Mark Leo Goodson (January 14, 1915 – December 18, 1992) was an American television producer who specialized in

game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...

s, most frequently with his business partner

Bill Todman William Selden Todman (July 31, 1916 – July 29, 1979) was an American television producer and personality born in New York City. He produced many of television's longest-running shows with business partner Mark Goodson, with whom he created ...

, with whom he created Goodson-Todman Productions.

Early life and early career

Goodson was born in Sacramento, California, on January 14, 1915. *^a "Born Jan. 14, 1915 in Sacramento, CA." — ¶ 1. His Jewish parents, Abraham Ellis (1875–1954) and Fannie Goodson (1887–1986), emigrated from Russia in the early 1900s. As a child, Goodson acted in amateur theater with the Plaza Stock Company. The family later moved to

Hayward, California Hayward is a city located in Alameda County, California, United States, in the East Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of 162,954 as of 2020, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the Bay Area, and the third largest in ...

. Originally intending to become a lawyer, Goodson attended the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

. He financed his education through scholarships and by working at the Lincoln Fish Market. He graduated

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

in 1937 with a degree in economics. That year, he began his broadcasting career in San Francisco, working as a disc jockey at radio station KJBS (now

KFAX KFAX (1100 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to San Francisco, California, and heard around the Bay Area. Since 1984, the station has been owned by Salem Media Group and programs a Christian radio teaching and talk format. The studio ...

). In 1939, he joined radio station KFRC, where he produced and hosted a radio quiz called ''Pop the Question'' in which contestants selected questions by throwing darts at multicolored balloons.

Television production

Goodson and long-time partner Bill Todman produced some of the longest-running game shows in American television history, and their names were well known at least to the large audiences for these shows. Their first television show, '' Winner Take All'', debuted on CBS television on July 1, 1948. The long list of Goodson-Todman productions includes ''

The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is an American television game show where contestants compete by guessing the prices of merchandise to win cash and prizes. A 1972 revival by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman of their The Price Is Right (1956 American game ...

'', ''

Family Feud ''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. Two families compete on each episode to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The show has had three separate runs, the ...

'', '' Classic Concentration'', ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity paneli ...

'', ''

Password A password, sometimes called a passcode, is secret data, typically a string of characters, usually used to confirm a user's identity. Traditionally, passwords were expected to be memorized, but the large number of password-protected services t ...

'', ''

Beat the Clock ''Beat the Clock'' is an American television game show. Contestants attempted to complete challenges such as physical stunts within a time limit in order to win prizes. The show was a creation of Mark Goodson- Bill Todman Productions. The sho ...

'', ''

To Tell the Truth ''To Tell the Truth'' is an American television panel show. Four celebrity panelists are presented with three contestants (the "team of challengers", each an individual or pair) and must identify which is the "central character" whose unusual ...

'' (Goodson's personal favorite show), '' I've Got a Secret'', ''

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a Panel show, panel game show that originally ran in the United States, between 1950 and 1967, on CBS, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent American revivals. The game uses celebrity panelists ...

'', ''

Card Sharks ''Card Sharks'' is an American television game show. It was created by Chester Feldman for Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions. Contestants attempt to predict the outcome of survey questions to gain control of a row of oversized playing cards ...

'', and ''

Tattletales ''Tattletales'' is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson, Goodson-Bill Todman, Todman Productions in association with Fremantle (company), Fremantle. The program had two runs on the CBS daytime schedule between February 1974 and June ...

''. Goodson-Todman Productions/Mark Goodson Productions created content for American channels and other international channels. (including Talbot Television Ltd. and Fremantle UK Productions Ltd.). such as

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

, and

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

in the US,

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...

( Anglia, Central,

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

LWT London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 ...

, TVS,

Scottish Television Scottish Television (now legally known as STV Central Limited) is the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchisee for Central Belt, Central Scotland. The channel — the largest of the three ITV franchises in Scotland — has been in operation si ...

, and

Yorkshire Television ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

, and

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...

, (also Challenge TV). It licensed many of its shows to the

Reg Grundy Organisation Reg Grundy Organisation (founded as Reg Grundy Enterprises, later known as both Reg Grundy Productions and Grundy Television and known informally as Grundy's) was an Australian-based multinational mass media company, primarily involved in tele ...

to be adapted in Australia and Europe. Goodson and Todman's shows endured through the decades, many over multiple runs, because of Goodson's sharp eye for production and presentation, and their strict insistence on maintaining clean, honest contests, thus allowing their shows to survive the quiz-show scandals of the late 1950s. After those scandals wiped out most of their competition, much of the newer game-show output of the 1960s and 1970s came from either Goodson-Todman or companies launched by their former employees:

Merv Griffin Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr. (July 6, 1925 – August 12, 2007) was an American television show host and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer, later appearing in film and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. From 1962 to 1986, G ...

, Bob Stewart,

Monty Hall Monty Hall (born Monte Halparin; August 25, 1921 – September 30, 2017) was a Canadian-American radio and television show host who moved to the United States in 1955 to pursue a career in broadcasting. After working as a radio newsreade ...

, and later

Jay Wolpert Jay Sheldon Wolpert (January 29, 1942 – January 3, 2022) was an American television producer and screenwriter. Early life Wolpert was born in The Bronx, New York City. Career Early career His first television appearance came as a contestant ...

. Goodson-Todman was involved with Jack Barry's comeback vehicle ''

The Joker's Wild ''The Joker's Wild'' is an American television game show that aired at different times between 1972 and 2017. Contestants answer trivia questions based on categories determined randomly by a mechanism resembling a slot machine. The show's titl ...

'' for its 1969 pilot, but ended involvement with the show before it debuted in 1972. While Todman oversaw the company's lucrative businesses outside of television, Goodson handled the creative aspects of producing game shows. The people who worked for the company and created most of the Goodson-Todman shows were pivotal to the success of those shows. Goodson-Todman executives Bob Stewart, Bob Bach,

Gil Fates Joseph Gilbert Fates (September 29, 1914 - May 1, 2000) was an American television producer. Early years Fates was a native of Newark, New Jersey, who studied economics at the University of Virginia. In the summer after he graduated he was an a ...

Ira Skutch Ira Skutch (September 12, 1921 – March 16, 2010) was an American television director, producer, and, in his later years, an author. In the early days of television he produced and directed episodes of ''Kraft Television Theatre'' and ''The Phil ...

Frank Wayne Frank Wayne (born Rocco Francis Rossi Jr.; July 9, 1917 – March 18, 1988) was an American game show producer and host. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he was also associated with Mark Goodson Productions. Biography Wayne was the original execut ...

Chester Feldman Chester Feldman (January 8, 1926 – May 25, 1997) was an American producer of game shows born in The Bronx, New York, who was also associated with Mark Goodson Productions. Biography Before beginning his career in television, Feldman served i ...

Paul Alter Paul Alter (March 11, 1922 – June 11, 2011) was an American television director, specializing in game shows for Mark Goodson, Mark Goodson Productions. Alter was best known as the original director of ''Family Feud'' from the show's origin in ...

, Howard Felsher,

Ted Cooper Edward Theodore Cooper (November 11, 1920 – December 5, 1999) was a long-time United States television scenic designer and creative consultant. Cooper is best known as the production designer and creative consultant for Mark Goodson-Bil ...

, Mimi O'Brien, Jay Wolpert, and others were instrumental in making the shows successful. The company proved itself to be masterful at games, but was not as successful when it tried other fields of television programs, including the anthology dramas ''

The Web The World Wide Web (WWW or simply the Web) is an information system that enables content sharing over the Internet through user-friendly ways meant to appeal to users beyond IT specialists and hobbyists. It allows documents and other web ...

'' and ''

The Richard Boone Show ''The Richard Boone Show'' is an anthology television series. It aired on NBC from September 24, 1963 until September 15, 1964. It was broadcast on Tuesdays from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Synopsis Richard Boone hosted the series and starred in ...

'', a talk-variety show for famed insult comic

Don Rickles Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep (film), Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958), ''Enter Laughing ...

– and what was possibly the company's biggest failure, a sitcom titled ''

One Happy Family ''One Happy Family'' is an American sitcom television series where newlyweds Dick and Penny Cooper live with both her parents ("The Hogans") and grandparents ("The Hacketts") all in the same house together that aired from January 13 until June 23 ...

''. Goodson-Todman Productions was also involved with three

Westerns The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier (commonly referred to as the "Old West" or the "Wild West") between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, and commonly associated wit ...

: ''

Jefferson Drum ''Jefferson Drum'', also known as ''The Pen and the Quill'', is an American Western television series starring Jeff Richards that aired on the NBC network from April 25 to April 23, 1959. Overview Jefferson Drum, portrayed by Jeff Richards, i ...

'' (1958–59), starring Jeff Richards as a newspaper editor in the Old West; '' The Rebel'' (1959–1961), starring Nick Adams as a former Confederate soldier who traveled to the West after the American Civil War (

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

sang the theme); and '' Branded'', starring

Chuck Connors Kevin Joseph "Chuck" Connors (April 10, 1921 – November 10, 1992) was an American actor and professional basketball and baseball player. He is one of only 13 athletes in the history of American professional sports to have played in both Majo ...

as a soldier who had wrongly been given a dishonorable discharge from the Army. For many years, the company was headquartered in the

Seagram Building The Seagram Building is a skyscraper at 375 Park Avenue, between 52nd Street (Manhattan), 52nd and 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Streets, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe along with P ...

at 375 Park Avenue in New York City. Most of the company's production moved to Hollywood in the early 1970s (as did many other production companies), starting with the ABC revival of ''Password'' in 1971. The Los Angeles offices were based at 6430 Sunset Boulevard, moving to 5750 Wilshire Boulevard. The company's last New York-based show was the 1980 version of ''To Tell the Truth'', but the New York office remained open and was used for East Coast '' Child's Play'' auditions. A few years after Bill Todman's death in 1979, Goodson acquired the Todman heirs' share of the company, and in 1982, the company was renamed Mark Goodson Productions. Traditionally, shows signed off with: "This is (announcer's name) speaking for (show name), A Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production/A Mark Goodson Television Production." After Goodson's death, to pay off a massive inheritance tax, Goodson's family sold the rights (except for '' Concentration/Classic Concentration'', which had been licensed from NBC) to

All-American Television All American Television (later known as All American Communications Television and formerly Scotti Brothers-Syd Vinnedge Television and Scotti Vinnedge Television) was a television syndication company active from 1981 to 1998. It was founded by ...

, which was subsequently taken over by Pearson PLC (an educational publisher and communications company based in the United Kingdom), and, in turn, was acquired by

RTL Group RTL Group S.A. ("Radio Télévision Luxembourg") is a Luxembourg-based international media conglomerate, with another corporate office in Cologne, Germany. The company operates 56 television channels and 36 radio stations in Germany, France an ...

(a division of

Bertelsmann The Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Bertelsmann (), is a German privately held company, private multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation based in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia, ...

), to form

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

, which now owns the rights to the library from Mark Goodson Productions. The Mark Goodson Productions name, logo, and announcement continued to be used for some shows until 2007, when

Bob Barker Robert William Barker (December 12, 1923 – August 26, 2023) was an American media personality, game show host, and animal rights advocate. He hosted CBS's '' The Price Is Right'', the longest-running game show in North American television ...

's last show of ''The Price Is Right'' aired. Afterward, at the close of each episode of ''The Price Is Right'', the announcer credits the show as "a FremantleMedia Production" until 2018; it is now credited simply as "a Fremantle Production", reflecting the name change of the company. Copyrights to many of the Goodson-Todman's game shows were assigned to its specially formed companies, named in ''The (program name) Company'' scheme, such as ''The Family Company'', ''The Password Company'' etc. They are currently in-name-only units of Fremantle North America. In 1990, Goodson received the

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

"Lifetime Achievement Award for Daytime Television", which was presented to him by

Betty White Betty Marion Ludden ( White; January 17, 1922December 31, 2021), known professionally as Betty White, was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades, she was noted for her vas ...

. Two years later, in 1992, Goodson earned induction into the

Television Hall of Fame The Television Academy Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to U.S. television. The hall of fame was founded by former Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) president John H. Mitchell (1921–1988). In ...

Foreign versions

Many Goodson-Todman games were produced internationally, some under different titles, and were distributed by

Reg Grundy Reginald Roy Grundy (4 August 1923 – 6 May 2016) was an Australian entrepreneur and media mogul, best known for his numerous television productions. He was the producer of various Australian game shows, such as '' Blankety Blanks'' (based on ...

Productions. ''Family Feud'' was known in the United Kingdom as ''

Family Fortunes ''Family Fortunes'' is a British television game show based on the American game show ''Family Feud''. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002. A celebrity version, '' All Star Family Fortunes'', followed from 2006 to ...

'', and ''Card Sharks'' went under the title ''

Play Your Cards Right ''Play Your Cards Right'' (or ''Bruce Forsyth's Play Your Cards Right'') is a British television game show based on, and played similarly to, the American show ''Card Sharks''. History ''Play Your Cards Right'' broadcast on ITV from 1 Februar ...

''. In Germany, ''Match Game'' was known as '' Schnickschnack'' (loosely translated, "something, anything" and used as a counterpart for the word "blank", for which German has no direct word). In the United Kingdom, it was known as ''

Blankety Blank ''Blankety Blank'' is a British comedy game show which first aired in 1979. The show is based on the American game show ''Match Game'', with contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panellists to fill-in-the-blank questions. The ...

'', while in Australia, it was known as '' Blankety Blanks'' (which, coincidentally, was the title of an unrelated American game show, created by former Goodson-Todman staffer Bob Stewart).

Shows

Of the numerous shows Goodson produced in his lifetime, three are currently on the air: ''The Price Is Right'', which has run continuously since 1972; ''Family Feud'', which ran in two different iterations during 1976–1985 and 1988–1995, and was revived in its current form in 1999; and ''

'', which was revived in 2022 after a lengthy stint off the air. All revivals since 1994 have been produced by successor companies (All-American Television from 1994 to 1998, Pearson Television from 1998 to 2002, FremantleMedia from 2002 to 2018, and Fremantle since 2018).

Mark Goodson–Bill Todman Productions (1948–1982)

*'' All-Star Family Feud Special'' (ABC 1978–1984) *''About Last Night'' (HBO Max 2022; a remake of ''Tattletales'') produced by Sweet July Productions and Unanimous Media *''

'' (CBS, ABC 1950–1961, 1969–1974, CBS 1979–1980 copyrighted as The Clock Co., 2002–2003 copyrighted as Tick Tock Productions, Ltd., 2018–2019) *''

The Better Sex ''The Better Sex'' is a television game show in the United States where men competed against women in a "battle of the sexes" format. The Mark Goodson-Bill Todman production ran on ABC from July 18, 1977, to January 13, 1978. The show had two ho ...

'' (ABC 1977–1978) *''Blade Rider, Revenge of the Indian Nations'' (1966) *'' Blockbusters'' (NBC 1980–1982, 1987); UK version produced from 1983 to 1995 *'' Branded'' (NBC 1965–1967) *'' Broken Sabre'' (1965) *''By Popular Demand'' (CBS 1950) *''

Call My Bluff ''Call My Bluff'' is a British panel game show based on the short-lived US version of the same name. It was originally hosted by Robin Ray and later, most notably, by Robert Robinson. Its most prominent panellist was Frank Muir. The theme m ...

'' (NBC 1965) *''

'' (NBC 1978–1981, CBS/Syn 1986–1989, Syn 2001–2002, ABC 2019–2021) copyrighted as Suzanne Productions (later MG Productions), and The Card Sharks Company. *''

Celebrity Family Feud ''Celebrity Family Feud'' is a broadcast network spin-off (media), spin-off of the broadcast syndication, syndicated American game show ''Family Feud''. Like the primetime ''All-Star Specials'' aired during the late 1970s and early 1980s by the s ...

'' (2008, 2015–present) *''

Choose Up Sides ''Choose Up Sides'' is a children's television game show that aired on NBC from January 7 to March 31, 1956. It was hosted by Gene Rayburn, announced by Don Pardo and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions. Background ''Choose Up Sides'' began a ...

'' (NBC 1956) * ''Concentration'' and ''Classic Concentration'' (Syn 1973–1978, NBC 1987–1991) copyrighted as G-T Enterprises and The Concentration Company *''

The Don Rickles Show ''The Don Rickles Show'' is an American comedy television series. The series stars Don Rickles, Louise Sorel, Erin Moran, Robert Hogan, and Joyce Van Patten. The series aired on CBS from January 14 until May 26, 1972. It ranked 56th out of 78 ...

'' (ABC 1968–1969) *'' Double Dare'' (CBS 1976–1977) *''(The New)

(Challenge)'' (ABC 1976–1985, CBS 1988–1995, Syn 1999–present) copyrighted by The Family Company, The New Family Company, Feudin' Productions, and Wanderlust Productions *'' Get the Message'' (ABC 1964) *''

Goodyear Theatre ''Goodyear Theatre'' (also known as ''Award Theatre'' and ''Golden Years of Television'') is a 30-minute dramatic television anthology series telecast on NBC from October 14, 1957, to September 12, 1960. Cast Actors appearing in the series inc ...

'' (NBC 1957–1960) *'' He Said, She Said'' (Syn 1969–1970) *''

It's News to Me English auxiliary verbs are a small set of English verbs, which include the English modal auxiliary verbs and a few others. Although the auxiliary verbs of English are widely believed to lack inherent semantic meaning and instead to modify the ...

'' (CBS 1951–1953, 1954) *'' I've Got a Secret'' (CBS 1952–1967, Syn 1972–1973, 1976, 2000–2001, GSN 2006) produced by Oxygen Media LLC in the 2000–01 version and Burt DuBrow Productions in association with Get Real Entertainment in the 2006 version *''

'' (1958–1959) *''Judge for Yourself'' (NBC 1953–1954) *''Las Vegas Beat'' (1961) *''

Make the Connection ''Make the Connection'' is an American game show, sponsored by Borden, that ran on Thursday nights from July 7 to September 29, 1955, on NBC. Originally hosted by Jim McKay, he was replaced after the first four episodes by Gene Rayburn, who debu ...

'' (1955) *''

'' (NBC 1962–1969, CBS 1973–1982, ABC 1990–1991, Syn 1998–1999, ABC 2016–2021, 2025-present) copyrighted as Sojourn Productions, Celebrity Productions, The Match Game Company, and others. *''

Million Dollar Password ''Million Dollar Password'' is an updated version of the game show ''Password'' on CBS, which was hosted by Regis Philbin and ran from June 1, 2008, to June 14, 2009. FremantleMedia produced the program. Production and broadcast history ''Millio ...

'' (2008–09) *''

Mindreaders ''Mindreaders'' is an American game show produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that aired on NBC from August 13, 1979, through January 11, 1980. Although NBC originally agreed to a 26-week run, the network canceled ''Mindreaders'' after 22 week ...

'' (NBC 1979–80, unrelated to the 1975 pilot) *'' Missing Links'' (NBC, ABC 1963–1964) *''

The Name's the Same ''The Name's the Same'' is an American game show produced by Goodson- Todman for the ABC television network from December 5, 1951 to August 31, 1954, followed by a run from October 25, 1954 to October 7, 1955. The premise was for contestants ...

'' (ABC 1951–1954, 1954–1955) *''

Now You See It Now You See It may refer to: * ''Now You See It'' (American game show), a 1974–1975 game show, resurrected in 1989 * ''Now You See It'' (Australian game show), a 1985–1999 children's game show * ''Now You See It'' (British game show), a 1981 ...

'' (CBS 1974–1975, 1989) copyrighted as Suzanne Productions and The Now You See It Company *'' Number Please'' (ABC 1961) *''One Happy Family'' (1961) *''

'' (CBS 1961–1967, ABC 1971–1975, NBC 2022–present) copyrighted as Peak Productions. *''

Password Plus and Super Password ''Password Plus'' and ''Super Password'' are American TV game shows that aired separately between 1979 and 1989. Both shows were revivals of ''Password'', which originally ran from 1961 to 1975 in various incarnations. With only subtle differen ...

'' (NBC 1979–1982, NBC 1984–1989) copyrighted as The Password Company and The Super Password Company. *''

Philip Marlowe Philip Marlowe ( ) is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler who was characteristic of the hardboiled crime fiction genre. The genre originated in the 1920s, notably in '' Black Mask'' magazine, in which Dashiell Hammett's The Cont ...

'' (1959–60) *''

Play Your Hunch ''Play Your Hunch'' is an American game show first hosted by Merv Griffin from 1958 to 1962 and then hosted by Gene Rayburn and finally by Robert Q. Lewis until 1963. The announcers for the show were, respectively, Johnny Olson, Wayne Howell and ...

'' (CBS, ABC, NBC 1958–1963) *''

'' (NBC, ABC 1956–1965, Syn 1972–1980, 1985–86, 1994–95, CBS 1972–present) copyrighted as Marbil Productions, Price Productions and The Price Is Right Productions. *'' The Rebel'' (1959–1961) *''

'' (1963–1964) *''

Ride Beyond Vengeance ''Ride Beyond Vengeance'' is a 1966 American Western film starring Chuck Connors. The film was directed by Bernard McEveety and written and produced by Andrew J. Fenady, adapted from the story "The Night of the Tiger" by Al Dewlen. The executi ...

'' (1966) *''

Say When!! ''Say When!!'' is an American game show hosted by Art James that aired on NBC television from January 2, 1961, to March 26, 1965. The show was a Mark Goodson-Bill Todman production and James' only game show for them. Wayne Howell was the announce ...

'' (NBC 1961–1965) *''

Showoffs ''Showoffs'' is an American television game show which ran on ABC from June 30 to December 26, 1975. Bobby Van was host, with Gene Wood as announcer. The Mark Goodson-Bill Todman production involved two teams competing in a game of charades. G ...

'' (ABC 1975) *'' Snap Judgment'' (NBC 1967–1969) *''Split Personality'' (NBC 1959–60) *'' Stop the Music'' (ABC 1948–1952, ABC 1954–1956) produced in association with Louis Cowan Productions *''

'' (CBS, Syn 1974–1978, CBS 1982–1984) copyrighted as Panel Productions and The Tattletales Company. *''

That's My Line ''That's My Line'' is a summer CBS reality television series developed by Mark Goodson. Conceived in response to the success of NBC's '' Real People'' and ABC's '' That's Incredible!'', ''That's My Line'' borrowed its name from one of Goodson a ...

'' (CBS 1980–1981) *''

'' (CBS 1956–1968, Syn 1969–1978, Syn 1980–81, NBC 1990–91, Syn 2000–2002, ABC 2016–2022) *'' Two for the Money'' (CBS 1952–1956, NBC 1957) *''

What's Going On What's Going On may refer to: Albums * What's Going On (album), ''What's Going On'' (album), a 1971 album by Marvin Gaye *What's Going On (Johnny "Hammond" Smith album), ''What's Going On'' (Johnny "Hammond" Smith album), 1971 * What's Going On (D ...

?'' (ABC 1954) *''

'' (CBS 1950–1967, Syn 1968–1975) *'' What's My Line? at 25'' (ABC 1975) *''

'' (CBS 1950–1954) *''

'' (NBC 1957) *'' Winner Take All'' (CBS, NBC 1948–1950, 1951, 1952)

Mark Goodson Productions (1982–1996)

*''

Body Language Body language is a type of nonverbal communication in which physical behaviors, as opposed to words, are used to express or convey information. Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use o ...

'' (CBS 1984–86) *''Bonus Bonanza'' (1995) *'' Child's Play'' (CBS 1982–83) *'' Classic Concentration'' (NBC 1987–91) copyrighted as The Concentration Company, a subsidiary of NBC. *'' Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean'' (1982) *''Flamingo Fortune'' (1995) *''TV's Funniest Game Show Moments'' (1984) *''TV's Funniest Game Show Moments #2'' (1985) *''

Illinois Instant Riches ''Illinois Instant Riches'' (later known as ''Illinois' Luckiest'') is a lottery game show airing in the state of Illinois, as well as nationally on Chicago-based Superstation WGN-TV. The show was hosted by Mark Goodman, with Linda Kollmeyer as ...

'' (1994–96) *''

The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour ''Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour'' is an American television panel game show that combined two panel games of the 1960s and 1970s – ''Match Game'' and ''Hollywood Squares'' – into an hour-long format. The series ran from October 31, 19 ...

'' (NBC 1983–1984) *''

Trivia Trap ''Trivia Trap'' is an American television game show produced by Mark Goodson Productions. It originally ran from October 8, 1984 to April 5, 1985 on American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The game featured two teams of three contestants competing a ...

'' (ABC 1984–1985)

Other shows based on Mark Goodson formats

*''

100 Latinos Dijeron ''100 latinos dijeron'' (''100 Latinos Said'') is the Spanish-language adaptation of the American program ''Family Feud'', and is also a remake of the short-lived 2006–08 Spanish-language adaptation of ''Feud'' called '' ¿Qué dice la gente?'' ...

'' (MundoFox/

MundoMax MundoMax (; originally known as MundoFox from August 13, 2012, to July 28, 2015) was an American Spanish-language Terrestrial television, terrestrial television network that was owned by RCN Televisión. The network broadcast programs aimed at Hi ...

2013–2015,

Estrella TV Estrella TV () is an American Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by the Estrella Media subsidiary of HPS Investment Partners, LLC. The network primarily features programs, the vast majority of which are produced by the networ ...

2019–present - 2nd Spanish version of ''Family Feud'') *''

¿Qué Dice la Gente? ''¿Qué dice la gente?'' (or ''What Do People Say?'') is a Spanish-language adaptation of the American game show ''Family Feud'' which was produced in the United States, that aired on Spanish-language channel Telefutura (now UniMás) in 2006. I ...

'' ( Telefutura 2006–2008 - 1st Spanish version of ''Family Feud'') *'' Dame la Pista'' ( Telefutura 2008 – Spanish version of ''Child's Play'') *'' ¿Qué Dicen los Famosos?'' (

Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...

2022–present - Spanish version of ''Celebrity Family Feud '') *'' You Lie Like a Dog'' (

Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel focusing on the animal kingdom owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1 ...

2000 – Animal themed version of ''To Tell the Truth'') *''Philly Pheud'' (WPHL-TV 2013–present - local Philadelphia version of ''Family Feud'')

Personal life and death

In 1941, Goodson married Bluma Neveleff and moved to New York City, where he teamed up with partner Bill Todman. Todman died from a heart condition on July 29, 1979, two days before his 63rd birthday. In 1982, the Goodsons acquired the Todman heirs' portion of the company. Goodson and Neveleff had two children, Jill (1942) and

Jonathan Jonathan may refer to: *Jonathan (name), a masculine given name Media * ''Jonathan'' (1970 film), a German film directed by Hans W. Geißendörfer * ''Jonathan'' (2016 film), a German film directed by Piotr J. Lewandowski * ''Jonathan'' (2018 ...

(1945). They divorced and he married Virginia McDavid, a former

Miss Alabama The Miss Alabama competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the annual Miss America Competition. Alabama has won four Miss America titles: Abbie Stockard in 2025, Deidre Downs in 2005, Heather White ...

. In 1962, Goodson and McDavid had a daughter, Marjorie, who was a prize model on ''

Classic Concentration ''Concentration'' is an American television game show based on the children's memory game of the same name. It was created by Jack Barry and Dan Enright. Contestants matched prizes hidden behind spaces on a game board, which would then reveal ...

'' from July 1987 until its finale in September 1991. In 1972, he married Suzanne Waddell, who had once been a guest on ''

'' They divorced in 1978. Goodson died of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

on December 18, 1992, in New York City at the age of 77. He is interred at

Hillside Memorial Park The Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California, United States. Many Jewish people from the entertainment industry are buried there. The cemetery is known for Al Jolson's elaborate tomb (designed by Los Angeles ...

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights, Californi ...

, along with his parents Fannie Goodson and A.E. Goodson. After his death, Bob Barker gave him a small tribute that aired after an episode of ''The Price Is Right'', as an attached segment that followed the end credits: Following was a portrait of Goodson and a message saying, "Mark Goodson 1915–1992".

Legacy

Reruns of Goodson's shows have continued to dominate both the schedules of

Game Show Network Game Show Network (GSN) is an American basic cable channel owned by the television network division of Sony Pictures Television. The channel's programming is primarily dedicated to game shows, including reruns of acquired game shows, along wit ...

and

Buzzr Buzzr (stylized as BUZZR) is an American digital broadcast television network owned by Fremantle North America, a unit of the Fremantle subsidiary of RTL Group. The network serves as an outlet for the extensive library of classic game shows ow ...

because his company saved most of the episodes of the shows, while other companies wiped theirs to reuse the tapes. The practice of wiping was stopped by the start of the 1980s.

Biography

On June 3, 2000, an episode of ''

Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...

'' called ''Mark Goodson: Will the Real Mark Goodson Please Stand Up?''A&E Biography - Mark Goodson - 6.3.00
/ref>aired on A&E hosted by Harry Smith and narrated by Russell Buchanan, where it profiled his life and career. This features many interviews of the hosts, panelists, and co-workers such as

Gene Rayburn Gene Rayburn (born Eugene Peter Jeljenic; December 22, 1917 – November 29, 1999) was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the American television game show ''Match Game'' for over tw ...

Kitty Carlisle Kitty Carlisle Hart (born Catherine Conn; September 3, 1910 – April 17, 2007) was an American stage and screen actress, opera singer, television personality and spokesperson for the arts. She was the leading lady in the Marx Brothers movie '' ...

, Marjorie Goodson, and Suzanne Goodson.

2009 Game Show Awards

On June 6, 2009, an awards special that aired on GSN called ''2009 Game Show Awards'' presented by

Alex Trebek George Alexander Trebek (; July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020) was a Canadian and American game show host and television personality. He was best known for hosting the syndicated general knowledge quiz game show ''Jeopardy!'' for 37 seasons ...

, featured a brief tribute to Goodson as his daughter Marjorie held the Innovator Award herself.

''Game Show Marathon''

The series was based on the British format called '' Ant & Dec's/Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon'' and ran on CBS from May 31 until June 29, 2006, hosted by former actress/talk show host

Ricki Lake Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American television host and actress. She is known for her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film '' Hairspray'', for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for ...

, announced by

Rich Fields Richard Wayne Fields (born November 30, 1960) is an American media personality, author, motivational speaker, former game show announcer and meteorologist. He is best known as the announcer for the American version of ''The Price Is Right'' with ...

(who formerly announced for ''The Price is Right'' from 2004 until 2010), and

Todd Newton James Todd Newton is an American entertainment reporter, game show host, and author. Career Todd Newton started his entertainment career at age sixteen as a disc jockey for Kincaid Entertainment in St. Louis. Later, the company found a role f ...

as the prize deliverer in which six celebrities (

Lance Bass James Lance Bass (; born May 4, 1979) is an American singer, actor, and producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the Bass (voice type), bass singer for the boy band NSYNC. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of ...

Paige Davis Paige Davis (born October 15, 1969) is an American television personality and actress. She is best known as the host of the TLC (TV network), TLC home improvement reality television program ''Trading Spaces'' from 2001 until 2008, and hosted th ...

Tim Meadows Tim Meadows (born February 5, 1961) is an American actor and comedian. He was one of the longest-running cast members on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', where he appeared for 10 seasons from 1991 to 2000. For his work on ''S ...

Kathy Najimy Kathy Ann Najimy ( ; ; born February 6, 1957) is an American actress and activist. She was first nationally known for her feminist play ''The Kathy and Mo Show'', which she wrote and performed with Mo Gaffney. On film, she is best known for her ...

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. He made his a ...

, and

Brande Roderick Brande Nicole Roderick (born June 13, 1974) is an American model and actress known for her appearances in ''Baywatch'' and ''Playboy''. In April 2000, she was selected as Playmate of the Month and then became the Playmate of the Year in 2001. ...

) played seven classic game shows for their favorite charities and the home viewer featured five formats based on Goodson-Todman/Goodson shows along with the recreation of their original sets such as ''The Price is Right (1972 version)'', ''Beat the Clock'', ''Card Sharks'', ''

'' and ''Family Feud''.

Buzzr (YouTube)

From 2014 until 2016, the Buzzr brand was first used by its parent company FremantleMedia (now Fremantle) for its YouTube channel created by its digital-content studio Tiny Riot. The online channel features mostly classic clips along with its short-form reboots of its classic game-show properties using various internet celebrities as contestants. Four of the Goodson-Todman/Goodson shows that were rebooted are ''Family Feud'', ''Password'', ''Beat the Clock'', and ''Body Language''.

References

External links

Museum of Broadcast Communications: Mark Goodson and Bill Todman

This is a Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production

Goodson Collection

Mark Goodson: Will the Real Mark Goodson Please Stand Up?

Lords of Fun and Games, Sports Illustrated.com

A Mark Goodson Productions , Legacy.com

Myrna Oliver in the Los Angeles Times article about Mark Goodson from December 19, 1992
* * on the Emmy channel * *
Mark Goodson's Profile

Mark Goodson in Memory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodson, Mark 1915 births 1992 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American Jews American people of Russian-Jewish descent American television producers Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery Businesspeople from Sacramento, California Deaths from pancreatic cancer in New York (state) Television producers from California American television show creators