Mark Goodson Productions (formerly Goodson-Todman Productions, also known as on-screen as Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions until 1982) is a television production company that was originally formed in 1946 by veteran radio producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman specifically producing originally radio, later television programming. Bill Todman, the company's co-founder died in 1979, prompting a rename to Mark Goodson Productions in 1982.
It was first based in New York City, then relocated its main base to Hollywood in 1971 following the success of the ABC revival of Password. The company was sold to All American Communications in 1995, and now considered part of today's Fremantle.
Background
In 1941, while working on the local quiz show, The Battle of the Boroughs, Mark Goodson, who at a time, a local freelance announcer, met Bill Todman, a radio writer, director, and advertising copywriter. "I was impressed that he was rich enough to live on Park Avenue and own a Buick," Goodson says. The two found a mutual love for games and decided to partner. "Mark had an idea for a show called Winner Takes All" Todman said. "I changed it to Winner Take All. We auditioned the show for $15 including breakfast at Longchamps. And we went our way. In 1946 I called Mark. 'I got a sale,' I told him. Winner Take All was on for three 15-minute periods a week and $150." The pair's first quiz show, '<nowiki/>Winner Take All<nowiki/>', premiered on CBS radio in 1946. followed by John Coburn Turner in 1950.
During the success of these shows, the company brought its success with another smash hit, Beat the Clock, with host Bud Collyer, which was a staple on CBS for years. The company made its oversaturation and growth, from long-term hits like I've Got a Secret, To Tell the Truth, Password, The Price is Right and Family Feud to a series of flops like Missing Links, Snap Judgment, The Better Sex and Mindreaders, increasing its strength as the premium leader of game shows. After those scandals wiped out most of their competition, including Barry & Enright Productions and Entertainment Productions, two largest competitors to Goodson-Todman, 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, Bob Stewart, Monty Hall, and later Jay Wolpert. Goodson-Todman was involved with Jack Barry's comeback vehicle The Joker's Wild for its 1969 pilot, but ended involvement with the show before it debuted in 1972 (coincidentally, on the same lineup as Goodson and Todman's own daytime game show comeback vehicle, The Price Is Right).
Goodson-Todman twice sold two game shows to CBS, one in 1958 for What's My Line?, and one in 1960 with Garry Moore (as Telecast Enterprises) for I've Got a Secret, although both shows continue to employ Goodson-Todman's talent and production staff. Both shows eventually got bought back by Goodson-Todman around the 1970s, although I've Got a Secret was sold to The Carsey-Werner Company in 1992.
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 and The Richard Boone Show, a talk-variety show for famed insult comic Don Rickles – and what was possibly the company's biggest failure, a sitcom titled One Happy Family. By 1957, Goodson-Todman set up a Hollywood office that was utilized for film production.
Goodson-Todman Productions was also involved with three Westerns: Jefferson Drum (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 sang the theme); and Branded, starring Chuck Connors as a soldier who had wrongly been given a dishonorable discharge from the Army. "They wanted to expand their horizons; nobody wants to be pigeonholed," says Andrew J. Fenady, who produced the westerns with them. Todman was an avid rider and a western fan, and where the shows were concerned, "You could talk to him any time," Fenady says "He was there if we needed something. And the Goodson-Todman accounting was impeccable. We never went over budget, and we made a lot of money from their honest bookkeeping. They were very, very fair-minded partners."
In 1962, Goodson and Todman met Australian game show producer Reg Grundy, gaining him the Australian rights to most of G-T programmes, starting with Say When!!, and then gave themselves the rights to most of its programs outside of USA and continental Europe in 1976, and then full exclusive rights to its programming and formats outside of USA and continental Europe in 1992 such as in Australia and others.
When CBS cancelled game shows in 1967, including the big series What's My Line?, To Tell the Truth, I've Got a Secret and Password, Goodson-Todman was left in a weaker state for five years, due to competition from rising game show producers, namely Ralph Andrews Productions, Heatter-Quigley Productions, Hatos-Hall Productions, Chuck Barris Productions and Bob Stewart Productions. During the company's weak years, the company revived most of these series for syndication, including Beat the Clock, which was originated in New York, but moved to Montreal in 1970 to save money. and in 1974 by Now You See It and Tattletales, regaining the dominance of Goodson-Todman. The company also produced a syndicated version of the hit game show Concentration, licensed from NBC, and it was hosted by Jack Narz.
In 1976, the company made another smash hit in the Hollywood office, by launching another hit series, Family Feud, for ABC. Besides the series, the company delieved other flops, namely Showoffs, Double Dare, The Better Sex and Mindreaders. By early 1978 Goodson-Todman was producing 10 shows on 3 different networks.
In 1978, in an attempt to bolster NBC's daytime lineup following the failures of low-rent product by Bob Stewart, Chuck Barris, Lin Bolen, Ralph Andrews, Ralph Edwards and Heatter-Quigley, and in an effort to boost and counter the success and viewership of NBC's other hit game show from Merv Griffin called Wheel of Fortune, Goodson-Todman decided to sell their series to NBC for the first time since the cancellation of The Match Game in 1969, called Card Sharks, which was hosted by Jim Perry and became a success on NBC. This partnership was followed up by another smash hit on NBC, called Password Plus, which was a revival and updated version of Password, which was initially hosted by Allen Ludden.
Also in 1978, the company struck a deal with Fremantle International to represent worldwide sales of the company's library in the European markets.
Mark Goodson Productions (1982-1998)
The Goodson-Todman partnership continued until Todman's death in 1979, after which Goodson acquired the Todman heirs' share of the company, and in 1982 the company was renamed Mark Goodson Productions.
The 1980s and 1990s saw a slow down in production and success for the first time since the company was started. The company initially started off a bit strong with Blockbusters, a minor hit show on NBC and gained a following in the UK, and also the final new production with the Goodson-Todman Productions name and branding. The company then followed it up with their first new production with the Mark Goodson Productions name, branding and logo, Child's Play, which aired on CBS and it flopped, although it had a following internationally.
The company attempted to break into the Canadian market after Beat the Clock concluded in 1974 by launching Claim to Fame on the CTV Television Network in 1982, but it didn't last long.
The company rebounded in 1984 with a revival of the ABC flop Showoffs on CBS, called Body Language, followed in 1984 by a revival of Password Plus under the new name Super Password, and the company's final new show based on an original IP, called Trivia Trap, which debuted on ABC in 1984 and it was also short-lived. The company next spent a few years developing unsold pilots, and revivals of old Goodson-Todman properties. TKO is the latest Goodson creation based on an original IP.
Mark Goodson died in 1992, and his son Jonathan Goodson took over the company. He decided to start a lottery division under Jonathan Goodson's watch, with the first being Illinois' Instant Riches, and roll out into other states. In 1993, the company partnered with Paramount Domestic Television to launch a nighttime version of The Price is Right, which flopped after one season in 1994.
In 1995, the company was sold to the Interpublic Group of Companies and All American Communications, with the exception of the lottery show properties, which was transferred to Jonathan Goodson Productions. Robert Noah, formerly of Reg Grundy Productions, was hired to run the Goodson library and the company attempted to sell with Tribune Broadcasting revivals of most of the company's library. In 1997, All American was sold to Pearson Television, which Pearson accelerated the process of selling the Goodson library, and Noah later left the company.
Today, the company is now an in-name only unit of Fremantle. The traces of Goodson were removed in 2002 from most shows such as Family Feud, mainly after Richard Karn took over as host, followed five years later in 2007 by the removal of the Goodson logo from The Price is Right after Drew Carey took over as host.
Programs
Radio shows
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Title
!Year
!Network
!Notes
|-
|Winner Take All
|1946-1952
|CBS
|
|-
|Stop the Music
|1948-1952<br>1954-1955
|ABC<br>CBS
|co-production with Louis G. Cowan, Inc.
|-
|Hit the Jackpot
|1948-1950
| rowspan="4" |CBS
|Originally known as Try 'n' Stop Me and Catch Me If You Can
|-
|Beat the Clock
|1948-1949
|Originally known as Time's a Wastin
|-
|Spin to Win
|1949
|
|-
|Rate Your Mate
|1950-1951
|
|-
|What's My Line?
|1952-1953
| rowspan="2" |NBC<br>CBS
|
|-
|Two for the Money
|1952-1956
|
|}
Television shows
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Title
!Year
!Network
!Notes
|-
|Winner Take All
|1948-1952
|CBS<br>NBC
|
|-
|Stop the Music
|1949-1952<br>1954-1956
|ABC
|co-production with Louis G. Cowan, Inc.
|-
|The Web
|1950-1954
| rowspan="2" |CBS
|
|-
|By Popular Demand
|1950
|
|-
|What's My Line?
|1950-1975
|CBS<br>Syndication
|1958-1967 episodes co-produced by CBS Productions<br>Distributed by CBS Enterprises/Viacom (1968-1975)
|-
|Beat the Clock
|1950-1961<br>1969-1974<br>1979-1980
|CBS<br>ABC<br>Syndication
|Copyrighted as Clock Productions (1969-1974) and The Clock Company (1979-1980)<br>Distributed by 20th Century Fox Television (1969-1972) and Firestone Film Syndication (1972-1974)
|-
|It's News to Me
|1951-1954
|CBS
|
|-
|The Name's the Same
|1951-1955
|ABC
|
|-
|Two for the Money
|1952-1957
|NBC<br>CBS
|
|-
|I've Got a Secret
|1952-1967<br>1972-1973<br>1976
|CBS<br>Syndication
|1960-1967 episodes produced by Telecast Enterprises<br>Distributed by Firestone Film Syndication (1972-1973)
|-
|Judge for Yourself
|1953-1954
|NBC
|
|-
|What's Going On
|1954
|ABC
|
|-
|Make the Connection
|1955
| rowspan="2" |NBC
|
|-
|Choose Up Sides
|1956
|
|-
|The Price is Right
|1956-1965
|NBC<br>ABC
|copyrighted as Marbil Productions
|-
|To Tell the Truth
|1956-1978<br>1980-1981<br>1990-1991<br>2000-2002
|CBS<br>Syndication<br>NBC
|Copyrighted as The Truth Company (1980-1981) and The TTTT Co. (1990-1991)<br>Distributed by Firestone Film Syndication (1969-1978), Viacom Enterprises (1980-1981) and Pearson Television (2000-2002)<br>1956-1981 iterations produced under Goodson-Todman name<br>1990 and 2000 iterations produced under Mark Goodson Productions name
|-
|The Web
|1957
| rowspan="2" |NBC
|co-production with Screen Gems
|-
|Goodyear Theatre
|1957-1960
|
|-
|Play Your Hunch
|1958-1963
|CBS<br>ABC<br>NBC
|
|-
|Jefferson Drum
|1958
|NBC
|
|-
|The Rebel
|1959-1961
|ABC
|
|-
|Split Personality
| rowspan="2" |1959-1960
|NBC
|
|-
|Philip Marlowe
|ABC
|co-production with California National Productions
|-
|Number Please
| rowspan="2" |1961
|ABC
|
|-
|One Happy Family
| rowspan="2" |NBC
|
|-
|Say When!!
|1961-1965
|
|-
|Password/Password Plus/Super Password
|1961-1967<br>1971-1975<br>1979-1982<br>1984-1989
|CBS<br>ABC<br>NBC
|Copyrighted as Peak Productions (1961-1967, 1971-1975), The Password Company (1979-1982) and The Super Password Company (1984-1989)<br>Password and Password Plus produced under Goodson-Todman name<br>Super Password produced under Mark Goodson Productions name
|-
|Match Game
|1962-1969<br>1973-1982<br>1990-1991<br>1998-1999
|NBC<br>CBS<br>Syndication<br>ABC
|copyrighted as Sojurn Productions (1962-1969), Celebrity Productions (1973-1981), The Match Game Company (1981-1982) and The MG Company (1990-1991)<br>1962-1982 iterations produced under the Goodson-Todman name<br>1990-1991 and 1998-1999 iterations produced under the Mark Goodson Productions name<br>Distributed by Jim Victory Television (1975-1982) and Pearson Television (1998-1999),
|-
|Missing Links
| rowspan="2" |1963-1964
|NBC<br>ABC
|
|-
|The Richard Boone Show
|NBC
|
|-
|Get the Message
|1964
|ABC
|
|-
|Call My Bluff
|1965
| rowspan="3" |NBC
|
|-
|Branded
|1965-1966
|co-production with Sentinel Productions
|-
|Snap Judgment
|1967-1969
|
|-
|The Don Rickles Show
|1968-1969
|ABC
|
|-
|He Said, She Said
|1969-1970
|Syndication
|
|-
|The Price is Right
|1972-present
|CBS<br>Syndication
|copyrighted as Price Productions (1972-1994) and The Price is Right Productions (2003-present)<br>1972-1984 iterations produced under the Goodson-Todman name<br>1984-2007 iterations produced under the Mark Goodson Productions name<br>dropped the Goodson logo in 2007<br>Distributed by Viacom Enterprises (1972-1980), The Television Program Source (1985-1986) and Paramount Domestic Television (1994-1995)
|-
|Concentration/Classic Concentration
|1973-1978<br>1987-1991
|Syndication<br>NBC
|format licensed from NBC, who owns the rights since 1958<br>copyrighted as The Concentration Company (1987-1991)<br>distributed by Victory Television
|-
|Tattletales
|1974-1978<br>1982-1984
|CBS<br>Syndication
|copyrighted as Panel Productions (1974-1978) and The Tattletales Company (1982-1984)<br>revival of He Said, She Said<br>distributed by Firestone Program Syndication Co. (1977-1978)
|-
|Now You See It
|1974-1975<br>1989
|CBS
|copyrighted as Suzanne Productions (1974-1975) and The Now You See It Company (1984-1985)
|-
|Showoffs
|1975
|ABC
|
|-
|Family Feud
|1976-1985<br>1988-1995<br>1999-present
|ABC<br>CBS<br>Syndication
|copyrighted as The Family Company (1976-1985), The New Family Company (1988-1995) and Feudin' Productions (1999-2010)<br>Distributed by Viacom Enterprises (1977-1985), LBS Communications (1988-1992), All-American Television (1992-1995) and Pearson Television (1999-2002)<br>1976-1982 iterations produced under the Goodson-Todman name<br>1984-2002 iterations produced the Mark Goodson Productions name<br>dropped the Goodson logo in 2002
|-
|Double Dare
|1976-1977
|CBS
|copyrighted as Suzanne Productions
|-
|The Better Sex
|1977-1978
| rowspan="2" |ABC
|copyrighted as Strong Productions
|-
|All-Star Family Feud Special
|1978-1984
|copyrighted as The Family Company
|-
|Card Sharks
|1978-1991<br>1986-1989<br>2001-2002
|NBC<br>CBS<br>Syndication
|copyrighted as Suzanne Productions (1978-1979), MG Productions (1979-1981) and The Card Sharks Company (1986-1989)<br>Distributed by The Television Program Source (1986-1987) and Pearson Television (2001-2002)
|-
|Mindreaders
|1979-1980
|NBC
|copyrighted as The Mindreaders Company
|-
|That's My Line
|1980-1981
|CBS
|copyrighted as T.M.L. Productions
|-
|Blockbusters
|1980-1982<br>1987
|NBC
|1980-1982 version is the last new one in the United States to use the Goodson-Todman Productions name<br>copyrighted as The Blockbusters Company (1980-1982) and The B.B. Co (1987)
|-
|Claim to Fame
|1982-1983
|CTV
|Last new production to use the Goodson-Todman Productions name<br>co-production with Carleton Productions
|-
|Child's Play
|1982-1983
|CBS
|First new production to use the Mark Goodson Productions name<br>copyrighted as The Child's Play Company
|-
|Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour
|1983-1984
|NBC
|co-production with Orion Television<br>copyrighted as The MG-HS Company
|-
|Body Language
|1984-1986
|CBS
|a revival of Showoffs<br>copyrighted as The Body Language Company
|-
|Trivia Trap
|1984-1985
|ABC
|copyrighted as The Trivia Trap Company
|-
|Illinois Instant Riches
|1994-1995
|Syndication/WGN
| rowspan="3" |continued by Jonathan Goodson Productions
|-
|Bonus Bonanza
|1995
|Syndication (Massachusetts only)
|-
|Flamingo Fortune
|1995
|Syndication (Florida only)
|}
Unsold pilots
- Beat the Clock (1949 TV adaptation of the radio show)
- Rate Your Mate (1951 TV adaptation of the radio show)
- Choose Up Sides (1953)
- Take Your Choice (1954)
- Play for Keeps! (1955)
- The Great Challenge (1956)
- Nothing But the Truth (1956, the original version of To Tell the Truth)
- Number Please (1958)
- Las Vegas Beat (1961)
- Make Your Move (1964)
- It Had to Be You (1966, the original version of He Said She Said later Tattletales)
- Make the Scene (1969)
- It's Predictable (1970)
- Mindreaders (1975; completely unrelated to the 1979-80 format)
- Spell Binders (1978)
- Puzzlers (1980)
- Star Words (1983)
- Concentration (1985)
- Now You See It (1985)
- Oddball (1986)
- On a Roll (1986)
- TKO (1989)
- Body Talk {unsold remake of Showoffs & Body Language} (1990)
- Classic Concentration II (1992, never got past runthrough stage)
- Cash Tornado (1993)
- Card Sharks (1996)
- MG2 (The Match Game) (1996)
Feature films
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Title
!Release date
!Distributor
!Notes
|-
|Ride Beyond Vengeance
|January 1966
|Columbia Pictures
|co-production with Andrew J. Fenady Productions and Sentinel Productions
|-
|Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
|November 12, 1982
|Cinecom International Films
|co-production with Sandcastle 5 Productions and Viacom Enterprises
|}