Candid Camera Timeline

 

1947: Candid Microphone debuts on radio. Truman is president; a First Class stamp costs 3 cents.

 

1948: Candid Microphone debuts on ABC Television. Columbia releases “Candid Mike” shorts in theaters. Gandhi is assassinated; Polaroid camera is invented.

 

1949: Candid Camera premieres on NBC (May 29). Dow Jones Index reaches 200.

 

1951: Candid Camera is produced for syndication. The U.S. builds first nuclear plant.

 

1952: Allen Funt authors “Eavesdropper at Large” book. Jonas E. Salk develops polio vaccine.

 

1958: Candid Camera becomes regular feature on NBC’s Tonight Show. Eisenhower is in his second term as president.

 

1959: Candid Camera becomes weekly feature on CBS’s Garry Moore Show. Alaska and Hawaii become states; Castro controls Cuba.

 

1960: Candid Camera debuts as weekly CBS series (October).Kennedy is elected; First Class stamp jumps to 4 cents.

 

1963: Allen Funt authors “Candid Kids” book. Kennedy is assassinated; the Beatles take Britain by storm.

 

1970: First Candid movie, “What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?” is released in theaters. U.S. invades Cambodia; a First Class stamp costs 6 cents.

 

1972: Candid film “Money Talks” is released. Burglars hit Watergate Hotel; HBO is launched on cable.

 

1974: Candid Camera begins weekly syndication run. Nixon resigns; Ford is president; Patty Hearst is kidnapped.

 

1976: Laughter Therapy, Candid Camera’s non-profit foundation, begins. Carter is president; Alex Haley publishes “Roots.”

 

1980: Candid Camera begins adult series on HBO. Reagan is elected; John Lennon is murdered.

 

1987: Candid Camera specials runs on CBS; Peter Funt joins Allen Funt as host. Iran-Contra scandal unfolds.

 

1991: King World produces one season of Candid Camera. Boris Yeltsin elected in Russia.

 

1996: Candid Camera produces hit “50th Anniversary” on CBS, with other specials following. Global warming reaches record high.

 

1998: Candid Camera begins weekly CBS run with Peter Funt and Suzanne Somers. Clinton is impeached; Frank Sinatra dies at 82.

 

1999: Allen Funt dies at 84. Internet users reach 150 million worldwide.

 

2001: Candid Camera begins weekly PAX series with Dina Eastwood joining Peter Funt. Attacks on 9/11 stun the world.

 

2003: Peter Funt’s Candid “Green Kid” videos reach 1,000 U.S. schools for tolerance studies. Baghdad falls to U.S. troops.

 

2005: Rhino Home Video releases first Candid Camera DVDs. Hurricane Katrina devastates Gulf Coast.

 

2006: Rhino expands Candid Camera releases. A First Class stamp soars to 39 cents.

 

2011: Peter Funt launches speaking tour. President Obama campaigns for a second term.

 

2013: Candid Camera celebrates its 65th birthday. A first class stamp is 46 cents.

 

2014: Candid Camera comes to TV Land, with Peter Funt and Mayim Bialik. A new sequence features mail delivered by drone! 

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2015: Candid Camera Classics channel launches on YouTube. Water is found on Mars. 

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2021: The documentary about Allen Funt, "Mister Candid Camera," is released. Second YouTube channel, Candid Camera Gold, is launched. 

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2022: Peter's memoir, "Self-Amused" is published. Stamps cost 60 cents. 

 

2024: Candid Camera's YouTube channel reaches 100,000 subscribers.  

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2025: A new Candid Camera series is in development. First-class stamps cost 73 cents, but few Americans use snail mail. 

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