To Tell the Truth

Packager Mark Goodson rightly called it the most golden game show idea of all. It's also one of Bob Stewart's masterworks, for Stewart created the Goodson-(Bill) Todman classic -- as he also did 'The Price Is Right' and 'Password'.

While the idea had roots in 'People Are Funny's Detecto segment, the Goodson-Todman crew developed a format in which not only the studio participants and the viewers could play along, but which still offers insights into human nature -- what better question to make people really think than 'which of these folks is lying?'

Stewart's ideas, Goodson's packaging, and the great supervision of executive producer Gil Fates meshed into a classic which lasts to this day, with the bright, polished John O'Hurley manning the moderator position first held by Bud Collyer (Mike Wallace did the pilot).

'Truth' is a timeless show that deserves to be one of two ('Price' is the other) to span six decades of national television.