The Most Popular TV Show From Your Birth Year (1951-1990)

16. 1956: The $64,000 Question

Americans took a momentary break from I Love Lucy to tune into The $64,000 Question. The most popular quiz show of the decade, American audiences lived vicariously through contestants who vied to win $64,000.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this show was its involvement in the “quiz show scandals” of the 1950s. While audiences believed the shows were spontaneous, the truth emerged that shows had a heavy element of scripting. This led to Congressional hearings and one of the most bizarre chapters in American television history.