Iowa Public Television

American Experience

The Quiz Show Scandal (#409)

As television became a national obsession in the mid-1950s, a new breed of hero appeared on the american scene -- contestants on the big money quiz shows. As revered as movie stars and baseball heroes, their names became household legends. Then, slowly and painfully, a congressional investigation revealed that the shows were fixed. Americans felt angry and betrayed. This film looks at the formative years of television and its impact on the tv business and a naive america. [56 minutes]

This episode has not aired in the past few months on Iowa Public Television.