The Face Is Familiar

"The Face Is Familiar" is a television game show which aired 18 episodes on CBS during the summer of 1966 in colour. The show was hosted by Jack Whitaker and featured celebrity guests including Bob Crane, Dick Van Patten and June Lockhart. "The Face Is Familiar" was primarily sponsored by Parliament and Marlboro cigarettes. The show was produced by Bob Stewart

Game play

Each game featured two contestants, each partnered with a celebrity guest. The celebrities each stayed on for the entire program, while contestants played only one game, win or lose.

Each round centered around a board which contained the face of a celebrity, cut into seven horizontal strips and jumbled vertically. At the beginning of each round, only one strip was revealed. Then, alternating between the celebrities and the contestants, the pairs were asked trivia question in the form of an incomplete sentence (for example, "the last king of france was..."). After each question, more of the face was revealed (still in jumbled order). The first two questions revealed one part each, while the next two revealed two parts each. The player who correctly answered the question had the opportunity to guess the identity of the celebrity after the new parts were revealed. An incorrect answer gave the opponent the right to guess. If the identity was not guessed after all seven parts were revealed, play continued, with each question offering a chance to switch two of the parts. Incorrect answers moved on to the next question, and did not give the opponent control. The player who answered correctly choose one part of the face, and their partner choose another part; the two were then switched. The first partner could then guess the answer.

The team which correctly identified the celebrity won $150 for the contestant, and the opportunity to play a "Three of a Kind" bonus game. In this bonus game, one partner was asked to find the eyes of a given celebrity, and three strips containing of eyes were shown very briefly, one at a time. If the player could choose the corrent eyes, they won added $50 to the prize. This was repeated for three mouths and noses, with the partners alternating. The second correct answer added another $50, and if all three answers were correct, the prize money doubled, for a total of $500.

The series was notable for its use of technology. Besides the screen which showed the faces, and could switch any two pieces instantly, the show also used a split-screen shot when the contestants (who sat outside of the two celebrities) were answering a question. When one contestant rang in, the split wiped to the side to show both partners of that team.