The game show at the center of the cheating scandal chronicled in the movie “Quiz Show” was the NBC program Twenty-One. The show was presented as a contest of wits between two contestants, one a returning champion, answering questions of increasing difficulty, for increasing cash winnings. The show's host was Jack Barry. The scandal largely revolved around two contestants in the show, Charles Van Doren and Herb Stempel in the 1950s, who were both given the answers to many questions they were asked on the show, in an effort to increase viewer ratings and make the show more interesting. This led to a Congressional investigation and the ending of the show.
