Mark Goodson
1915-1992
The Bible says, "There is a time to be
born, and a time to die." Mark Goodson wasn't ready to die. Who is? But if
we were wise we would live and work as though our own time could be near. Time,
itself, would be our most precious asset.
Mark was a very complicated man, driven,
not just by the pursuit of money (though he started from nothing and wound up in
Forbes' 400, quite an accomplishment on its own), but by the pursuit of
perfection.
The many shows that went out under his
name (modesty restrained him from taking credit as creator) will serve as a
testament to his enormous talent for many years to come. His drive for
perfection was centered not only on a basic idea that was fresh rather than
derivative, but also on the myriad areas that make up the final structure of a
game show, or a panel show, or an audience participation show ¬ the proper set,
its colors and lighting, training the right emcee, the basic language of the
show, the precise sound effects, the system of scoring, the music, the art of
selecting participants, the testing of personalities to serve as panelists, the
outlining of elements to reach a climax, these and many others occupied his
time.
Mark was a pioneer and an innovator in
bringing new form to old ideas and new ideas to be shaped into fresh forms ¬
the process of creating and developing a Mark Goodson show often spanned a
period of 12 to 18 months before it was ready to be made into a pilot. And even
there the process, spurred by the pursuit of excellence, could extend beyond a
single pilot before it would be exposed to a potential buyer.
Mark was open to suggestion from a
carefully selected staff imbued with his own zeal for precision and excellence,
all working together as a team dedicated to the meticulous goals of their
leader. He was generous in rewarding his associates, both financially and
artistically, and remarkably effective in inspiring them to join him in reaching
for perfection.
The results? How many producers have
guided TV shows that ran not for a couple of years but for ten years, fifteen,
twenty and even more, shows like Password, What's My Line, The Price Is Right,
etc.? And the remarkable fact is, unlike many situation comedies, variety shows,
dramas, etc., Mark Goodson's programs have won international acceptance with
more than 30 co productions of a dozen of his ideas being produced daily in
Europe, Asia, and South America.
In fact, no single producer has ever
achieved more universality for his work; no other American producer can claim to
having had at least one network series on the air every week for the past 45
years!
Mark had his success in live drama and
in film, too, with shows like The Web, The Rebel, Branded, The Richard Boone
Anthology, etc., but it was in the area which he basically invented and
perfected that gave him his greatest challenge, his enormous reward, and his
psychic satisfaction. And as the Bible says in that very same chapter quoted
earlier (Chapter 3, Ecclesiastes) "there is nothing better than a man
should rejoice in his own works." He rejoiced, but he did not boast, nor
did he ever stop examining ways to improve even his greatest hits. The secret of
his success, instilled into his colleagues, was to treat every single production
as a premiere.
If Mark were with us today he would say,
delay nothing, put all of your effort in your work, set high standards, do it
all with the intensity and confidence of your own dreams, and most importantly
accept no compromise that sacrifices the main goal of excellence. That is what
he lived for, that is what he achieved, that is his legacy to each of us.
F.T.C. 1993
