Mark Goodson
|
|
Mark Goodson (January 14, 1915 – December 18, 1992) was an American television producer born in Sacramento, California.
Goodson and long-time partner Bill Todman produced some of the longest-running game shows in television history. The long list of Goodson-Todman productions includes Beat the Clock, Family Feud, Match Game, Password, The Price is Right, To Tell the Truth, and What's My Line?
Many of the actual formats were devised by producers working for Goodson-Todman. For example, Bob Bach co-created What's My Line?, Allan Sherman created I've Got a Secret, and Bob Stewart created Password, The Price is Right and To Tell the Truth. But the shows flourished, many over multiple runs, because of Goodson's sharp eye for production and presentation. While Todman primarily handled the company's business affairs in the early days, Goodson oversaw the creative end of the company. His knowledge of what made a successful game show in terms of both format and presentation was pivotal to the longevity of the shows he produced.
Originally based in New York, most of the company's production moved to Hollywood in the early seventies. Goodson acquired Todman's share of the company following Todman's death in 1979 and the company was renamed Mark Goodson Productions in 1982. After that, announcers signed off each show as "a Mark Goodson television production" instead of "a Mark Goodson-Bill Todman production." Announcers Johnny Olson and Gene Wood were frequently heard on Goodson-Todman shows.
Goodson died in 1992 at age 77 in Los Angeles. Fremantle Media now owns the rights to the Goodson-Todman library of game shows. While The Price is Right and Family Feud continue production to this day, classic Goodson-Todman shows have found a new life and a new audience in reruns on Game Show Network.
List of Mark Goodson/Bill Todman game shows
- Winner Take All
- What's My Line? (1950-1967)
- To Tell The Truth
- I've Got a Secret
- Beat the Clock
- The Name's the Same
- The Price is Right (original version, 1956-1965)
- Password (1960-1967, 1971-1975)
- Match Game (1962-1969, 1973-1982, 1990-1991)
- The (New) Price is Right (1972-present)
- Now You See It (1974-1975; 1989)
- Tattletales (1974-1978, 1982-1984)
- Double Dare (1976-1977)
- Family Feud (1976-1985, 1988-1995, 1999-present)
- The Better Sex (1977-1978)
- Card Sharks (1978-1981, 1986-1989, 2001)
- Password Plus (1979-1982)
- Blockbusters (1980-1982; 1987)
- Child's Play (1982-1983)
- Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983-1984)
- Super Password (1984-1989)
- Trivia Trap (1984-1985)
- Body Language (1985-1986)
- Classic Concentration (1987 - 1991)