.org/about-us/about-the-jimmy-fund/ |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=www.jimmyfund.org |language=en}}</ref> (After many years in seclusion—leading to speculation that "Jimmy" had died—Gustafson re-emerged in the 1990s and was made honorary chairman of the Jimmy Fund in 1998. He died in 2001, aged 65.)

== International versions ==

A British version, called "''Would I Lie to You?''", not to be confused with the [[BBC]] [[panel show]] also called ''[[Would I Lie to You? (British game show)|Would I Lie to You?]]'', was broadcast on [[ITV (TV channel)|ITV]] from August 1998 until 1999. Hosted by [[Steve Penk]], the show was originally piloted under the ''Truth or Consequences'' name in 1998. It was axed after only one series of nine episodes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Would I Lie to You? - UKGameshows|url=httphttps://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Would_I_Lie_to_You?_(1)|access-date=2021-04-24|website=www.ukgameshows.com}}</ref>

==See also==

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*''[[CBS Television Quiz]]'' ([[CBS]] Television, 1941–1942)

*''[[Spelling Bee (game show)|Spelling Bee]]'' ([[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] game show, 1938)

*[[Truth or Consequences, New Mexico|Truth or Consequences]] (Citya city in New Mexico, named after the series)

==References==

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[[Category:1970s American game shows]]

[[Category:1980s American game shows]]

[[Category:American game shows]]

[[Category:American radio game shows]]

[[Category:Black-and-white American television shows]]

[[Category:CBS originalgame programmingshows]]

[[Category:English-languageNBC televisiongame shows]]

[[Category:FirstAmerican English-run syndicatedlanguage television programs in the United Statesshows]]

[[Category:NBCFirst-run originalsyndicated programminggame shows]]

[[Category:Television series by Ralph Edwards Productions]]

[[Category:Television series by Metromedia]]

[[Category:American television series revived after cancellation]]

[[Category:NBC radio programs]]

[[Category:Radio programs adapted into television shows]]

[[Category:Television series based on radio series]]