General trivia:
- Originally, the series was broadcast live, like virtually every other 1950's game show. Originally seen live on Tuesday nights at 9:00 p.m. EST, it moved to Thursday nights on October 1, 1959, and eventually to Monday nights on September 26, 1960. By August 1960, the show taped a new episode on Thursday night (Wednesday night later on) at 7:30 p.m. for air on Monday. For the 1962-1968 Daytime series, three different dates were spent taping a weeks' worth of episodes at 11:00 a.m. EST, because the technology to tape five shows in a single day hadn't existed yet: Two shows on Tuesday, another two shows on Thursday, and one more show on Friday.
- To Tell the Truth is one of two game shows to air first-run episodes in every decade since the 1950s, the other being The Price Is Right.
Specific trivia:
- Descended Creator: Mark Goodson himself subbed as host once in 1967, as Bud Collyer was ill that time. He did so again for two episodes of the 1990-91 version, as Alex Trebek had to leave in a hurry because his wife went into labor during taping. Goodson mistakenly claimed in the first 1990-91 episode that it was his first time hosting the show — he probably forgot about that time in 1967.
- Follow the Leader:
- Art Linkletter claimed at one time that this show was a rip-off of "Lie Detector," a segment of his show People Are Funny. Linkletter attempted to sue Goodson-Todman.
- Going the other way, Chuck Barris created a pilot in the mid-80s for a show called Bamboozle, which was so similar to Truth that Goodson filed a lawsuit. Bamboozle never made it to series.
- Heatter-Quigley's 1969 show Name Droppers (hosted by Los Angeles radio personalities Al Lohman and Roger Barkley) had a contestant who had a personal tie with one of the celebrity panelists. A section of the studio audience voted on which celebrity it was.
- Missing Episode: A small percent of episodes were sponsored by Marlboro, Winston, and Salem — and as such are banned from GSN replay. However, like the Winston-sponsored I've Got a Secret episodes, they were allowed to run during GSN's Black and White Overnite programming block from 2001-06. (On the condition that anti-smoking PS As are aired in the commercial segments)
- Network to the Rescue: ABC originally didn't have much faith in the most recent version hosted by Anthony Anderson. Only six episodes were taped while more were ordered for Celebrity Family Feud and revivals of Pyramid and Match Game. The episodes then sat around for almost a year until it was announced that they will air Tuesday nights during the summer, likely to burn them out. Remarkably, it was successful enough to for ABC to renew it annually.
- Never Work with Children or Animals: One game involved an armadillo trainer with Garry Moore bringing one onstage to introduce the segment. Unfortunately, the armadillo chose to relieve itself on Moore just before the panelists could be introduced. None of them would shake Moore's hand as custom while they came on stage, choosing to stay as far away from him as possible.Moore: Does anybody in the audience want an empty armadillo?
- No Budget: The Anthony Anderson-hosted revival is the only version not to award money to impostors for incorrect panel votes. (However, this is probably a formality, as the central subject and the imposters are all usually paid appearance fees for their time.)
- Real-Life Relative:
- October 14, 1958:Collyer: Panel will you read again with me for this final affidavit of the evening. "I, Richard V. Heermance, was born in NYC. I have one sister and one brother. Like my brother I attended Williams college in Williamstown Mass., but unlike my brother, I did NOT follow in our father's footsteps and study law. Like my brother I am married and have a family. I have two children and my brother has three. My brother, incidentally, is better known to all of you as — Bud Collyer. Signed, Richard V. Heermance".
- July 5, 1965: A group of contestants claimed to be "George Burroughs". The affidavit for Mr. Burroughs ended with, "...and I am father of comedian Dallas Burroughs." Amid Kitty Carlisle asking, "Who's Dallas Burroughs?", apparently with the feeling that that name somehow rang a bell, Bud Collyer called for the questioning to begin with the panelist sitting next to her, Orson Bean, who began:I must disqualify myself. My real name is Dallas Burroughs, and George Burroughs is my father!
- One memorable moment from the Garry Moore era involved noted NYPD undercover officer Richard Buggy as the subject. All three contestants were in disguise — #1 was a blind old lady, #2 was an old man on crutches, and #3 was a (hiccup) drunken street bum. After the real Buggy revealed himself (number one), the impostors revealed their identities as well — number two was Chris Hart, son of regular panelist Kitty Carlisle (Hart), and number three was Joe Garagiola Jr., whose father, Joe Sr., was sitting on the panel that particular episode. Neither parents recognized their children.
- October 14, 1958:
- Screwed by the Network:
- CBS cancelled the original prime time run without warning in 1967—along with a nighttime version of Password, I've Got a Secret and What's My Line?—when the network decided that prime time game shows had become a thing of the past. The daytime version survived another season before getting cancelled too.
- During the second season of the O'Hurley run, Fremantle Media assumed ownership of Pearson Television and Tribune Entertainment acquired distribution rights. The two companies decided that of the three game shows they had in syndication at the time, only Family Feud was viable enough in the long run. To Tell the Truth and Card Sharks were both axed in 2002.
- Troubled Production: The 1990s version. Start with NBC mistakenly airing Pilot #2 (hosted by Richard Kline) on the East Coast instead of the premiere. Then add Gordon Elliott leaving over a dispute with his previous employers at Fox. Then add his replacement, Lynn Swann, having to leave over schedule conflicts with his work at ABC Sportsnote . Then add his replacement, Alex Trebeknote , having to bow out for two episodes due to his wife going into labor (as stated, Mark Goodson filled in for him).
