Rigged Game Shows Early On

Those Americans who never trusted game shows to begin with were right about some of these early game shows. Some episodes were definitely rigged. Players like Columbia professor Charles Van Doren were given the answers and coached before the game went live. In 1994, Robert Redford directed the film Quiz Show about the scandal.

Due to scandals like that, the quiz show craze was dwindling by 1960. Rigging competition programs was made illegal. However, at least one gentleman didn’t give up on this addictive TV format. Three years later, actor Merv Griffin developed an idea that would change the game show world forever.