96 Fun Facts About Family Feud

Which Family Feud host famously announced the wrong Miss Universe winner in 2015?

Steve Harvey, hosting Miss Universe 2015, crowned Miss Colombia before correcting himself that Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach, had won; he went on hosting the pageant for years afterward.

In what year did Family Feud debut on ABC's daytime lineup?

It debuted on July 12 in a 1:30 p.m. daytime slot and within a year was the number-one game show in daytime television.

Who was the original host of Family Feud when it debuted?

Richard Dawson hosted the whole first run, from 1976 to 1985, on both the ABC daytime show and its syndicated nighttime companion.

How many people are surveyed to create the answers on Family Feud?

Family Feud polls 100 people for every survey question; because an answer needs at least two respondents to make the board, the visible answers usually total fewer than 100 points.

Under the original network's rules, a family retired as champions once its winnings reached what?

The 1977 syndicated companion had no returning champions at all because stations swapped tapes among themselves, a practice known as 'bicycling'.

How many strikes does a family get before control passes to the other family?

Silence counts too: failing to give any answer at all is scored as a strike.

The show's 1999–2002 host won a 2016 Emmy playing a matriarch on which FX comedy?

Louie Anderson won the 2016 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series as Christine Baskets, mother of Zach Galifianakis's twins, on FX's Baskets.

The show's original host was nicknamed 'The Bandit' for routinely doing what to female contestants?

The habit earned him the nickname 'The Kissing Bandit'; executives tried to stop it, so the show polled viewers, and the wide majority of roughly 200,000 responses were in favour.

What is the Fast Money round on Family Feud?

For the show's 50th-anniversary season the jackpot rises to $50,000 for ten episodes.

On Family Feud, what combined Fast Money score must two teammates reach to win the cash prize rather than $5 a point?

200 points or more across both players wins the Fast Money cash; fall short and the family still gets $5 for every point the pair scored.

Which comedian hosted the 1988 revival of Family Feud on CBS and in syndication until 1994?

Ray Combs hosted the 1988 revival on CBS daytime until its 1993 cancellation and the syndicated edition until he was replaced by a returning Richard Dawson for its final season.

Grant Denyer hosted the 2014–2018 Australian revival of Family Feud on which network?

Network Ten revived Family Feud in Australia in 2014 with Grant Denyer as host; the stripped weeknight show ran until 2018.

What happens when the opposing family successfully 'steals' on Family Feud?

Only the team captain may give the steal answer, though the family can huddle first; from 1999 to 2003 the points from the steal answer itself were also added.

On Family Feud, if the first buzz in a Face-Off does not land the top answer, what decides which family takes control?

The higher-ranked survey answer wins it: landing the number-one answer takes the Face-Off instantly, otherwise the opponent gets a shot and the better-ranked answer takes control.

How many family members typically make up each team on Family Feud?

The only exception was the 1994-95 season, when teams were cut to four members.

What comedian and actor hosted Family Feud from 1999 to 2002?

Louie Anderson fronted the 1999 syndicated revival, with Burton Richardson announcing; his three-season run ended in 2002.

Which two-word phrase does the host use to cue a reveal on the Family Feud board?

'Survey says' is the cue, after which the board flips up the answer if it is there; Richard Dawson's original version was 'Survey said'.

In Family Feud's Steve Harvey era, how long is the first Fast Money player's clock?

The first Fast Money player gets 20 seconds in the Steve Harvey era; the clock starts only after the host reads the first question, and the player may pass and return if time remains.

In Family Feud's Steve Harvey era, how long is the second Fast Money player's clock?

The second Fast Money player gets 25 seconds, slightly more than the first, because any answer duplicating the first player's draws a 'Try again' buzzer and costs time.

From 1983 to 1985, a family could win $100 by pulling what off a small plastic tree at their podium?

A black mark on the bottom of the lollipop stick meant a $100 bonus; the trees lasted until the daytime series ended in June 1985.

On Celebrity Family Feud, what is the prize money typically donated to?

The prize money goes to a cause of the team captain's choice: each celebrity team plays for a charity, and a Fast Money win earns that charity $25,000.

Which Home Improvement star hosted Family Feud from 2002 to 2006?

Richard Karn, Tim Allen's sidekick Al Borland on Home Improvement, hosted four seasons of the syndicated Family Feud from 2002 to 2006.

Which Seinfeld actor hosted Family Feud from 2006 to 2010, right before Steve Harvey?

J. Peterman himself later said he left partly because the show was leaning into ribald humour and he wanted it to stay family-friendly.

On Family Feud, what flashes on screen when a family's answer is not on the board?

A red X flashes on screen, with a loud buzzer, every time a family's answer is not on the board.

What fixed Fast Money grand prize did Family Feud adopt in July 2010?

From the 2010 tapings onward Fast Money's top prize was fixed at $20,000, replacing the floating Bullseye-round jackpot of the previous season.

Which Star Trek actor was originally slated to host the Family Feud pilot in 1976?

The eventual host only got his audition after threatening, via his agent, to turn bland and silent on Match Game if he was passed over.

Who was Family Feud's announcer for its first two runs, from 1976 to 1995?

Gene Wood announced both the 1976–85 original and the 1988–95 revival, and was also the voice of Goodson-Todman's Card Sharks and Password Plus.

Which production group, formed from Pearson Television, holds the Family Feud format?

Fremantle holds the format; its predecessor Pearson Television absorbed the Goodson library by buying All American Communications in 1997, and Fremantle also produces the international versions, including the African edition launched in 2020.

Family Feud's original host played Corporal Peter Newkirk on which classic sitcom?

Hogan's Heroes, the POW-camp comedy that ran on CBS from 1965 to 1971, made the future Family Feud host a familiar face as cockney corporal Peter Newkirk.

As a game progresses from round to round, what happens to the number of answers hidden on the board?

The number of answers goes down: a first-round survey can carry seven or eight answers, while the later rounds hide progressively fewer for higher stakes.

What determines the point value of each answer on the Family Feud board?

An answer needs at least two survey respondents to make the board, which is why the points on a board rarely add up to exactly 100.

What happens to Family Feud point values in the rounds after the first?

Points are doubled then tripled: the first two rounds pay face value, the third round doubles every answer's value and the fourth triples it.

What happens if both players in a Face-Off give the same answer?

Ties go to whoever answered first, and if neither face-off contestant lands an answer on the board, the other eight players get a turn one at a time.

When a family chooses to 'pass' after winning the Face-Off, what happens?

The opponents play the board when a family passes; the 1988-95 series was the only one without the play-or-pass choice, so the Face-Off winner always played.

In the post-2003 format, what happens if no family reaches the target after four rounds?

The tiebreaker shows just the number-one answer on the board, and the first player to buzz in with it wins the game for their family.

What is the German version of Family Feud, hosted on RTL by Werner Schulze-Erdel, called?

Familien-Duell ran on RTL from 1992 to 2003 with Werner Schulze-Erdel as host, and RTL revived the title in 2013 with Inka Bause.

In what year did the show's original host return for a brief second stint behind the podium?

The comeback lasted a single season and ended with the second run's cancellation in 1995; this time he kept a promise to his young daughter and did not kiss contestants.

Which reality-TV family opened Celebrity Family Feud's fourth season in June 2018?

The Kardashians, led by Kris and Kim, took on Kim's in-laws the Wests in the fourth-season opener on June 10, 2018.

What was the top Fast Money prize during the show's original network run?

The ABC daytime run's Fast Money top prize was $5,000, while the 1977 syndicated nighttime version offered $10,000.

Which of these toy companies has released a traditional Family Feud board game?

Milton Bradley published the classic Family Feud board game in numbered editions from 1977 onward; later home versions came from Pressman and Endless Games.

The first Celebrity Family Feud, hosted by Al Roker in 2008, aired on which network?

It lasted one summer and remains the only version of Family Feud ever to air exclusively on that network; the format was revived elsewhere in 2015.

In the Bullseye round, what did a family have to give to add money to its Fast Money bank?

Only the number-one answer added money: in Bullseye, each family member faced off for a single top answer before the main game, building the Fast Money bank the family could win.

Steve Harvey co-created and fronted which 2016 series, with Ellen DeGeneres producing?

Little Big Shots, which Steve Harvey created with Ellen DeGeneres and hosted on NBC from 2016, showcased talented children; Harvey also fronted its Forever Young spin-off and Steve Harvey's Funderdome.

The 2006–2010 host finished second on the first season of which reality competition in 2005?

Dancing with the Stars' first season, in summer 2005, ended with the future Family Feud host as runner-up to Kelly Monaco, a result so disputed that ABC staged a dance-off rematch, which he won.

Which publisher released the Family Feud game for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990?

GameTek, which also published the NES versions of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, released Family Feud for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990.

Family Feud's original host came from the regular panel of which Goodson-Todman show, a daytime ratings record-setter from 1973 to 1976?

Match Game had set daytime ratings records between 1973 and 1976 with him on its panel, and its spin-off, Family Feud, eventually surpassed it in the ratings.

In June 2015, Family Feud overtook which show as TV's most-watched syndicated game show?

Family Feud edged past Wheel of Fortune in June 2015 to become syndication's most-watched game show, after a ratings surge that followed the 2010 host change.

What is the UK adaptation of the show called?

Family Fortunes, the British version, debuted on ITV in January 1980 with Bob Monkhouse as host and ran until 2002; Gino D'Acampo fronted a 2020 revival.

Which boy band was the show's 2010–2015 announcer a member of?

Joey Fatone of NSYNC, the group's baritone, recorded the show's announcements from 2010 through the end of the 2014–15 season.

The original ABC daytime run of the show ended in which year?

ABC declined to renew its contract with Goodson in 1985 and the daytime series signed off on June 14; Viacom had already dropped the syndicated version.

The original host played game-show villain Damon Killian in which 1987 film?

The Running Man (1987) cast Richard Dawson as Damon Killian, the smarmy host of a deadly game show, opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, and critics praised his performance.

Al Roker, the 2008 celebrity edition's host, made his name as weatherman on which morning show?

Today, NBC's morning show, made Al Roker its weatherman in 1996, which made him a natural pick when the network mounted its own Celebrity Family Feud in 2008.

The 1988 CBS revival premiered on which American holiday?

The revival debuted on Independence Day, July 4, 1988, on CBS daytime, with a syndicated nighttime edition following that September.

In which US state was Steve Harvey, Family Feud's host from 2010, born?

Broderick Stephen Harvey was born in Welch, a West Virginia coal town, on January 17, 1957, and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio.

What is the title of Steve Harvey's 2009 bestselling relationship book?

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man (2009) topped the New York Times bestseller list and was adapted into the 2012 film Think Like a Man and its 2014 sequel.

The show's 1999–2002 host created which animated series about his childhood?

Life with Louie, Louie Anderson's Fox Kids cartoon (1994–98), drew on his Saint Paul, Minnesota upbringing as one of 11 children and won him two Daytime Emmys for voice acting.

In 2009, what prize was announced for a family that won five games in a row?

The five-day champion prize was swapped for a $30,000 cash bonus in May 2024, then for a vacation plus $10,000 that September.

Which channel, launched in June 2015, began airing reruns of the first four hosts' eras?

The classic-game-show network carried the older episodes from its launch, while GSN stuck to the Steve Harvey years.

Which network launched Family Feud Canada in December 2019?

CBC launched Family Feud Canada in December 2019 with comedian Gerry Dee as host and a CA$10,000 Fast Money top prize.

Before Family Feud, Steve Harvey spent the 1990s hosting which long-running variety showcase?

Steve Harvey hosted Showtime at the Apollo from 1993 to 2000, while also starring in the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show.

Which late-night show did ABC pre-empt with celebrity-edition reruns in September 2025?

The reruns filled the 11:35 pm slot for about a week during the host's suspension over remarks about the Charlie Kirk assassination.

By the end of 2022, how many Daytime Emmys for Game Show Host had Steve Harvey won?

The wins came in 2014, 2017 and 2022; the original host, Richard Dawson, took the same award once, in 1978.

Steve Harvey's 2020 spin-off edition serves which two countries?

Ghana and South Africa each got an edition of Family Feud Africa, hosted by Steve Harvey from its 2020 launch.

How many strikes was a family allowed in the fourth round under the 1999–2003 format?

In those years the game simply went to whoever led after four rounds, with the fourth played at triple value and a single strike.

Family Feud's original host died in which year?

Richard Dawson died on June 2, 2012, in Los Angeles at 79, from complications of esophageal cancer.

Before 1994, how many seconds did the first Fast Money player get for five questions?

The clock was lengthened by five seconds in 1994, and the second player has always been given five seconds more than the first.

Which actress was the original host's first wife?

Diana Dors, the British screen siren, married Richard Dawson in 1959; after their 1967 divorce he kept custody of their sons Mark and Gary.

How did Family Feud's original host meet Gretchen Johnson, who became his second wife in 1991?

She was a contestant on the show in May 1981; Richard Dawson married Gretchen Johnson in 1991, and the couple had a daughter, Shannon.

What was the original host's birth name?

Colin Lionel Emm, born in Gosport, England, in 1932, performed as 'Dickie Dawson' in British clubs before legally adopting the name Richard Dawson.

Family Feud grew out of which segment of an earlier Goodson game show's bonus round?

The Audience Match, in which contestants guessed the most popular answer from a poll of the studio audience, gave Mark Goodson the survey idea behind Family Feud.

Which game show did Family Feud replace on ABC's daytime schedule in July 1976?

Rhyme and Reason, Bob Eubanks's rhyming panel game, ended its one-year ABC run on July 9, 1976, and Family Feud debuted the following Monday, July 12.

Under what working title was the show first pitched in 1974?

That isolation-booth concept became Fast Company, a celebrity-versus-civilian idea, before Goodson hit on two families competing.

Which company distributed the nighttime syndicated version that launched in 1977?

Viacom Enterprises distributed the nighttime syndicated Family Feud from its September 1977 launch, first once a week and later as a nightly strip, through the end of the original run in 1985.

When the CBS daytime show expanded to an hour in 1992, what was it retitled?

Family Feud Challenge, the hour-long CBS version launched in June 1992, had two new families play before the winner met the returning champions, and opened each game with the new Bullseye round.

What was the Bullseye round renamed when the original host returned in 1994?

Bankroll was the 1994–95 name: the round shrank from five questions to three, and the money a family banked became the prize it could win in Fast Money.

With Bullseye restored in 2009–10, what was the largest possible Fast Money jackpot?

Each family started with $15,000 and could add up to $15,000 more; the later host dropped the round and fixed the prize again.

From 1976 until 1992, families earned how much per point scored in the main game?

Points translated directly into dollars, which is why the pre-1992 series tracked family winnings toward a $25,000 retirement cap.

In its final year, the original series raised the winning score from 300 to what?

400 points became the target for the 1984–85 season, the last of the original ABC run, up from the 300 used before it.

Who wrote the show's classic theme tune for Score Productions?

Walt Levinsky composed the original 1976 Family Feud theme for Score Productions; Edd Kalehoff reworked it for the 1994–95 season and John Lewis Parker wrote new music for the 1999 revival.

Who directed the first four versions of the show?

Paul Alter, a longtime Goodson-Todman director, directed Family Feud from 1976 through the 1994–95 season; Ken Fuchs has directed the Steve Harvey era.

Who took over the production company after the show's creator died in 1992?

Jonathan Goodson, the founder's son, ran Mark Goodson Productions after his father's death in 1992 and made the call to bring back the original host for the show's final syndicated season when the distributor threatened to drop it.

In what Ohio city was the 1988–1994 host born?

Ray Combs was born in Hamilton, Ohio, in 1956, graduated from the city's Garfield High School, and was buried there in Greenwood Cemetery in 1996.

Which game show did the 1988–1994 host front on cable from 1995 to 1996?

Family Challenge, a stunt-based game on The Family Channel, was Ray Combs's last hosting job, in the 1995–96 season, before his death in June 1996.

The 1988–1994 host appeared as guest ring announcer at which 1992 WWF event?

WrestleMania VIII, at Indianapolis's Hoosier Dome on April 5, 1992, had Ray Combs introduce the eight-man tag match, roasting the Nasty Boys, the Mountie and Repo Man until they chased him from the ring.

The 1988–1994 host's best-known stand-up bit involved audience sing-alongs of what?

He honed the routine at Cincinnati's Red Dog Saloon before becoming the most in-demand audience warm-up act on NBC sitcoms.

In 2001, the then-host staged a tournament week between which two groups after 9/11?

He put up $75,000 toward both organizations' recovery efforts; he was let go from the show the following year.

The 2002–2006 host appeared in which band's 2002 video set on a fictional Family Feud?

The Strokes' 'Someday' video (2002) staged a Family Feud game against Guided by Voices, with new host Richard Karn presiding.

Which announcer returned for the 2015 ABC revival of Celebrity Family Feud?

Burton Richardson, who had announced the syndicated show from 1999 to 2010, came back as the voice of ABC's Celebrity Family Feud in 2015.

What role did Rubin Ervin hold on the show before becoming announcer in 2015?

Rubin Ervin was the audience warm-up man, a job he had held since 2010, when he became the syndicated show's announcer in 2015.

In 2017 production moved from Georgia to Los Angeles to accommodate what?

Tapings later passed through Universal Studios Hollywood and CBS Studio Center before returning to Georgia in August 2020.

Tyler Perry Studios, the show's home from 2024, sits on which historic Atlanta site?

The former US Army post became a film lot in 2015; the show moved back to Trilith Studios in Fayetteville in 2026.

In an hour-long Celebrity Family Feud game, what score wins instead of the usual 300?

The extended games add an extra round; winners earn at least $10,000 for charity, upgraded to $25,000 with a Fast Money win.

How many episodes did the 2008 NBC edition of Celebrity Family Feud tape?

Six episodes of the NBC edition aired on Tuesday nights in summer 2008 with Al Roker hosting; the celebrity format did not return until ABC revived it in 2015.

Which former NCIS actress tweeted producers in 2018 asking why the show was 'so filthy'?

The show's increasingly sexual survey questions have drawn steady criticism, which a Media Research Center analyst put down to wider TV trends.

What nickname did the UK version's original host give its giant electronic answer board?

Mr Babbage was Bob Monkhouse's name for the board, after Charles Babbage, the 19th-century designer of a programmable 'analytical engine'.

In the 2001 UK PC game, which British host replaced the American host on screen?

Hasbro Interactive's 2000 game starred the 1999 US host as a full-motion-video character; the UK port swapped him out and restyled the set.