NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Tattletales

Tattletales was a game show which first aired on the CBS daytime schedule on February 18, 1974. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with several announcers Jack Clark (for the first several weeks), Gene Wood (who served as main announcer, beginning in late 1974 onwards), Johnny Olson (who also served as main announcer on the 1982 version) and John Harlan providing the voiceover at various times. The show was based on a syndicated Goodson-Todman show aired during the 1969-1970 season, He Said, She Said. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Bernard Whalen Bert Convy (July 23, 1933 â€“ July 15, 1991) was an American game show host and panelist, actor and singer known for his tenure as the host for Tattletales, Super Password, and Win, Lose or Draw. ... Gene Wood in an on-camera appearance as a Match Game panelist Gene Wood, full name Eugene Edward Wood (October 20, 1925 - May 21, 2004), was an American television personality. ... Jack Clark (December 13, 1921 - July 21, 1988) was a American game show emcee and announcer. ... John Leonard Johnny Olson (May 22, 1910 â€“ October 12, 1985) was an American radio personality and television announcer, most notable for announcing 32 game shows from Mark Goodson-Bill Todman productions, from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... â€œQuiz showâ€ redirects here. ... CBS Broadcasting, Inc. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Bernard Whalen Bert Convy (July 23, 1933 â€“ July 15, 1991) was an American game show host and panelist, actor and singer known for his tenure as the host for Tattletales, Super Password, and Win, Lose or Draw. ... Jack Clark (December 13, 1921 - July 21, 1988) was a American game show emcee and announcer. ... Gene Wood in an on-camera appearance as a Match Game panelist Gene Wood, full name Eugene Edward Wood (October 20, 1925 - May 21, 2004), was an American television personality. ... John Leonard Johnny Olson (May 22, 1910 â€“ October 12, 1985) was an American radio personality and television announcer, most notable for announcing 32 game shows from Mark Goodson-Bill Todman productions, from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s. ... John Harlan is a popular television announcer who has worked on numerous television projects. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... He Said, She Said was an American game show hosted by former baseball great Joe Garagiola. ...

The show's premise was based on questions asked about celebrity couples' personal and/or love lives.

Host

Bert Convy was awarded a Daytime Emmy for hosting the show 1977. However, occasionally during the 1970s run, Bert Convy and his wife, Anne, would play the game. Most often they both played during weeks in which the panel was comprised entirely of other game show hosts and their spouses. Among the hosts who filled in for Convy during these episodes were Gene Rayburn, Bob Barker, Bobby Van, Jack Narz and Richard Dawson. The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Gene Rayburn (December 22, 1917 â€“ November 29, 1999) was an Emmy-nominated American radio and television personality. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Bobby Van (December 6, 1928â€“July 31, 1980) was probably best known for his musical and acting career on Broadway in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Jack Narz (born November 13, 1922, in Louisville, Kentucky), the elder brother of game show legend Tom Kennedy (Jim Narz) and the brother-in-law of another game show legend, the late Bill Cullen, is an American television announcer and game show host in his own right, who eluded the... Richard Dawson, a panelist on Match Game, seen here in 1977 during the infamous School Riot episode. ...

Gameplay

The show went through two formats during its two stints on CBS, with the first featured only during the first month of the original run.

Format 1

In round one, while the husbands (sometimes the wives) are isolated in an enclosed room behind the main set, Convy asked their spouses two questions (usually they started with "It happened at..." and then Convy would complete the question). After each question was read, a wife/husband would buzz in to answer the question. Then after answering the question, the spouse who had buzzed in would then give a one- or two-word clue that her husband/his wife would recognize. Then the isolated spouses appeared on monitors in front of their wives/husbands. Host Convy would then ask the question to the husbands/wives, followed by the clue, after which the husband/wife who buzzed in first (with buzzers of their own in the isolation room) got the right to answer. Then if the husband's/wife's answer matched his wife's/her husband's, the couple won money for their rooting section, based on the length of the clue ($100 for a one-word clue and $50 for a two-word). After the questions, host Convy would then ask another question to the couples called a Tattletale Quickie (it was usually multiple-choice) in which all couples participated. On his/her turn, each wife/husband would answer the question, and then his/her spouse appeared and answered the same question. Each match on the quickie was worth $100. The roles were reversed in round two. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

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Format 2

By spring, Tattletales dropped the first part of the round in favor of all Tattletale Quickies for the entire half hour, thus no longer referring to them by that name. In addition, the scoring format changed; each question had a pot of $150. If two or all three couples matched, they split the pot ($75 for two couples & $50 for all three); but if only one couple matched, they got the whole pot. If nobody matched, the money was carried over to the next question, making the next question worth $300 (or $450). Again, the roles were reversed in round two. The final question was worth double, meaning $300 went to any one couple who matched, $150 to two and $100 to all three.

Money for Rooting Sections

In all versions, all three "rooting sections" (one-third of the studio audience, divided into the colors of red, "banana" (yellow), and blue) divided the money their respective couples won for them. The couple with the most money at the end of the show won the game, earning their rooting section a bonus of $1000. If the game ended in a tie between two or among all three couples, the bonus was split ($500 for two rooting sections, $334 for all three).

Cash prizes on game shows are typically awarded to contestants in the form of a check, mailed weeks after a show has been taped. Because of the impracticality (e.g., postal costs) of doing this for an entire studio audience, Tattletales kept a check-cutting machine in the studio, and distributed the money to the audience members on their way out immediately after the show.

Celebrities

Among the celebrities that played the game include Jay Leno and his wife, Michael J. Fox and his girlfriend, Leslie Nielson and his wife, Tommy Lasorda and As the World Turns co-stars Meg Ryan and Frank Runyon. The 1980s version did not always use married couples, occasionally featuring special weeks with teams consisting of TV couples, best friends, parent-child, and other combinations. Actor Dick Sargent and comedienne/author Fannie Flagg appeared on the show as a couple, though both were gay. Flagg was not introduced as Sargent's wife or girlfriend, or even friend, but rather "his lady." When Orson Bean played, he had the habit of dubbing the red section the pimento section and the blue section the blueberry section to go along with the yellow banana section. Often on weeks he wasn't on Burt would say, "Winning money for the red - or as our friend Orson Bean says - the pimento section is...." James Douglas Muir Jay Leno (born April 28, 1950) is an Emmy-winning American comedian who is best known as the current host of NBC televisions long-running variety and talk program The Tonight Show. ... For other persons named Michael Fox, see Michael Fox (disambiguation). ... Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen, OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian actor and absurdist comedian. ... Tommy Lasorda, 2006 photo by Phil Konstantin Thomas Charles Lasorda (born September 22, 1927 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League baseball pitcher and manager. ... As the World Turns (ATWT) is the second longest-running American television soap opera (the first being Guiding Light),[1] airing each weekday on CBS. Set in the fictional town of Oakdale, Illinois, the show debuted on Monday, April 2, 1956[2] at 1:30pm. ... Meg Ryan (born November 19, 1961) is a questionable American actress who specializes in romantic comedies, but has also worked in other film genres. ... Dick Sargent (April 19, 1930 â€“ July 8, 1994) was born Richard Stanford Cox in Carmel, California. ... Fannie Flagg (born September 21, 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American author and actress. ... Orson Bean, born Dallas Frederick Burroughs (July 22, 1928 in Burlington, Vermont), is an American film and stage actor. ... Pimento is sometimes a synonym for Allspice. ... For other uses, see Blueberry (disambiguation). ...

Scheduling History

When CBS placed Tattletales at 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central on February 18, 1974; the network put the show in the unenviable position of being the recipient of anger from devoted fans of the soap opera The Secret Storm, which had been cancelled ten days earlier. Nevertheless, packager Goodson-Todman continued its winning streak with Tattletales, and it formed the last third of an afternoon block including The Price is Right and the ratings-leading Match Game 74. is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... For Philippine soap opera, see Teleserye. ... The Secret Storm title card from 1960. ... The Price Is Rights US 35th season logo. ... The Match Game was an American television game show, most often hosted by Gene Rayburn. ...

CBS later placed Tattletales in the 11/10 a.m. slot on June 16, 1975, and then to 3:30/2:30 p.m. on August 11, 1975, moving Match Game to 3/2, filling a gap left by Price's return to mornings. However, by Thanksgiving, TT and MG got pushed back to their original timeslots. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In November 1977, CBS once again tried Tattletales in the 11/10 a.m. slot. Up against NBC's hit Wheel of Fortune, Tattletales gradually began to lose viewers and ran its 1075th and final show on March 31, 1978, giving way to Pass the Buck. Goodson-Todman contracted with Viacom to distribute a weekly syndicated version beginning in September 1977. Few stations were interested in a nighttime Tattletales, however, and it only lasted one season. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Wheel of Fortune may refer to: Wheel of Fortune (US game show), the US nighttime version. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Ladies and gentlemen, these four players are about to make instant decisions under pressure. ... Viacom (NYSE: VIA) (NYSE: VIAb) is an American media conglomerate with various worldwide interests in cable and satellite television networks (MTV Networks and BET), and movie production and distribution (the Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks movie studios). ... In the television industry (as in radio), syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast programs to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

Later in 1982, programmers decided to ask Mark Goodson (Bill Todman had since died) to bring Tattletales back, and it returned with host Convy, and the original set, on January 18. This time, the network left the game alone, allowing it to hold the slot until June 1, 1984, when Goodson tried another format, Body Language. Mark Goodson (January 14, 1915 â€“ December 18, 1992) was an accomplished American television producer who specialized in game shows. ... Bill Todman (July 31, 1916-July 29, 1979) was an American television producer born in New York City. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Body Language is a television game show based on the party game charades which aired from June 4, 1984, until January 3, 1986, on CBS. Tom Kennedy hosted the Mark Goodson production. ...

Pilot

In 1972, a TV pilot was produced for what eventually become Tattletales. The pilot was named Celebrity Matchmates and was emceed by Gene Rayburn, who at the time was hosting CBS's Amateur's Guide to Love. By the time the pilot was successfully sold to the network in early 1974, Rayburn was already hosting Match Game, which in the mid-1970s usually preceded Tattletales on the CBS afternoon lineup; Bert Convy got the job instead (although Rayburn and his wife were frequent guests on the show, and he even filled in as host during a 1974 week when Convy and his wife played the game). Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gene Rayburn (December 22, 1917 â€“ November 29, 1999) was an Emmy-nominated American radio and television personality. ... CBS Broadcasting, Inc. ... The Match Game was an American television game show, most often hosted by Gene Rayburn. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...

Episode Status

All episodes of Tattletales exist and have been seen on GSN before, most recently in May of 2007, in which GSN showed an episode where Bob Barker hosted while Bert played. The Game Show Network (GSN) is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and interactive television games. ...

GSN aired an episode in the early morning hours of September 3, 2007 as part of their tribute to classic game shows.

External links

Categories: 1974 television program debuts | 1978 television program series endings | 1982 television program debuts | 1984 television program series endings | 1970s American television series | 1980s American television series | CBS network shows | Goodson-Todman game shows | Television series by FremantleMedia The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

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