In the 1950s, television became hugely popular compared to earlier times in its short existence. At the beginning of the decade, only nine percent of U.S. households owned televisions. By the end of the decade, the number grew to a staggering eighty six percent. With the rising popularity of television, quiz shows became popular. Contestants were asked questions on a number of different topics and rewarded a cash prize. Quiz shows became a hit, and infatuated an American public who valued high intelligence and wealth. Little did they know, every move, every question, was scripted and rehearsed to provide a more entertaining show.
The most popular of these quiz shows was Twenty One. The game involved two contestants, each isolated in soundproof booths so they could not hear the other contestant or know their score. The object of the game was to answer a series of questions, each worth a certain number of points and accumulate a score of twenty one points. The initial broadcast of Twenty One was played honestly, with no manipulation of the game by the producers. Unfortunately, this broadcast was “a dismal failure” in the words of producer Dan Enright. The first two contestants made a mockery of the format by showing how little they knew. The show sponsor, Geritol became angry with the results and threatened to pull their sponsorship if it happened again. As a result of the sponsor’s displeasure, the show’s producers began “fixing” the show and contestants were casted as if they were actors. They were given instruction such as how to dress, what to say to the host, when to say it, what questions to answer, what questions to miss, and when to mop their brows.
On November 28th, 1956, A challenger named Charles Van Doren appreared on the show. He was a proffesor at Columbia University and came from a prominent family of...