Do You Trust Your Wife?
| Company type | Television game show |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television entertainment |
| Founded | January 1956 |
| Founder | Edgar Bergen (original host) |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Edgar Bergen, Johnny Carson, Woody Woodbury, Bill Nimmo, Ed McMahon |
| Products | Game show program |
Who Do You Trust?—originally known as Do You Trust Your Wife?'—is a television game show from the United States.
The program debuted under the title Do You Trust Your Wife? on CBS during prime time in January 1956, with ventriloquist Edgar Bergen serving as host, and continued until March 1957. It was later reintroduced as a daytime series on ABC in September 1957, this time hosted by Johnny Carson. The daytime broadcast began on September 30, 1957, airing at 4:30 pm Eastern before shifting to 3:30 pm Eastern from November 18, 1957, through December 27, 1963.
On July 14, 1958, the show's name was changed to Who Do You Trust?. Johnny Carson remained as host for five years until his departure in September 1962 to take over The Tonight Show. Following Carson’s exit, Woody Woodbury took over hosting duties for the final sixteen months of the series.
Broadcast history
The series originated on CBS as a prime time game show called Do You Trust Your Wife?, with Edgar Bergen hosting from January 3, 1956, until March 26, 1957. The contestants were married couples chosen for their interesting backgrounds. Production took place at the Little Theater on 44th Street in New York City, now known as the Helen Hayes Theater.
Sponsored by Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, it was broadcast on Tuesday evenings from 10:30 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
Gameplay (Bergen era)
Each episode began with Bergen engaging in light conversation alongside his ventriloquist figures "Charlie McCarthy," "Mortimer Snerd," and "Effie Klinker." Couples then answered four questions. The opening question tested how well they matched regarding their married life. The following three were general knowledge questions; after revealing the category, the husband decided whether to respond himself or rely on ("trust") his wife’s answer. Correct responses earned $100, $200, and $300 respectively. For the final question, couples could wager any accumulated winnings on a question selected from six categories valued between $100 and $600. If no money had been won, they answered a straightforward $100 question. The highest-earning couple faced off against the previous week’s champions in naming items within a category; winners received $100 weekly for an entire year. Contestants returned until defeated; notably, Erik and Helena Gude accumulated $120,800 in total winnings.
Transition to daytime
After concluding its prime time run in March 1957, the show was revived as a daytime program on ABC featuring Johnny Carson as host. This marked the beginning of Carson’s public career following the cancellation of his CBS prime time variety series The Johnny Carson Show. Initially airing from September 30, 1957, under the original title Do You Trust Your Wife?, it was renamed in July 1958 to allow contestants beyond married couples.
Bill Nimmo served as announcer during Carson’s early tenure; after one year he was succeeded by Ed McMahon. From that point forward until 1992, Carson and McMahon collaborated extensively.
Gameplay (Carson era)
Each episode featured three competing couples, typically consisting of men and women with distinctive backgrounds. While the announcer introduced each pair, Carson placed greater emphasis on interviewing rather than strict quizzing.
During gameplay, Carson informed the male contestant of the question category; he then chose whether to answer himself or "trust" his partner to respond. Each couple answered three questions valued at $25, $50, and $75 respectively. In cases of ties, a numerical question was posed where the contestant providing the closest estimate advanced to the bonus round.
Bonus round
Between 1957 and the quiz-show controversies of 1959—which did not involve this program—champions competed against returning winners. Typically, one partner, often the male contestant, was secluded and posed a question requiring multiple answers; the participant providing the highest number of correct responses earned $500 and the opportunity to return.
Following the scandals, the bonus segment was modified so that winners had to unscramble a name or phrase within a fifteen-second time limit.
Additional show features
A notable difference between Carson and NBC's You Bet Your Life host Groucho Marx was Carson's hands-on engagement with contestants' interests, such as operating a miniature race car (which sometimes resulted in crashing) or diving in a scuba tank. In contrast, Groucho usually stayed behind his desk while announcer George Fenneman conducted any demonstrations.
Consistent with daytime television practices of that era, all background music on Who Do You Trust? was performed by a single organist, John Gart.
When ABC acquired Do You Trust Your Wife?, it conflicted with the popular American Bandstand hosted by Dick Clark, which aired from 3 to 4:30 pm. To preserve Bandstand's viewership, ABC scheduled Do You Trust Your Wife? at 3:30 pm, followed by the remaining portion of Bandstand at 4 pm. This scheduling persisted until 1961 when ABC shortened Bandstand by half an hour to begin immediately after Who Do You Trust?. Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate WFIL-TV, which produced Bandstand, broadcast it locally at 3:30 pm and postponed Who Do You Trust? by one week to an earlier timeslot.
Woody Woodbury period
Carson and McMahon departed following the September 7, 1962 episode when Carson was recruited to succeed Jack Paar as host of NBC's Tonight. They remained host and sidekick there for thirty years. Woody Woodbury took over hosting duties on Who Do You Trust?, with Bill Nimmo returning as announcer. The show continued under Woodbury and Nimmo until December 27, 1963.
International adaptations
A British adaptation of Do You Trust Your Wife? aired on ATV in September 1956, featuring hosts Bob Monkhouse (in his first game show role) and Denis Goodwin. Modeled on the Edgar Bergen format, it offered a grand prize of £2 per week for one year (£104 total). The program lasted for a single series before being replaced by the less successful Bury Your Hatchet, also hosted by Monkhouse and Goodwin, which concluded in 1957.
An Australian version broadcast from 1957 to 1958 on GTV-9 in Melbourne followed the Edgar Bergen format. It was hosted by ventriloquist Ron Blaskett along with his three puppets.