All About Faces

Did You Know?

• It was produced at the studios of CFTO-TV in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario.
• Host Richard Hayes was praised by Variety for suiting the comedy format nicely.

Format

Two teams, each composed of a celebrity and a friend or relative, watched a hidden-camera clip of an unsuspecting person in an embarrassing situation. When the film froze on a closeup of the person's face, contestants wagered on how that person would react—for instance, whether a passenger told by a nearsighted, color-blind taxi driver would exit the cab. Each team began with $50 and could bet up to that amount per round; after four rounds, the team with the most money won, with winnings donated to their chosen charity (a final score under $50 was credited as $50).

Broadcast history

Produced in Toronto, the show derived from the 1961 ABC program About Faces. It was one of several Canadian game shows Dan Enright worked on after his post-quiz show scandals exile; he later returned to American television when Jack Barry brought him in to produce the final network season of The Joker's Wild. The format was adapted into the 1972 CBS series The Amateur's Guide to Love, and the hidden-camera guessing concept was reused in Anything for Money and Hold Everything!.

Reception

Variety reviewer Bill praised the show's rapid pace and comedic spontaneity from on-location ad-libs, noting the audience's involvement in the hidden-camera twist. Newsday critic Marvin Kitman called it 'uninspired nonsense' that degraded human foibles, competing for 'the most idiotic games show'. Author Alex McNeil described All About Faces as a 'lackluster game show'.