The true victims were not the contestants, Stone writes, many of whom made money, but the television viewers hoodwinked into believing that the fiction they were watching was actually real-life drama.

Zach Laws is a longtime entertainment journalist and movie features writer. He is also an independent filmmaker and member of the Screen Actors Guild based out of Los Angeles. Zach grew up watching ...

During the Depression, however, the quiz show caught on. The beloved big-band show, the sportscast, the mystery hour, even ...