RANKED: 'To Tell The Truth' best incarnations of the game show

2. 1956 - 1968 (Host: Bud Collyer)

The original incarnation of To Tell The Truth, of course, makes up the top three in the ranking. However, although it finds itself in the runner-up position and not number one, that doesn't knock it from being a great version of the show. Plus, if it weren't for the original version, there would not have been many more additional years of To Tell The Truth that followed.

To Tell The Truth is a member of the big three-panel game shows, What's My Line and I've Got a Secret being the other two. Although it featured the usual conventions of the other two-panel game shows, such as featuring a group of four celebrities trying to figure out a challenger's mystery, To Tell The Truth was different than the others. It was the only one that allowed the home audience to truly play along.

On What's My Line, the occupation of the contestant was revealed for the home and studio audiences to see before the questioning began, and on I've Got a Secret, a graphic of the contestant's secret was also displayed before the questioning. This meant there was no real play-along element for the viewers, which essentially defeats one of the best parts of watching a game show, and that is to compete with those playing on the television screen.

To Tell The Truth never revealed who the real person was until after the panel's votes were cast, meaning the home audience can take in the information the panel is also gathering and make a decision themselves as to who the real person is. One of the enticing elements of a great game show is the ability for the viewers to feel like they are a contestant and To Tell The Truth gave that to whoever was watching. It's fun being able to guess who the real person is, and picking correctly is always exciting and fulfilling.

Bud Collyer, the host of the show for 12 years, is such a class act. If the name and face ring a bell, it's probably because you recognize him as the host of another classic Goodson/Todman game show, Beat The Clock. Bud Collyer was "America's Number One Clock Watcher" and hosted the stunt show for 11 years from 1950 to 1961, meaning for five years, he was hosting both Beat The Clock and To Tell The Truth simultaneously.

Collyer had a classic appeal about him, with the slicked back hair and the bow tie. He was much respected in the game show industry and is one of the great game show hosts of all time. While he really didn't have much to do since his main job was to simply read the affidavit and ask for the real person to stand up, he made his presence known, which is sometimes hard to do. Plus, the way he interacted with the panel was superb. He did not interfere with the panel's main goal just so he could get more attention, and during small chats, it truly felt like they were having a simple conversation.

Speaking of the panel, the original incarnation featured legendary game show panelists, including Orson Bean, Peggy Cass, Johnny Carson, Betty White, Dick Van Dyke and Ms. To Tell The Truth herself, Kitty Carlisle. However, many of the challengers were also famous in their own rights.

The original To Tell The Truth featured an array of interesting people with fascinating lives and stories. Some guests that have appeared on the first incarnation of the show include one of the sculptors who worked on Mount Rushmore, the singer of the classic song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," the creator of The Lone Ranger, and even Ted Geisel, A.K.A. Dr. Seuss. Over 12 years, there were a countless number of challengers who America was introduced to and each viewer learned a lot about their connection to pop culture, politics, science, and many other fields.

Bud Collyer's To Tell The Truth felt like not only a game but a form of Americana, which is why it's still regarded as one of television's great treasures. However, there is one incarnation of the show that tops the original incarnation and all the others.