Five Reasons Why the 1980 Version of To Tell the Truth Failed

In 1980, the classic panel game show To Tell the Truth returned to syndicated TV after the last incarnation ended production after a nine year run.  But its run was much shorter than the original version hosted by Bud Collyer and the five day a week syndicated version that was hosted by Garry Moore and later Joe Garagiola.  

So why did the 1980 To Tell the Truth revival fail?  Here are five reasons why. 

1.  It came back too soon.  When this version of To Tell the Truth came back, it was two years after Garagiola signed off for what would be the final time.  The show went into decline after Moore retired due to throat cancer in 1977 and ended the following season.  

2.  No regular panel.  The first two versions of To Tell the Truth were successful due to the chemistry between the regular panelists.  In the Collyer version's heyday, there was Tom Poston, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean and Kitty Carlisle.  Cass and Carlisle would be regulars on the syndicated version along with Bill Cullen, who also filled in for Moore as host occasionally.   The Three Cs of Cass, Cullen and Carlisle made numerous appearances on the 1980 incarnation but they weren't regulars.  Among the semiregulars were Soupy Sales, Nipsey Russell and Pat Collins.  But no regular panelists were signed on and there wasn't any chemistry.  

3.  An inexperienced host.  Who was Robin Ward?  He was an actor from Canada that Mark Goodson hired as the show's new host.  Prior to hosting To Tell the Truth, he was seen on American television in the Muppets special Hey Cinderella and a syndicated science fiction series The Starlost.  Going into To Tell the Truth, he didn't have any hosting experience and it showed early in the run.  In Adam Nedeff's biography of Bill Cullen Quizmaster, Allen Koss mentioned about replacing Jack Barry who died of a heart attack after production for The Joker's Wild ended for the 1983-84 season, "You can't replace an older host with a really, really young host because viewers won't accept him."  Goodson made that mistake. 

4.  This format was too rushed.  On the Moore version, there was time for contestant demonstrations just like the syndicated version of What's My Line. But on the Ward version, there were none, except leading into the closing credits and question rounds were sped up in order for a new feature One on One, which brought back the four imposters from the first two spots.  One of them had a concealed fact that the panel had to figure out.  It would have been better to abandon the One on One feature.  

5.  A saturated syndicated game show market.  When To Tell the Truth debuted in 1980, it joined a crowded syndicated game show lineup.  There were four shows from Jack Barry and Dan Enright, The Joker's Wild, Tic Tac Dough, Bullseye and Play the Percentages.  Two shows still aired once a week, Match Game PM and the $100,000 Name That Tune.  Speaking of Match Game, it was one of two daily syndicated games from Goodson-Todman.  The other was Family Feud, which just expanded from two nights a week to five and became the highest rated syndicated game show.  Also in syndication was The $50,000 Pyramid, which was launched after ABC canceled The $20,000 Pyramid in 1980.  

So that's why the 1980 version of To Tell the Truth failed.  In the Twin Cities, WTCN (now KARE) aired the show at 3 PM before moving the show to 11 AM.  The NBC affiliate aired To Tell the Truth instead of Card Sharks.  Both shows were gone in 1981.