The topic of this page has a Wikia of its own: Mark Goodson wikia.
The Goodson-Todman logo, only seen on boxes of home games and used corporately.
The Mark Goodson logo, the spiel changed to "A Mark Goodson Television Production".
Goodson-Todman Productions (later Mark Goodson Production) was a long-running and long-serving television production company formed by Mark Goodson and his longtime partner Bill Todman. Together, they produced and created some of the long-running and greatest game show formats ever in television history. While they attempted to produce other types of TV shows, such as The Web (1950-54, 1957), The Richard Boone Show, and the Chuck Connors classic Branded, none of these were particularly successful.
After Bill died in 1979, Mark ran his company solo; he acquired Todman's share of the company in 1982 and renamed it as simply Mark Goodson Productions, with the closing spiel altered to A Mark Goodson Television Production to keep it in line with the original. The first shows to use this was Child's Play and Family Feud, while the rest of the pre-1982 shows slowly disbanded the Goodson-Todman for Mark Goodson's name up to 1984. The company slowly disbanded after Mark Goodson died on December 18, 1992. Mark's son, Jonathan, continued to run the company through 1995, when the family sold the rights to the library of shows (except for Concentration, which had been licensed by NBC) to All-American Television (which later became Pearson Television, then FremantleMedia now Fremantle), to pay off a massive inheritance tax.
The Mark Goodson Productions name, logo, and announcement continued to be used on some of the shows in production at the time, despite the actual company no longer being in existence. The name, logo, and announcement was used on the 1998 revival of Match Game, the 1999 revival of Family Feud as well as the 2000 revival of To Tell the Truth during the end credits for its run and the 2001 revival of Card Sharks until 2002. The Price is Right continued to sign off with the Mark Goodson Productions name, logo, and announcement up until Bob Barker retired in 2007. After that, the usage of the Mark Goodson company was no more. In 2002, Price started using the FremantleMedia name, logo, and announcement up until 2018 as they now use the Fremantle name, logo and announcement instead and is still used to this day (although current CBS press releases for the show refer to it as "a Mark Goodson Production, in association with FrematleMedia"). The first G-T show to use the FremantleMedia logo was the 2002 revival of Beat the Clock.
Some of the producers who worked on some of the Goodson-Todman shows went on to form their successful (and not-so-successful) game show companies. They were:
- Bob Stewart
- Robert "Bobby" Sherman
- Jay Wolpert
- Steve Ryan
- Merv Griffin
- Jonathan Goodson (Mark's son)
Not all Goodson-Todman shows were created by Mark & Bill; some were created by the following producers working for Goodson-Todman:
| Creator | Shows |
|---|---|
| Bob Bach | What's My Line? |
| Allan Sherman | I've Got a Secret |
| Frank Wayne | Match Game, Beat the Clock, and Now You See It |
| Chester Feldman | Card Sharks and Family Feud |
| Bob Stewart | Password, The Price is Right (1956-65 series), and To Tell the Truth |
| Jay Wolpert | Double Dare (1976-77 series) |
| Ira Skutch | TattleTales |
| Steve Ryan | Blockbusters |
At one time, then-blackballed producer Jack Barry worked for Goodson-Todman Productions and the company helped him create The Joker's Wild. Barry and Goodson-Todman broke contact with each other after Barry relaunched his TV career.
Two of Mark Goodson's children, Jonathan and Marjorie (née Cagle), worked on the company's shows in front of and behind the cameras.
Game Shows Produced[]
Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions (1946–1982)[]
- Winner Take All (1946–1950, 1951, 1952)
- Stop the Music (1948–1952, 1954–1956) produced in association with Louis Cowan Productions
- Catch Me if You Can (1948, Radio)
- Hit the Jackpot (1948–1949, 1950, Radio)
- Beat the Clock (1948–1949, Radio {initially known as Time's a Wastin'})
- Spin to Win (1949, Radio)
- What's My Line? (1950–1967, 1968–1975)
- Beat the Clock (1950–1961, 1969–1974, 1979–1980)
- By Popular Demand (1950)
- Rate Your Mate (1950–1951, Radio)
- It's News To Me (1951–1953, 1954)
- The Name's the Same (1951–1954, 1954–1955)
- I've Got a Secret (1952–1967, 1972–1973, 1976)
- Two for the Money (1952–1956, 1957)
- Judge For Yourself (1953–1954)
- What's Going On? (1954)
- Make the Connection (1955)
- Choose Up Sides (1956)
- The Price is Right (1956–1965, 1972-present {changed from Goodson-Todman to Mark Goodson in 1984, dropped the Goodson logo in 2007})
- To Tell the Truth (1956–1968, 1969–1978, 1980–1981)
- Play Your Hunch (1958–1963)
- Split Personality (1959–1960)
- Say When!! (1961–1965)
- Number Please (1961)
- Password (1961–1967, 1971–1975)
- Match Game (1962–1969, 1973–1982)
- Missing Links (1963–1964)
- Get the Message (1964)
- Call My Bluff (1965)
- Snap Judgment (1967–1969)
- He Said She Said {original prototype of Tattletales} (1969–1970)
- Concentration (1973–1978)
- TattleTales {remake of He Said She Said} (1974–1978, 1982-1984 {changed from Goodson-Todman to Mark Goodson in 1984})
- Now You See It (1974–1975)
- Showoffs {original prototype of Body Language} (1975)
- Family Feud (1976–1985, {changed from Goodson-Todman to Mark Goodson in 1982})
- Double Dare (1976–1977)
- The Better Sex (1977–1978)
- Card Sharks (1978–1981)
- Password Plus (1979–1982)
- Mindreaders (1979–1980)
- Blockbusters (1980–1982)
- Child's Play (1982, pilots only)
Mark Goodson Television Productions (1982–2007)[]
- Child's Play (1982–1983)
- Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983–1984)
- Body Language {remake of Showoffs} (1984–1986)
- Super Password (1984-1989)
- Trivia Trap (1984–1985)
- Card Sharks (1986–1989, 2001-2002)
- Blockbusters (1987)
- Classic Concentration (1987-1991)
- Family Feud (1988–1995, 1999-present {dropped the Mark Goodson logo in 2002})
- Now You See It (1989)
- Match Game (1990–1991, 1998–1999)
- To Tell the Truth (1990–1991, 2000–2002)
- Illinois Instant Riches (1994-1998; {dropped the Mark Goodson logo in 1996})
- Bonus Bonanza (The Lottery) (1995)
- (The Florida Lottery's) Flamingo Fortune (1995)
Specials (1975, 1984-1985)[]
NOTE: all three specials aired on ABC.
- What's My Line? at 25 (1975)
- TV's Funniest Game Show Moments (1984)
- TV's Funniest Game Show Moments #2 (1985)
Unsold Pilots[]
Note that this list includes some revivals of prior shows.
- Rate Your Mate (1951 TV adaptation of the radio show)
- Choose Up Sides (1953)
- Take Your Choice (1954)
- Play for Keeps! (1955)
- Nothing But the Truth (1956, the original version of To Tell the Truth)
- Make Your Move (1964 or 1965)
- 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 (1996)
Unsold Pilots based on Goodson-Todman Formats[]
- What's My Line? (2000)
- Rock Feud (2001; a Rock & Roll version of Family Feud)
- What the Blank! (2004; remake of Match Game)
- Match Game (2008)
- I've Got a Secret (2023; {Produced by Embassy Row, Werner Entertainment & Game Show Enterprises})
Shows based on Goodson-Todman Formats (2000-2009, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022)[]
NOTE: All of these shows on this list (except for IGAS) are currently being produced by Fremantle (formerly {FremantleMedia} North America).
- I've Got a Secret (2000-2001 {Produced by Oxygen Media LLC}, 2006 {Produced by Burt Dubrow Productions})
- Beat the Clock (2002-2003, 2018)
- Road to Price (2006; a short-lived six-episode web series)
- Million Dollar Password (2008-2009)
- Celebrity Family Feud (2008, 2015-present)
- Rich Fields Gone Wild (2009-2010; a two-episode comedy series)
- The Price is Right Male Model Search (2014; a short-lived five-episode webisode series)
- To Tell the Truth (2016-2022; originally taped in 2015)
- Match Game (2016-2021)
- Card Sharks (2019-2021)
- About Last Night (2022; a reboot of Tattletales)
- Password (2022-present)
Buzzr (YouTube) Shows based on Goodson-Todman Formats[]
- Beat the Clock (2015)
- Body Language (2015)
- Family Feud (2014-2015)
- Password (2015)
Movies based on Goodson-Todman Formats[]
- The Life of Reilly (2006/2007; based on Charles Nelson Reilly's one-man play Save it For the Stage: The Life of Reilly)
- Subconscious Password (2013; a 3-D animated film where it offers an imaginary, comedic look at the inner workings of Chris Landreth's mind as he tries to remember someone's name at a party.)
- Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much (2017; a documentary film about Ted "Theodore" Slauson)
Shows based on Goodson-Todman Formats not by Mark Goodson Productions[]
- NY Wired (1997-1999)
- Illinois' Luckiest (1998-2000)
- You Lie Like a Dog (2000, animal-themed version of To Tell the Truth)
- The Big Spin (2000-2003 format)
- Gameshow Marathon (2006; five of the seven episodes were based on Goodson-Todman formats: The Price is Right {1972 Version}, Beat the Clock, Card Sharks, Match Game, and Family Feud)
- ¿Que Dice la Gente? (2006-2008; Original Spanish-language version of Family Feud)
- Dame la Pista (2008; Spanish-language version of Child's Play)
- 100 Latinos Dijeron (2013-2016, 2019-????; Spanish-language remake of Family Feud)
- Philly Pheud (2013-present; Philadelphia-area clone of Family Feud)
- Que Dicen los Famosos (2022-present; Spanish-language version of Celebrity Family Feud {2015 version})
Gallery[]
Shows Logos
List of International versions of their shows in different countries
Press Ads[]
Logos[]
"In Association with Mark Goodson"[]
Stop the Music 1955
"A Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Production"[]
Over the years, the company name appeared in different fonts depending on the show and sometimes had an asterisk over & under it.
What's My Line? 1972
What's My Line? at 25 1975
To Tell the Truth 1968
To Tell the Truth 1980
Password 1964
Password All-Stars 1975
Password Plus 1982
Here's the variant from Jack Narz's run.
The variant from Gene Wood's run is seen in lowercase letters.
From the 1979 pilot.
The logo with the asterisks from The All-New (All-Star) Beat the Clock over chasing lights on the set. Similar to the asterisks used from The Price is Right.
The logo with the asterisks from The All-New (All-Star) Beat the Clock over a shot of an audience on the set. Similar to the asterisks used from The Price is Right.
1973 era
1974 era
From the series premiere in 1972.
The early variant in the Pricedown font from 1972.
A variant with yellow G-T asterisks were used from after the earliest episodes up until 1975.
A variant with white G-T asterisks and the names still horizontal from 1975.
A variant with white asterisks and the names side-by-side and in two rows each from 1975 to April 6, 1984.
A variant seen on episodes with full credit roll from 1981 to April 1984.
The logo against a yellow background. Can you see it? It must be camouflaged.
Taken from premiere week.
The logo against a BG filled with lights from the game board.
The logo appeared while a family could be seen talking with the host Richard Dawson during the credits.
The logo also appeared over a shot of just one family member. It rarely happened in Richard's first run.
An extremely rare variant with orange asterisks and the word "Production" in green instead of the usual white, from Match Game 73 with Michael Landon.
A variant in blue from a later episode of any other 70s version, with Charles Nelson Reilly.
Tattletales 1974, with the asterisks
Tattletales 1982, minus the asterisks
The Better Sex 1977 pilot
1978 Finale
Card Sharks 1978 Pilot
Card Sharks 1978 Series
Card Sharks 1981 (Series Finale)
Play For Keeps! (1955 pilot)
Say When!! 1961
Now You See It 1974
Showoffs 1975
I've Got a Secret 1976
Mindreaders 1979
That's My Line 1980 (Reality Show)
Puzzlers (1980 pilot)
Child's Play (1982 Pilot)
- Password 1964 - A black-and-white version from Password in 1964. All episodes of the original show had the logo and credits in lowercase.
- Concentration 1973 - A variant as seen on Jack Narz's version of Concentration as announcer Johnny Olson signed off.
- Now You See It 1974 - A variant on Jack Narz's version of Now You See It in which Mark and Bill's names appear on the game board. Taken from the show's premiere.
- Double Dare 1976 - A variant from Double Dare in which the logo and credits would appear on the main game board in either yellow or white, depending on the episode. After the credits, the title would appear the same way as in the opening but with the two weird shapes coming together afterward.
- Mindreaders 1979 - Mindreaders had the logo at the bottom of the screen in a different font.
"A Mark Goodson Television Production"[]
From March 18, 1987, the classic mechanical version used 1984-1996.
A computerized variant from the 1990s.
A computerized variant from Doug Davidson's nighttime version.
Another computerized version from the 2000s.
From a 2004 episode, another computerized variant.
Taken from Bob Barker's final show in 2007. This is also Mark Goodson Television Productions’ final day before switching to FremantleMedia until 2018; Today, it's now known simply as Fremantle.
From the 1987 Combs Pilot.
From its first (and only) on-the-road show in Opryland circa 1993.
A computerized variant from Richard's return in 1994.
From 1999.
Another computerized version from Louie Anderson's run. The name and logo were dropped from Feud in 2002 when Richard Karn took over at the time.
A mechanical version from the 1989 pilot.
A green version from the 1990-91 ABC run.
Charles Nelson Reilly wearing a red "A Mark Goodson Production" sweater on Match Game '90.
A darkish blue logo from the 1998 pitch film for Match Game.
The logo from the 1998 syndicated version, taken from Mandel Ilegan's show.
The logo from the 1998 syndicated version, as seen on WGN cable (now WGN America).
From the 1986 premiere show against the suit shapes on backdrop.
From the syndicated series with Bill Rafferty.
From Christmas 1986
From 2001
From the 1985 Pilot
From the 1989 Series
The logo appears over a shot of the pilot set.
In the series, it appeared over a shot of the set with four rings' worth of lights.
The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour 1983
The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour 1984.
The mechanical variant as seen over a shot of the Turnabout prop, with four kids (as seen on Game Show Network in 1997.
As seen on the series finale in 1983, over a shot of kids in the audience.
Body Language Pilot 1983
Body Language 1984
Trivia Trap pilot 1984
Trivia Trap 1985
A computerized variant from 1990. After the sign off from Burton Richardson, the logo would zoom in. In earlier weeks before the credit roll, that did not occur.
Another computerized version from 2000, John O'Hurley's run.
A rather different version of the logo.
Here's the real logo as seen on other episodes.
Tattletales 1984
Star Words Pilot 1983
TV's Funniest Game Show Moments 1984
Super Password 1984
TV's Funniest Game Show Moments #2 1985
On a Roll Pilot 1986
Oddball Pilot 1986
Blockbusters 1987
TKO Pilot 1989
Body Talk Pilot 1990
Cash Tornado Pilot 1994
Bonus Bonanza (The Lottery) 1995
- 1983 Star Words Pilot - A variant from the 1983 pilot Star Words.
- Body Language 1984 - The mechanical variant from Body Language.
- Super Password 1984 - A yellow computerized variant on Super Password in which the logo flies out of view (with the sound of a jet) after either Rich Jeffries, Gene Wood, or Bob Hilton signed off.
- TV's Funniest Game Show Moments 1984, TV's Funniest Game Show Moments #2 1985 & On a Roll 1986 - The 3D variant in which the logo would zoom in.
- Card Sharks 1986 - The early variant from the CBS run of Card Sharks in 1986. Also used on the nighttime syndicated version from 1986 to 1987.
- Oddball 1986 - A yellow computerized variant from Oddball in which just like in both Super Password and To Tell the Truth (1990), the logo flies out of view (with the sound of a jet) after Gene Wood signed off.
- Blockbusters 1987 - The variant from Blockbusters with Bill Rafferty. On episodes with a full credit roll, the staff credits scroll up until the scrolling stops at this logo, which scrolls up to reveal the closing card. The credits and logo appear over a shot of the big blue hexagon (different from the ones on the set). Sometimes, the hexagon zooms out after the credits to reveal a shot of the entire set which by that time went dark.
- Now You See It 1989 - A blue 3D computerized variant from the short-lived 1989 revival, in which the logo would spin into view from the top of the screen during the announcer's sign-off and then it would spin away so to make room for either the full credit roll or for the logo copyright card to spin onto the screen.
- Bonus Bonanza (The Lottery) 1995 - A giant gold variant.
- (The Florida Lottery's) Flamingo Fortune - (The Florida Lottery's) Flamingo Fortune had the logo over a shot of its own set.
Red - Card Sharks 1988
Red - Card Sharks 1989 (Series Finale)
Red - The Price is Right 1988
Red - Family Feud 1988
Blue - Family Feud 1988
Blue - Family Feud 1990
Blue - Family Feud 1990
- Card Sharks 1986 - Taken from 1989 CBS daytime Card Sharks finale.
- Family Feud 1988 - Shown on the CBS daytime and nighttime syndicated versions of Family Feud with Ray Combs. Early episodes used the red variant, while later episodes used the standard version.
- The Price is Right - Taken from 1988
Links[]
Mark Goodson Television Productions Brochure
Mark Goodson Wiki