Chuck Barris

Chuck Barris

Charles Hirsch Barris (June 3, 1929 – March 21, 2017) was an American game show creator, producer, and host. He was best known for hosting The Gong Show and creating The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game. He was also a songwriter who wrote "Palisades Park", recorded by Freddy Cannon and also recorded by Ramones. He also wrote or co-wrote some of the music that appeared on his game shows. He wrote an autobiography titled Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was made into the film of the same title starring Sam Rockwell and directed by George Clooney. He formed his production company, Chuck Barris Productions, on June 14, 1965. His first success came in 1965 with The Dating Game, which aired on ABC. The show ran until 1980 and was twice revived, later in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1966, he began The Newlywed Game, originally created by Nick Nicholson and E. Roger Muir, also for ABC. The show is the longest lasting of any developed by his company, broadcast until 1985, for a total of 19 full years on both "first run" network TV and syndication. He became a public figure in 1976 when he produced and served as the host of the talent show spoof The Gong Show, which he packaged in partnership with TV producer Chris Bearde. It ran only two seasons on NBC (1976–78) and four in syndication (1976–80). It has had four subsequent revivals, one under Barris' title (with Don Bleu) in 1988–1989, one on The Game Show Network in 2000 called Extreme Gong and another with current format owner Sony Pictures Television (with Dave Attell) in 2008. A fourth version, produced by Will Arnett and hosted by fictional British celebrity "Tommy Maitland" (Mike Myers), aired on ABC in 2017. In 1980, he starred in and directed The Gong Show Movie. The film was a major failure at the box office. In 1984, he wrote an autobiography, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind. In the book, he states that he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as an assassin in the 1960s and 1970s in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. A 2002 feature film version depicts Barris killing 33 people. He wrote a sequel to the autobiography in 2004 called Bad Grass Never Dies. The CIA denied Barris ever worked for them in any capacity. After the release of the movie, CIA spokesman Paul Nowack said Barris' assertions that he worked for the CIA “[are] ridiculous. It's absolutely not true". In an interview on NBC's Today Show in 1984, Barris admitted to having made the story up. His first wife was Lyn Levy, the niece of one of the founders of CBS. Their marriage lasted from 1957 to 1976, ending in divorce. They had a daughter, Della, who frequently appeared on The Gong Show, usually introducing her father. Della died of an alcohol and cocaine overdose in 1998 at the age of 36. At the time of her death, she was HIV positive. He published Della: A Memoir of My Daughter in 2010 about the death of his only child and her struggle with drug addiction. In 1980, he married Robin Altman, 23 years his junior, and they divorced in 1999. The following year, he married Mary Clagett. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in the 1990s. After undergoing surgery to remove part of his lung, he contracted an infection and spent a month in intensive care. He died on March 21, 2017, of natural causes at the age of 87 at home in Palisades, NY, where he lived with his wife, Mary.

  • Title: Chuck Barris
  • Popularity: 3.052
  • Known For: Creator
  • Birthday: 1929-06-03
  • Place of Birth: Palisades, New York, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As:
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Chuck Barris Movies

  • 1980
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    The Gong Show Movie

    The Gong Show Movie

    4 1980 HD

    A week in the life of "The Gong Show" host and creator Chuck Barris.

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  • 2002
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    Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

    Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

    6.7 2002 HD

    Television made him famous, but his biggest hits happened off screen. Television producer by day, CIA assassin by night, Chuck Barris was recruited...

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  • 2006
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    The Chuck Barris Story: My Life On The Edge

    The Chuck Barris Story: My Life On The Edge

    1 2006 HD

    The Chuck Barris Story: My Life on the Edge is a special documentary about the creator of The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game and creator and host...

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  • 1997
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    Hugo Pool

    Hugo Pool

    5.2 1997 HD

    Hugo Pool is a quirky tale of a Los Angeles pool cleaner who falls in love with a young man dying of Lou Gerhig's Disease.

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  • 2019
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    Chop Chop Chang: Operation C.H.I.M.P

    Chop Chop Chang: Operation C.H.I.M.P

    6 2019 HD

    The incredible story of Chop Chop Chang, a world famous circus chimpanzee who is secretly trained by the CIA into a deadly assassin.

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  • 2002
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    Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

    Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

    6.7 2002 HD

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  • 1980
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    The Gong Show Movie

    The Gong Show Movie

    4 1980 HD

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  • 1980
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    The Gong Show Movie

    The Gong Show Movie

    4 1980 HD

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  • 2003
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    Jimmy Kimmel Live!

    Jimmy Kimmel Live!

    5.5 2003 HD

    Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.

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  • 1972
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    Sanford and Son

    Sanford and Son

    7.442 1972 HD

    The misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son.

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  • 1993
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    Late Night with Conan O'Brien

    Late Night with Conan O'Brien

    7.101 1993 HD

    Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The...

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  • 1976
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    The Gong Show

    The Gong Show

    6 1976 HD

    The Gong Show is an amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from...

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  • 1978
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    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    1 1978 HD

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  • 1970
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    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    4 1970 HD

    The Newlywed Game is an American television dating game show that pits newly married couples against each other in a series of revealing question...

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  • 1970
    imgS1 E1

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    6 1970 HD

    The Gong Show is an amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from...

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  • 1970
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    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    1 1970 HD

    The Family Game was a game show that ran on ABC for six months in 1967. Geoff Edwards was originally to host the pilot, but was dropped at the last...

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  • 1970
    imgS2 E71

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    3.5 1970 HD

    The Dating Game is an ABC television show that first aired on December 20, 1965 and was the first of many shows created and packaged by Chuck Barris...

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  • 1970
    imgS1 E1

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    8 1970 HD

    The $1.98 Beauty Show is an American game show that aired in syndication from September 1978 to September 1980. Hosted by Rip Taylor, the series is...

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  • 1970
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    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    1 1970 HD

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  • 1970
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    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    1 1970 HD

    The Gong Show with Dave Attell is a revival of the 1970s Chuck Barris comedy game show called The Gong Show, hosted by comedian Dave Attell. The show...

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  • 1970
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    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    1 1970 HD

    Three's a Crowd is an American game show originally packaged by Chuck Barris Productions. The first version aired in syndication from September 17,...

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  • 1970
    imgS1 E1

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    6 1970 HD

    The Gong Show is an amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from...

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  • 1970
    imgS1 E1

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    1 1970 HD

    Treasure Hunt is an American television game show that ran in the 1950s, 1970s, and 1980s. The show featured contestants selecting a treasure chest...

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  • 1970
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    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    1 1970 HD

    The Parent Game is an American game show that ran in syndication from 1972–1973. The show was hosted by Clark Race, a Los Angeles radio...

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  • 1970
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    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    1 1970 HD

    The Game Game is a game show hosted by Jim McKrell. It was packaged by Chuck Barris and aired during the 1969-1970 season; the show was Barris' first...

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  • 1970
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    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    The Chuck Barris Rah-Rah Show

    1 1970 HD

    How's Your Mother-in-Law? was a comedy game show hosted by Wink Martindale that aired on ABC from December 4, 1967 to March 1, 1968. The series was...

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