The Face is Familiar


Aired
Pilot: 1965 CBS Primetime, May 7, 1966 - September 3, 1966
Run time
30 Minutes
Host
Jack Clark (Pilot) Jack Whitaker (series)
Announcer
Hal Simms (pilot) Jack Clark (series)
Origination
Studio 41, CBS Broadcast Center, New York City, New York

Game Format[]

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 questions 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 swap the positions of two parts. Incorrect answers moved on to the next question and did not give the opponent control. The player who answered correctly chose one part of the face and their partner chose another part; the two were then swapped. The first partner could then guess the answer.

The team which correctly identified the celebrity won $150 for the contestant.

"Three of a Kind" Bonus Game[]

In the 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 correct eyes, they added $50 to the contestant's winnings.

This was repeated for three mouths and noses, with the partners alternating. The second correct answer added another $50, and the third correct answer earned another $250 for a total of $500.

Host Jack Whitaker was a longtime CBS sportscaster.

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