Ralph Edwards Productions is an independent television and radio production company that was originally founded in 1940 by Ralph Edwards. It is notable for a joint venture with Stu Billett, called Ralph Edwards/Stu Billett Productions. Its most notable work included the radio and television game show Truth or Consequences, as well as This is Your Life, Name That Tune, The Cross-Wits and The People's Court. The company was most notable for technology firsts in television through the Truth or Consequences television series.
History Ralph Edwards begin in the industry as a radio announcer. By 1940, its radio announcing days was shifted, so he can make a vanity project on its own, called Truth or Consequences, which was a game show. It was first premiered on CBS radio in 1940, then it was moved to NBC radio later that year. In 1941, the company hit its turning point when its flagship Trurh or Consequences received a one-off television broadcast via WNBT on its first day of broadcasting.
In 1945, the program moved to Hollywood, hence Ralph Edwards became the first game show producer to move from New York City to Hollywood, becoming the earliest one to do so. The company expanded in 1948 to launch its own project This is Your Life, which became another smash hit and astonishing radio success.
In 1950, the company made its biggest turning point into television when Truth or Consequences, the popular NBC radio program made its move to CBS, and launched its television counterpart. Instead of making it live, the producers arranged it to have been on 35mm film under the sponsorship of Phillip Morris, which was a technology first for the company.
In 1956, Bob Barker made its television debut by being hired by Edwards to be the host of the television show Truth or Consequences. Also that year, the company expanded to daytime with another hit game show franchise, It Could Be You, for NBC, hosted by Bill Leyden. In 1957, the company hit another technology first when Truth or Consequences, starring Bob Barker, became the first program to be recorded on a prerecorded videotape.
In 1962, the company hit its only foray outside of unscripted programming with its television show, Wide Country, a joint venture between Ralph Edwards Productions and Revue Studios for NBC. But it did not last long and it was cancelled in 1963. In 1965, NBC decided to end its run of the televised version of Truth or Consequences, and in 1966, came another technology first, when Truth or Consequences became the first successful daily game show in first-run syndication (as opposed to reruns) to not air on a network. The company expanded in 1967 to launch a television variety show starring Woody Woodbury.
In 1974, the company expanded by obtaining the rights to the classic television series Name That Tune, and produced it as a successful first-run syndicated series for Sandy Frank, as well as two daytime versions of the franchise for NBC. The following year, the company saw another hit syndicated series, The Cross-Wits, for Metromedia Producers Corporation, hosted by Jack Clark and became another smash.
In 1980, Edwards met producer Stu Billett, a former executive of Stefan Hatos-Monty Hall Productions, and developed a television pilot Fantasies Fullfilled for Air Time International, but due to Air Time's troubles, the team moved on to develop another successful syndicated hit The People's Court, for Telepictures Corporation, and became another ratings success.
The team later formed a joint venture Ralph Edwards-Stu Billett Productions (EB, or Edwards-Billett Prooductions) to develop TV programming. In 1986, the duo wanted to expand it beyond game and court shows and hired Lorimar-Telepictures veteran Jay Feldman to serve as senior vice president, in order to go for specials and made-for-television features.
During the hiatus of The People's Court, the team created the game show Bzzz!, before reviving The People's Court in 1997 in an hour-long format. In 1997, the company, through the Ralph Edwards Films division, made its direct-to-video animated feature, Annabelle's Wish, made for Hallmark Home Entertainment, and on Fox.
Productions
Radio TitleYearsNetworksTruth or Consequences1940-1957CBSNBCThis is Your Life1948-1950CBSNBCThe Ralph Edwards Radio Show1951-1952NBC
Television TitleYearsNetworksNotesTruth or Consequences19411950-19511954-19651966-19751977-19781987-1988WNBTCBSNBCSyndicationOne-off special in 1941Co-production with Wolper Television Sales (1966–1968), Metromedia Producers Corporation (1968–1975, 1977–1978), Stu Billett Productions (1987–1988), Chris Bearde Productions (1987–1988) and Lorimar-Telepictures (1987–1988)This is Your Life1952-19611971-197319811983-198419871993NBCSyndicationCo-production with Western Video Industries (1971–1973) and Andrews & Associates (1983–1984)Place the Face1953-1955CBSFunny Boners1954-1955NBCIt Could Be You1956-1961About Faces1960-1961ABCWho in the World1962CBSWide Country1962-1963NBCco-production with Revue StudiosThe Woody Woodbury Show1967-1968Syndicationco-production with Wolper Television SalesLet's Face ItWBKB-TVName That Tune1974-1981NBCSyndicationco-production with Sandy Frank Film Syndication/Station SyndicationThe Cross-Wits1975-1980Syndicationco-production with Metromedia Producers CorporationKnockout1977-1978NBCThe People's Court1981-19931997-2023Syndicationco-production with Stu Billett Productions, Telepictures Corporation (1981–1986), Lorimar-Telepictures (1986–1989) and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (1989–1993, 1997–2023)So You Think You've Got Troubles?!1982-1983co-production with Stu Billett Productions and Telepictures CorporationSuperior Court1986-1989co-production with Stu Billett Productions and Lorimar-TelepicturesFamily Medical Center1988-1989Love Stories1991-1992co-production with Stu Billett Productions, Telepictures Productions and Warner Bros. Domestic Television DistributionBzzz!1996-1997co-production with Stu Billett Productions and Tribune Entertainment
Film TitleYearsDistributorNotesAnnabelle's Wish1997Hallmark Home Entertainmentas Raph Edwards Films
References