1950: 'You Bet Your Life' Makes its TV Debut
On this day in 1950, the popular radio quiz show You Bet Your Life made its television debut. Hosted by the Marx Brothers' Groucho Marx, the program featured two contestants from the studio audience taking part in an unscripted discussion that showcased Marx's ad-lib talents. The contestants then answered questions for cash.
At the beginning of each show, a "secret word" was revealed to the studio audience. If a contestant mentioned the secret word during the course of the show, a stuffed duck — to which $100 was attached — dropped from the ceiling.
The show ran on NBC until 1961. It was revived in 1980 and again in 1992, with Buddy Hackett and Bill Cosby hosting, respectively, but neither show proved as popular as the Marx-hosted version.