Mister Candid Camera: Allen Funt and the Invention of Reality TV

A son offers a “candid” recollection of the man behind one of the most successful franchises in television history

This intimate, no-holds-barred portrait of one of television’s most misunderstood pioneers reveals for the first time how Allen Funt’s unique vision and private torment led to an iconic program and opened the Pandora’s box that became reality TV. Deeply researched and reported by his son Peter, with first-hand insight into what really went on behind the hidden camera, it’s an entertaining look at a man, his show, and, ultimately, ourselves.

Allen Funt was a brilliant social scientist and master showman. His work helped shape television as we know it today. Candid Camera is the only entertainment series in history to have been produced in eight different decades. Candid Camera’s body of research into the human condition, cataloged at Cornell and Stanford, is used in classrooms around the world. Mister Candid Camera provides a revealing, amusing, and provocative look at one of television’s genuine pioneers, whose work was labeled genius by some and demonic by others. The catchphrase, “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera!” signaled happiness for millions of viewers, but the struggles Allen faced in dealing with nervous network execs, concerned sponsors, and hostile newspaper critics, coupled with his own marital problems and off-camera temper, provide a volatile backstory.