To Tell the Truth (2016)


Aired
Pilot, 2015 ABC Primetime, June 14, 2016-present
Run time
60 minutes
Host/Executive Producer
Anthony Anderson
Announcer
David Scott (2016-2017) Anthony Anderson (2017-present)
Origination
CBS Television City, Hollywood, California

This is chronicling the 2016 version of To Tell the Truth.

Game format[]

To start, three contestants all of whom claim to be the same person introduced themselves (most of the time the contestants are of the same sex, on rare occasions there would be a mixture of both sexes), then the host read the sworn affidavit of the real person. After the affidavit was read and when the challengers went over to their desk, the panelists asked a series of questions to the challengers based on the affidavit in some way for an unmentioned amount of time. The impostors were allowed to lie, but the real person was game bound to tell the truth (hence the name of the show). Once the time was up, they started to vote for whoever was the real person. Each panelist showed his/her vote, and regardless of whoever they voted for. In the first season, the appropriate panelist's vote for the appropriate contestant was signified by his/her head, and in the second season the appropriate panelist's vote for the appropriate contestant was signified by his/her name. Once all the votes were cast, the real person then revealed himself/herself by standing up by virtue of the host saying "Will the real (insert person's name) please stand up?". After the real person revealed himself/herself, the impostors told everyone their real names & occupations; then there was a brief chat (sometimes a stunt) to the real person.

Panelist's Disqualification[]

Sometimes, a panelist would recognize or actually know one of the challengers, not necessarily the real person. If and when that happened, the panelist had to sit out that round.

Before You Go[]

This is the third game of the show which features the imposters from the previous game. As with the 1980 One on One, an additional fact is revealed, and the panel has to guess who has that fact.

List of Punishments[]

Tweet A Lie[]

In the first two seasons, the panelist with the fewest correct answers is forced to tweet a lie made up by Anthony Anderson himself and post it for 24 hours. However, in the event of a tie, Anderson's mother Doris makes the final decision.

Fake News[]

In the third season, the losing panelist became the subject of a "Fake News" story read by Anderson himself.

King of the Losers[]

In the fourth season, the losing panelist wears a crown on his or her head that was given by Anderson's mother Doris.

Grand Prize[]

Starting in season 4, any panelists who guesses correctly in all five rounds would received a special trophy (nicknamed as "The Doris") named after Anderson's mother.

Photos[]

Main Article: To Tell the Truth (2016)/Photos

Trivia[]

The six episodes for this version were taped in July 2015.
This is the first version of Truth without Kitty Carlisle and the second one without Peggy Cass as both of them died in 2007 and 1999 respectively.
Anthony Anderson is the second African-American host of Truth, the first was Lynn Swann (who has also worked double duty as a panelists in both the series and in the 1990 Pilot) during its short-lived run on NBC daytime in 1990.
Anthony Anderson's mother, (named Doris Hancox) was brought in as an official scorekeeper in season 1. In season 2, sees the scoring held by a computer.
Betty White will have appeared on all three broadcast network versions of Truth.
This is the first version to not include no desk and chair for the host as Anthony Anderson can roam free around the set.
This is the first version to have no podium for the panelists as the are siting in their chair.
This is the first version to have the faces of the panelists to be seen on the vote screen.
This is the first version to have the host (Anderson) ask the famous refrain to the three contestants: "Number 1, what is your name please? Number 2? Number 3?" as previous versions before this were usually asked by the announcer.
This is the first version to have a live house band called Cheche and his Band of Liars. They have been removed since season 2 in 2017.
Additionally, this version of Truth will make it one of only two Goodson-Todman game shows to have been produced at some point in each decade since the 1950s and the 2010s (The Price is Right being the other debuting in 1956 on NBC) the current version of the series (debuting in 1972 on CBS) is still in production to this day.
Before the revival of Truth, host Anthony Anderson, (along with his mother Doris Hancox) have both appeared as contestants in the first season of Celebrity Family Feud (hosted by Steve Harvey) in 2015.
Since 2017, Anderson also acts as the announcer as well since David Scott got the boot in the same year after two seasons.
Former host of the short-lived NBC Daytime version in 1991 Alex Trebek has appeared as a panelist in this version for season 3.