Tattletales
Encyclopedia
Tattletales is a game show
which first aired on the CBS
daytime schedule on February 18, 1974. It was hosted by Bert Convy
, with several announcers, including Jack Clark, Gene Wood
, Johnny Olson
and John Harlan
, providing the voiceover at various times. The show was based on He Said, She Said
, a syndicated Goodson-Todman show that aired during the 1969-1970 season.
The show's premise involved questions asked about celebrity couples' personal lives.
for hosting the show in 1977. Bert Convy and his wife, Anne, occasionally played the game during the 1970s run, most often during weeks in which the panel was made up 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. All five hosts also participated in playing the game along with other hosts such as Allen Ludden
, Bill Cullen
and Chuck Woolery
.
The show changed its format after its first month on the air. The second format remained for the rest of the show's run, including its later versions.
A correct answer was worth $100 with a one-word clue, and $50 with a two-word clue. Convy then asked another question, usually multiple choice, called a "Tattletale Quickie," to each couple in-turn. On their turn, each onstage player answered the question, and the spouse appeared and answered the same question. If the answers matched, the team won $100. The players changed places in the second round.
and Anne Meara
, Bobby Van and Elaine Joyce
, and Dick Gautier and Barbara Stuart
. Among the other celebrities that played the game were Jay Leno
and his wife, Michael J. Fox
and his girlfriend, Leslie Nielsen
and his wife, Tommy Lasorda
and his spouse, and As the World Turns
co-stars Meg Ryan
and Frank Runyeon
.
Neither version had a hard rule that the celebrity couples were in fact married or romantically involved, although the later version more frequently featured non-romantic couplings than the original run; the later version occasionally aired special weeks with teams consisting of TV couples, best friends, parent-child, and other combinations. On a March 1982 broadcast, Linda Blair
stated on-air, in response to a question about romantic preferences, that her playing partner for that week, Jim Atcheson, was a close friend rather than a romantic interest. For one week in February 1975, comic actor Dick Sargent
and comedian/author Fannie Flagg
, appeared on the show as a couple; Flagg was not introduced as Sargent's wife or girlfriend, or even friend, but rather "his lady". Comic actor Charles Nelson Reilly
was booked on Tattletales during both CBS runs; his playing partner in 1977 was Elizabeth Allen, a long-time friend from his days on Broadway, and his partner on the show in 1982 was Julie Harris
, another old friend from Broadway who was married to her third husband, Walter Carroll, at the time the program was produced.
. It formed the last third of an afternoon game show block that also included The Price is Right
and Match Game '74
.
The show changed time slots three times in 1975. On June 16, CBS moved it to 11:00 AM Eastern time (one hour earlier in other time zones). On August 18, after The Price Is Right returned to the morning, Tattletales moved to 3:30 PM Eastern (one hour earlier in other zones). On December 1, it returned to its original time slot.
On December 19, 1977, CBS moved Tattletales to the 10:00 AM Eastern time slot (one hour earlier in other zones) in a scheduling shuffle with The Price Is Right and Match Game '77. Tattletales gradually began to lose viewers and ran its 1,075th and final show of the original version on March 31, 1978. It was replaced by Pass the Buck
. A weekly version, syndicated by Firestone aired during the 1977-1978 season, but was not renewed.
In 1981, CBS asked Mark Goodson
to bring Tattletales back, and it returned on January 18, 1982. It aired at 4:00 PM Eastern (one hour earlier in other zones) until June 1, 1984, when it was replaced by another Goodson show, Body Language
.
, who at the time was hosting CBS
's Amateur's Guide to Love
. By the time the show was sold to the network in early 1974, Rayburn was already hosting Match Game
(also a Goodson-Todman production). Bert Convy became host of Tattletales, while Rayburn and his wife were frequent guests on the show, and Rayburn filled in as host when Convy and his wife Anne played the game.
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
which first aired on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
daytime schedule on February 18, 1974. It was hosted by Bert Convy
Bert Convy
Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy was an Emmy Award winning American actor, singer, game show host and panelist known for his tenure as the host for Tattletales, Super Password, and Win, Lose or Draw.-Early life:...
, with several announcers, including Jack Clark, Gene Wood
Gene Wood
Eugene Edward "Gene" Wood was an American television personality, known primarily for his work as an announcer on various game shows. From the 1960s to the 1990s, he announced many game shows, primarily Mark Goodson–Bill Todman productions such as Family Feud, Card Sharks, Password, and Beat the...
, Johnny Olson
Johnny Olson
John Leonard "Johnny" Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. His work spanned 32 game shows produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s...
and John Harlan
John Harlan (announcer)
John Harlan is an American television announcer who has worked on numerous television projects for over 40 years, particularly game and variety shows....
, providing the voiceover at various times. The show was based on He Said, She Said
He Said, She Said (game show)
He Said, She Said was an American game show hosted by Joe Garagiola, with Bill Cullen occasionally filling in when Garagiola was covering baseball games...
, a syndicated Goodson-Todman show that aired during the 1969-1970 season.
The show's premise involved questions asked about celebrity couples' personal lives.
Host
Bert Convy was awarded a Daytime EmmyDaytime Emmy Award
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 & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
for hosting the show in 1977. Bert Convy and his wife, Anne, occasionally played the game during the 1970s run, most often during weeks in which the panel was made up entirely of other game show hosts and their spouses. Among the hosts who filled in for Convy during these episodes were Gene Rayburn
Gene Rayburn
Gene Rayburn was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the popular American television game show Match Game for over two decades....
, Bob Barker
Bob Barker
Robert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
, Bobby Van, Jack Narz
Jack Narz
Jack Narz was an American television announcer and game show host. Narz was the elder brother of Tom Kennedy and the former brother-in-law of Bill Cullen...
and Richard Dawson. All five hosts also participated in playing the game along with other hosts such as Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden
Allen Ludden was an American television personality, emcee and game show host, perhaps most well known for hosting various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.-Early years:...
, Bill Cullen
Bill Cullen
William Lawrence Francis "Bill" Cullen was an American radio and television personality whose career spanned five decades...
and Chuck Woolery
Chuck Woolery
Charles Herbert "Chuck" Woolery is an American game show host. He has had long-running tenures hosting several different game shows. He was the original host of Wheel of Fortune from 1975–81, the original incarnation of Love Connection from 1983–94, and Scrabble from 1984–90...
.
Gameplay
Format #1
One member of each couple was on the main set and the other was isolated backstage. Usually, the game began with the husbands isolated and the wives onstage. Convy asked the players onstage two questions, which usually started with "It happened at..." and then Convy completed the question. After each question was read, a player onstage buzzed-in to answer the question. That player then gave a one- or two-word clue that the spouse would recognize. The offstage players then each appeared on monitors in front of their spouses. Convy repeated the question to the offstage players, followed by the clue. The offstage player who buzzed in first answered the question, and if the couple's answers matched, they won money for their rooting section.A correct answer was worth $100 with a one-word clue, and $50 with a two-word clue. Convy then asked another question, usually multiple choice, called a "Tattletale Quickie," to each couple in-turn. On their turn, each onstage player answered the question, and the spouse appeared and answered the same question. If the answers matched, the team won $100. The players changed places in the second round.
Format #2
The game dropped the first type of question, and questions in the "Tattletale Quickies" format were used for the entire show (though the "Quickies" name was dropped). The scoring format also changed. Each question had a pot of $150, split among all couples who matched ($50 if all three matched, $75 if two matched and $150 if only one couple matched). If no one matched, the amount of the pot was added to the next question. The players changed places in the second round. The value of the final question was doubled.Rooting Sections
Production for Tattletales was set up at Hollywood's CBS Television City in Stages 31, 41, 43 during both runs. It was recorded with a studio audience divided into three color-coded sections: red, yellow (which Convy nicknamed "banana"), and blue, each rooting for one celebrity couple. Audience members in each section divided the money their respective couples won. The couple with the most money at the end of the show won the game, earning their section a $1,000 bonus. In the event of a tie, those sections split the pot. A member of the winning section was also randomly drawn to win additional prizes. Audience members received their winnings in checks distributed as they left the studio.Celebrities
The guest couples on the premiere episode of Tattletales were Jerry StillerJerry Stiller
Gerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller is an American comedian and actor.He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara...
and Anne Meara
Anne Meara
Anne Meara is an American actress and comedian. She and Jerry Stiller were a prominent 1960s comedy team, appearing as Stiller and Meara, and are the parents of actor/comedian Ben and actress Amy Stiller.- Personal life :...
, Bobby Van and Elaine Joyce
Elaine Joyce
Elaine Joyce is an American actress.Joyce was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She made her film debut in 1961 as an extra in West Side Story and made uncredited appearances in several musical films, including The Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie, and Funny Girl before being cast in Such Good Friends in 1971...
, and Dick Gautier and Barbara Stuart
Barbara Stuart
Barbara Ann Stuart was an American actress.-Major roles:Stuart portrayed "Miss Bunny", the girlfriend of Sergeant Vincent Carter, played by Frank Sutton, on three seasons of CBS's Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C....
. Among the other celebrities that played the game were Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
and his wife, Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
and his girlfriend, Leslie Nielsen
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian and naturalized American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in more than one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying more than 220 characters...
and his wife, Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
and his spouse, and As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
co-stars Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
and Frank Runyeon
Frank Runyeon
Frank Runyeon is an American actor most notably recognized for starring opposite Meg Ryan as Steve Andropoulos on CBS's As the World Turns from 1980 to 1987...
.
Neither version had a hard rule that the celebrity couples were in fact married or romantically involved, although the later version more frequently featured non-romantic couplings than the original run; the later version occasionally aired special weeks with teams consisting of TV couples, best friends, parent-child, and other combinations. On a March 1982 broadcast, Linda Blair
Linda Blair
Linda Denise Blair is an American actress. Blair is best known for her role as the possessed child, Regan, in the 1973 film The Exorcist, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globes, winning one. She reprised her role in 1977's Exorcist II: The Heretic.-Biography:Blair...
stated on-air, in response to a question about romantic preferences, that her playing partner for that week, Jim Atcheson, was a close friend rather than a romantic interest. For one week in February 1975, comic actor Dick Sargent
Dick Sargent
Richard Stanford Cox , known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on the television series Bewitched...
and comedian/author Fannie Flagg
Fannie Flagg
Patricia Neal , known professionally as Fannie Flagg, is an American actress, comedienne and author. She is perhaps best-known for the 1988 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was adapted into the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes; Flagg was nominated for an Academy Award for...
, appeared on the show as a couple; Flagg was not introduced as Sargent's wife or girlfriend, or even friend, but rather "his lady". Comic actor Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly was an American actor, comedian, director and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in theater, movies, children's television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show Match Game....
was booked on Tattletales during both CBS runs; his playing partner in 1977 was Elizabeth Allen, a long-time friend from his days on Broadway, and his partner on the show in 1982 was Julie Harris
Julie Harris
Julia Ann "Julie" Harris is an American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1994, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. She is a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame...
, another old friend from Broadway who was married to her third husband, Walter Carroll, at the time the program was produced.
Broadcast history
CBS placed Tattletales at 4:00 PM Eastern (3:00 Central) when it premiered, replacing the long-running soap opera The Secret StormThe Secret Storm
The Secret Storm is a soap opera which ran on CBS from February 1, 1954 to February 8, 1974. The series was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life...
. It formed the last third of an afternoon game show block that also included The Price is Right
The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)
The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
and Match Game '74
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
.
The show changed time slots three times in 1975. On June 16, CBS moved it to 11:00 AM Eastern time (one hour earlier in other time zones). On August 18, after The Price Is Right returned to the morning, Tattletales moved to 3:30 PM Eastern (one hour earlier in other zones). On December 1, it returned to its original time slot.
On December 19, 1977, CBS moved Tattletales to the 10:00 AM Eastern time slot (one hour earlier in other zones) in a scheduling shuffle with The Price Is Right and Match Game '77. Tattletales gradually began to lose viewers and ran its 1,075th and final show of the original version on March 31, 1978. It was replaced by Pass the Buck
Pass the Buck (game show)
Pass the Buck is a game show that aired on CBS television's daytime lineup from April 3 to June 30, 1978. The series was hosted by Bill Cullen and was created by Bob Stewart. Bob Clayton was the announcer.-Gameplay:...
. A weekly version, syndicated by Firestone aired during the 1977-1978 season, but was not renewed.
In 1981, CBS asked Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson
Mark Goodson was an American television producer who specialized in game shows.-Life and early career:...
to bring Tattletales back, and it returned on January 18, 1982. It aired at 4:00 PM Eastern (one hour earlier in other zones) until June 1, 1984, when it was replaced by another Goodson show, Body Language
Body Language (game show)
Body Language is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson Productions. The show aired on CBS from June 4, 1984 until January 3, 1986, and was hosted by Tom Kennedy...
.
Pilot
A pilot was produced in 1972 titled Celebrity Matchmates and was hosted by Gene RayburnGene Rayburn
Gene Rayburn was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the popular American television game show Match Game for over two decades....
, who at the time was hosting CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Amateur's Guide to Love
Amateur's Guide to Love
The Amateur's Guide to Love was an American television game show, created by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley, that ran on CBS from March 27 to June 23, 1972...
. By the time the show was sold to the network in early 1974, Rayburn was already hosting Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
(also a Goodson-Todman production). Bert Convy became host of Tattletales, while Rayburn and his wife were frequent guests on the show, and Rayburn filled in as host when Convy and his wife Anne played the game.