Chuck Barris Biography

(Game Show Host)

Birthday: June 3, 1929 (Gemini)

Born In: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Charles Hirsch Barris, popularly known as Chuck Barris, was an American game show creator, producer, and host best known for creating ‘The Dating Game’ and ‘The Newlywed Game’, and hosting ‘The Gong Show.’ He worked as an assistant under the TV personality Dick Clark before he became popular. He developed ‘The Dating Game’ pilot for ABC on borrowed money, and the show became an instant hit. In 1966, ‘The Newlywed Game’ was developed after the success of the ‘The Dating Game’. After a decade, he enjoyed massive success once again with ‘The Gong Show’. He also created and sold three more shows—‘The Family Game’, ‘Dream Girl’, and ‘How's Your Mother-in-Law?’ In 1965, he launched Barris Industries (formerly Chuck Barris Productions) which produced many hit shows like ‘The Game Game’ and ‘Operation: Entertainment’. However, by 1974, his game shows started losing viewership and finally, ‘The Newlywed Game’ was dropped. The last game he sold was in 1972; it was called ‘The Parent Game’. Barris was also a songwriter, and wrote the song ‘Palisades Park’ for rock and roll singer Freddy Cannon. Director George Clooney made Barris’ autobiography, ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’ into a film of the same name.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Charles Hirsch Barris

Died At Age: 87

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Lyn Levy (m. 1957–1976), Mary Rudolph (m. 2000–2017), Robin Altman (m. 1980–1999)

father: Nathaniel Barris

mother: Edith Barris

children: Della Barris

Game Show Hosts American Men

Height: 5'8" (173 cm), 5'8" Males

Died on: March 21, 2017

place of death: Palisades

U.S. State: Pennsylvania

Notable Alumni: Drexel University

City: Philadelphia

Founder/Co-Founder: Barris Industries

More Facts

education: Drexel University

  • 1

    What TV shows did Chuck Barris create?

    Chuck Barris created popular TV shows such as "The Dating Game" and "The Newlywed Game."

  • 2

    Did Chuck Barris really work as a CIA assassin?

    Chuck Barris claimed in his autobiography "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" that he worked as a CIA assassin, but this claim has been widely disputed and remains unverified.

  • 3

    What impact did Chuck Barris have on the television industry?

    Chuck Barris is credited with revolutionizing the television industry by creating innovative game shows that became immensely popular and paved the way for reality TV.

  • 4

    Was Chuck Barris involved in any other ventures besides television?

    In addition to his work in television, Chuck Barris also wrote several books, including his autobiography, and composed the hit song "Palisades Park."

  • 5

    How did Chuck Barris pass away?

    Chuck Barris passed away on March 21, 2017, at the age of 87 due to natural causes.

Childhood & Early Life
Chuck Barris was born on June 3, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Jewish parents Edith and Nathaniel Barris, a dentist. His uncle was the actor, singer, and songwriter Harry Barris.
Barris attended the Drexel Institute of Technology, and graduated in 1953. He also wrote a column in the students’ newspaper, ‘The Triangle’.
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Career
Chuck Barris started his career as a page in a television company, and later joined NBC in New York. He then worked backstage for a music show ‘American Bandstand,’ produced by ABC. Later, ABC promoted him to a responsible position in the daytime programming division.
He also produced pop music and wrote the song ‘Palisades Park’, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for two weeks in June 1962. He also wrote or co-wrote music for his own game shows.
In June 1965, he formed his own production company, Chuck Barris Productions, and became successful with the game show, ‘The Dating Game’, which aired on ABC. The show featured three bachelors or bachelorettes who competed for a contestant of the opposite sex. The show, hosted by Jim Lange, aired at 11pm for 15 years.
In 1966, he produced the game show ‘The Newlywed Game’, created by Nick Nicholson and E. Roger Muir. Aired on ABC, the show ran for 19 years, the longest lasting game show ever produced by his company.
In the 1960s and 1970s, he created several other game shows, which were short-lived. He also tried his hands at several non-game formats like ABC's ‘Operation: Entertainment’, a variety show staged at military bases; ‘Your Hit Parade’ at CBS; and ‘The Bobby Vinton Show’, a variety show for singer Bobby Vinton, which was his only successful non-game show.
In 1976, for the first time Chuck Barris hosted a talent show, ‘The Gong Show. It was aired on NBC for two years, and then for four years in syndication. ‘The Gong Show’ was revived four times—in 1988-89, 2000, 2008, and 2017. In 1980, he directed and starred in ‘The Gong Show Movie, which flopped at the box office.
By the mid-1970s, the audience had started losing interest in the genre of game shows. In fact, ABC cancelled the ‘The Dating Game’ and ‘The Newlywed Game.’ Only one of his shows, the weekly syndicated show, ‘The New Treasure Hunt’, was on. He also tried to revive ‘The Gong Show’ in 1976, and added a ‘Beauty Show’ to his syndications.
In 1978, he hosted a primetime variety show—‘The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show’ on NBC, which was a short-lived one. Another short-lived show, ‘Three's a Crowd’ was aired in 1979. In the show, wives and secretaries competed to see if the wives knew more about their husbands or the secretaries knew more about their bosses. Feminists and socially conservative groups protested against the show.
In 1980, he made an attempt to launch another game show, ‘Camouflage’, but it was not successful. Finally, in September 1980, for the first time, he had no shows on air or in production. In fact, he was out of work for one year. In 1981, he tried to revive‘Treasure Hunt’ in partnership with producer Budd Granoff, but the show lasted for just one year.
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In 1984, he revived Barris Industries, and added a distributor segment called Bel-Air Program Sales, and an ad-sales department called Clarion Communications. In 1985, he produced in syndication the ‘The Newlywed Game’ which was renamed as ‘The New Newlywed Game’. ‘The Dating Game’was also produced in syndication in 1986.
In 1987, he sold his shares in Barris Industries to Burt Sugarman, and moved to France. In September 1989, Barris Industries was renamed as the Guber-Peters Entertainment Company. Eventually, Sony Corporation acquired Guber-Peters Entertainment for $200 million, and revived ‘The Dating Game’, ‘The Newlywed Game’, as well as ‘The Gong Show’.
Books
In his autobiography, ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’ (1984), Chuck Barris claimed that he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the 1960s and the 1970s as an assassin. Director George Clooney made a film in 2002, which was based on his autobiography. The film showed Barris’ character killing 33 people while working for the CIA. However, the CIA denied that Barris had ever worked for them.
In 1993, he published his second autobiography, ‘The Game Show King: A Confession,’ and in 2004, he wrote a sequel to his autobiography, entitled ‘Bad Grass Never Dies’.
In 2010, he wrote ‘Della: A Memoir of My Daughter’ in which he gave details about the death of his only child, who died due to an overdose of drugs. He had also written three novels, including ‘You and Me, Babe’ which was a New York Times bestseller.
Major Works
‘The Dating Game’, which started airing on ABC in 1965, was one of the most successful game shows created by Chuck Barris. After the show ended in July 1973, a new version, ‘The New Dating Game,’ was aired in syndication for another year. The show was revived thrice.
Barris became a popular TV personality when he started hosting ‘The Gong Show’ in 1976. The show, known for its absurdist humor and style, was a major hit. It was later made into a movie; however, the film was not as successful as the TV show.
Awards & Achievements
In 1977, Chuck Barris was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk, Service or Variety Series for ‘The Gong Show’.
Personal Life
Chuck Barris married Lyn Levy in 1957. They divorced in 1976. They had a daughter, Della, who died in 1998 at the age of 36 due to cocaine and alcohol overdose. She was also HIV positive at the time of her death.
Barris married Robin Altman in 1980. They ended their marriage in 1999. He then married Mary Clagett in 2000 and remained with her till his death.
He was diagnosed with lung cancer in the 1990s, and underwent surgery to remove a part of his lung. He died of natural causes on March 21, 2017, at the age of 87.
Facts About Chuck Barris

Chuck Barris claimed to have been a CIA assassin in his autobiography, "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," although this claim has been widely disputed.

Barris was the creator and host of the popular game show "The Gong Show," known for its eccentric and offbeat contestants.

In addition to his television career, Barris also wrote the hit song "Palisades Park," which was released by Freddy Cannon in 1962.

Barris was known for his colorful personality and sense of humor, often incorporating his wit and charm into his various television projects.

Despite his controversial claims and eccentricities, Chuck Barris was a pioneer in the world of television entertainment and left a lasting impact on the industry.

See the events in life of Chuck Barris in Chronological Order

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