How to Delve Into The Quiz Show Scandal

The Quiz Show Scandal of the late 1950s brought shame to the television industry and resulted in vast viewer cynicism. What happened to bring about such a sorry chapter in TV history, one that inspired the 1994 movie "Quiz Show"? Here are some aspects of the scandal to remember.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• General knowledge of 1950s America

1. Only 10 percent of all American families had a TV as the 1950s began. By the end of the decade, that number had risen to 86 percent.
2. Several quiz shows of the late 1950s boasted just one sponsor and the amount of money that could be legally offered to contestants had risen dramatically. The drive to succeed by both the sponsor and network was enormous. Neither the sponsor nor quiz show itself could survive without the other.
3. Although other quiz shows such as "The $64,000 Question" were hit by scandal, only the controversy surrounding "Twenty-One" really rocked the industry.
4. Herb Stempel discussing what he knows in the movie, Study the main characters in the scandal: Charles Van Doren and Herb Stempel. Stempel had been provided with the answers to quiz questions, but soon sponsor Geritol and the show producers decided they wanted the more handsome and personable Van Doren to unseat Stempel as champion. Van Doren was then provided with the answers.
5. Learn the timeline of future events. Stempel blew the whistle, but was simply believed to be bitter at losing to Van Doren. But when "Twenty-One" contestent James Snodgrass sent answers given to him in advance to himself by registered mail, the jig was up.
6. Read about Van Doren's November 1959 admission of guilt to the House Committee on Legislative Oversight, which cost him his professorship at Columbia University. Even President Dwight Eisenhower spoke of his disappointment at the turn of events.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn about other scandals of the era and how long it took for the TV quiz show industry to recover. Prime time quiz shows, in fact, didn't return until "The $10,000 Pyramid" hit the airwaves in 1973.
• Don't lose your cynicism just because the scandal occurred 50 years ago. Although it would seem quiz shows are clean, always look with a bit of a wary eye.