1959: Game Show Contestant Admits Fraud

When the quiz show Twenty-One first aired on NBC on September 12, 1956, it was considered a “dismal failure” or at least it was to Dan Enright, the producer of the show. The first two players didn’t do well at all and the show’s sponsor, Geritol, did not want to be a part of a losing show. From there on out, the game show was fixed and presented almost like a play. Contestants were given answers to questions, told how to dress and told when to give the right answers and when not to. By late November, college professor Charles Van Doren was brought in to “challenge” Herbert Stempel the reigning “champion” on the show who was not very well liked by the viewers. The two battled it out for four games and then Stempel was ordered to give a wrong answer in order for Van Doren to beat him. Van Doren continued to “win” various other contestants which increased the popularity of the show even beating I Love Lucy in the ratings. He was finally beaten by Vivienne Wax Nearing on March 11, 1957 after winning $129,000 in prize money. However, still smarting from his “loss” to Van Doren, Stempel made attempts to get a federal investigator look into the shady dealings of the show. After rumblings of other fixed games, a grand jury was convened in the fall of 1958 to investigate various TV game shows and by October 17th, host Jack Barry was out of job as the show was cancelled. Almost a year later on this day in 1959, Van Doren admitted to a Congressional committee that he had been given questions and answers in advance. The 1994 movie, Quiz Show was based on these events. (Main image: Wikimedia)