To Tell the Truth (1956)

To Tell the Truth
Premiere	December 18, 1956
Finale	September 6, 1968
Creator	Bob Stewart
Host	Bud Collyer
Network/Provider	CBS
Style	30-minute game show
Company	Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, CBS Television
Seasons	11
Episodes	457 + unaired pilot
Origin	USA

To Tell the Truth is a game show that aired on CBS.

Three challengers (known on the show as "team of imposters") are presented, all claiming to be a particular person, and host Bud Collyer reads an affidavit about something notable about him/her. After being seated, the panel, in turn asks questions to any of the challengers. After all four panelists have made their inquiries, they now vote on who the real namesake is. After voting, Bud utters the famous phrase "Will the real (name of person) please stand up?" Usually as a fake out, one of the team members will start to stand until the real person actually does. The team receives $100 for every wrong vote, and $1000 if the panel is stumped completely.

If a panelist thinks he may have some connection to the team of challengers (tangible connection or not), he/she may disqualify him/herself. This counts as an incorrect vote.

A daytime edition of To Tell The Truth was started on CBS on June 18, 1962. It aired till September 6, 1968. Late in the daytime run, the audience was allowed to vote for who they thought was the real person. Cash prizes were $50 for incorrect votes and $500 for stumping the panel.

A year after being canceled by CBS, To Tell The Truth returned in syndication as a five-day-a-week strip with Garry Moore as host. CBS regular panelists Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean and Kitty Carlisle all returned as well as Bill Cullen as a semi-regular. In 1977, Joe Garagiola replaced Garry Moore as host, and then the show was canceled in 1978. It returned in 1980 with Robin Ward as host, running one season. NBC revived it in 1990 with three hosts during its nine-month run--Gordon Elliot, Lynn Swann, and Alex Trebek. The show had a fifth incarnation in 2000 in a syndicated edition hosted by John O'Hurley. It ran a year-and-a-half. A sixth edition started airing in 2016.

The show's name in development was Three Of A Kind. It piloted as Nothing But The Truth but it was changed to keep from conflicting with a movie under the same title. The pilot had the panel (Polly Bergen, John Cameron Swayze, Patty Leidy, Dick Van Dyke; the host was Mike Wallace) given seven minutes to question the challengers with each panelist given 30 seconds. After the panel casts their votes, the audience made their selection on electronic devices at their seats (which would be repurposed later in the CBS run). The highest vote total counted for that challenger. Each incorrect vote was worth $100, and if at anytime the real person among the challengers is found to be lying, his/her cash award would be forfeited. People Are Funny host Art Linkletter attempted to sue Goodson-Todman for plagiarism as it was similar to "Lie Detector," a feature of Linkletter's show.

Cast

Person	Role	Duration
Main Cast
Bud Collyer	Host	1956-1968
Don Ameche	Panelist	1956-1961
Polly Bergen	Panelist	1956-1961
Hildy Parks	Panelist	1956-1957
Kitty Carlisle	Panelist	1957-1968
Hy Gardner	Panelist	1957-1959
Betty White	Panelist	1958-1964
Joan Fontaine	Panelist	1962-1965
Barry Nelson	Panelist	1962-1965
Phyllis Newman	Panelist	1962-1965
Gene Rayburn	Panelist	1963-1968
Orson Bean	Panelist	1964-1968
Peggy Cass	Panelist	1964-1981
Tom Poston	Panelist	1964-1968
Bern Bennett	Announcer	1956-1960
Roger Forster	Announcer	1960
Johnny Olson	Announcer	1960-1968

Seasons

Season	Premiere	Finale				#
CBS
Season One	December 18, 1956	August 27, 1957				36 + 1
Season Two	September 3, 1957	August 26, 1958				49
Season Three	September 2, 1958	August 25, 1959				50
Season Four	September 1, 1959	August 25, 1960				48
Season Five	September 1, 1960	August 28, 1961				44
Season Six	September 11, 1961	July 2, 1962				42
Season Seven	September 10, 1962	July 22, 1963				43
Season Eight	September 9, 1963	August 31, 1964				45
Season Nine	September 14, 1964	July 19, 1965				43
Season Ten	September 20, 1965	June 27, 1966				36
Season Eleven	September 11, 1966	May 22, 1967				21

In-Depth

• At a Glance: Additional information about the series

DVD Releases

There are no DVD releases for this show.