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Truth or Consequences

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About This Show

Truth or Consequences, an American quiz show, was originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940-57) and later on television by Edwards (1950-54), Jack Bailey (1954-55), Bob Barker (1956-75), Bob Hilton (1975-78) and Larry Anderson (1987-88). The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in 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 associated with and distributed by Metromedia Television (1966-78) and Lorimar-Telepictures (1987-88).

The syndicated Truth or Consequences became the first successful first-run daily game show (as opposed to reruns) to not air on a network, having ended its NBC run in 1965.

Truth or Consequences was the first game show to air on commercially-licensed television, airing on the first day of WNBT's program schedule in 1941. This was a one-time experiment; Truth or Consequences did not appear on TV again until 1950, when the medium had caught on commercially.

On Truth or Consequences, Barker's signoff ended with the phrase, "Hoping all your consequences are happy ones."

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Who Talked About This Show

  • Berle Adams
  • Bob Barker
  • Allan Burns
  • Ralph Edwards
  • Irving Fein
  • Stanley Frazen
  • Mort Lachman
  • Jack Shea
  • Herbert F. Solow

Featured Content

Video clip: 1966 segment of Truth or Consequences hosted by Bob Barker

YouTube video player - HTML5 compatible.
  • Highlights
  • All Interviewee clips on this show

Highlights

  • Ralph Edwards on the longest-lasting stunt on <i>Truth or Consequences</i> - renaming the town Hot Springs, New Mexico "Truth or Consequences"Ralph Edwards on the longest-lasting stunt on Truth or Consequences - renaming the town Hot Springs, New Mexico "Truth or Consequences"
    Clip begins at: 06:47, Duration: 02m 37s
  • Bob Barker on hosting the game show <i>Truth or Consequences</i>Bob Barker on hosting the game show Truth or Consequences
    Clip begins at: 00:01
  • Manager Irving Fein on the contest done on <i>Truth or Consequences</i> to identify the "walking man," which became a national obsession (the "walking man" turned out to be Jack Benny)Manager Irving Fein on the contest done on Truth or Consequences to identify the "walking man," which became a national obsession (the "walking man" turned out to be Jack Benny)
    Clip begins at: 02:07, Duration: 02m 16s
  • Stanley Frazen on editing <i>Truth or Consequences</i> on CBSStanley Frazen on editing Truth or Consequences on CBS
    Clip begins at: 11:41
  • Director Jack Shea on working on <i>Truth or Consequences</i>, one of the first shows he directed<br/>Director Jack Shea on working on Truth or Consequences, one of the first shows he directed
    Clip begins at: 15:08, Duration: 03m 16s

All Interviewee clips on this show

  • Berle Adams
    • Berle Adams on negotiating deals for Ralph Edwards for his shows Truth or Consequences and This Is Your Life
      Clip begins at: 10:25, Duration: 02m 59s
  • Bob Barker
    • Bob Barker in a photo taken for Truth or Consequences
      Clip begins at: 07:26, Duration: 00m 29s
    • Bob Barker in an early publicity photo taken for Truth or Consequences
      Clip begins at: 04:04, Duration: 00m 22s
    • Bob Barker on Truth or Consequences being the first show produced for syndication
      Clip begins at: 02:26, Duration: 00m 47s
    • Bob Barker on hosting the gameshow Truth or Consequences
      Clip begins at: 00:01
    • Bob Barker on getting the job hosting Truth or Consequences and how the show was structured
      Clip begins at: 11:14
  • Allan Burns
    • Allan Burns on his first writing job on Truth or Consequences
      Clip begins at: 27:49, Duration: 00m 41s
    • Allan Burns on writing for Truth or Consequences for a month
      Clip begins at: 00:00, Duration: 00m 39s
  • Ralph Edwards
    • Ralph Edwards on the pilot, idea, and initial response to the radio version of Truth or Consequences
      Clip begins at: 07:27, Duration: 01m 49s
    • Ralph Edwards on the acts on Truth or Consequences (including the beetle derby)
      Clip begins at: 09:16, Duration: 02m 59s
    • Ralph Edwards on a typical Truth or Consequences show
      Clip begins at: 12:15, Duration: 02m 27s
    • Ralph Edwards on the Truth or Consequences radio show staff and memorable stunts
      Clip begins at: 14:42, Duration: 02m 42s
    • Ralph Edwards on his bond, paper, and copper drives with Truth or Consequences during World War II
      Clip begins at: 17:24, Duration: 02m 34s
    • Ralph Edwards on not classifying Truth or Consequences as a quiz show and defending that the show didn't stimulate greed and give people prizes for no reason; on the show raising money for charity
      Clip begins at: 00:31, Duration: 04m 32s
    • Ralph Edwards on Jack Benny's "Walking Man" appearance on Truth or Consequences
      Clip begins at: 05:04, Duration: 01m 43s
    • Ralph Edwards on the longest-lasting stunt on Truth or Consequences - renaming the town Hot Springs, New Mexico "Truth or Consequences"
      Clip begins at: 06:47, Duration: 02m 37s
    • Ralph Edwards on Truth or Consequences' move to television and how the new medium affected the program
      Clip begins at: 10:10, Duration: 05m 14s
    • Ralph Edwards on producing Truth or Consequences on film using new techniques of live television (a technique credited to Al Simon)
      Clip begins at: 15:24, Duration: 06m 18s
    • Ralph Edwards on being M.C. for only one season of Truth or Consequences and winning the first Emmy for an audience participation show
      Clip begins at: 21:42, Duration: 00m 36s
    • Ralph Edwards on the many hosts of Truth or Consequences
      Clip begins at: 00:05, Duration: 03m 53s
    • Ralph Edwards on the effect of the Quiz Show scandals on Truth or Consequences
      Clip begins at: 04:12, Duration: 02m 17s
  • Irving Fein
    • Manager Irving Fein on the contest done on Truth or Consequences to identify the "walking man," which became a national obsession (the "walking man" turned out to be Jack Benny)
      Clip begins at: 02:07, Duration: 02m 16s
  • Stanley Frazen
    • Stanley Frazen on editing Truth or Consequences on CBS
      Clip begins at: 11:41
  • Mort Lachman
    • Writer Mort Lachman on doing warmup on Truth or Consequences hosted by Ralph Edwards
      Clip begins at: 07:27, Duration: 01m 51s
  • Jack Shea
    • Director Jack Shea on working on Truth or Consequences, one of the first shows he directed
      Clip begins at: 15:08, Duration: 03m 16s
  • Herbert F. Solow
    • Herbert F. Solow on working on Truth or Consequences
      Clip begins at: 40:27, Duration: 00m 24s
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  • Game Show Genres

    For more on TV GAME SHOWS, visit the Archive's Game Show Series reference page.

     

Submitted by Chris Peterson on Fri, 2015-11-13 20:34.
I'm looking for episodes from 1969 on TV, but don't know what network it was on. Does anyone know where to find them, maybe online?

Submitted by Brooke Black on Thu, 2015-11-05 22:32.
My grandmother was on an episode of Truth or Consequences in the early 60's with Bob Barker. I am desperately trying to obtain a copy of the show. Do you know of any way that I can get a copy? Thank you so much!

Submitted by patrick on Sun, 2015-08-02 12:59.
Searching for truth or consequences game show episode archive footage of father and uncles reunion. Any help appreciated. Thank you Patrick @ thecorpsnomore@gmail.com.

Submitted by Adrienne Faillace on Tue, 2015-08-11 20:34.
Hi Patrick - We only have oral history interviews in our collection - we don't have any episodes of television. You might try contacting the Paley Center for Media or the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Best of luck with your search!

Submitted by Josef on Sun, 2014-06-15 04:03.
Ahaa, its nice discussion about this article here at this web site, I have read all that, so at this time me also commenting here.

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