I've Got A Secret - Episode Status

Episode Status

As with What's My Line?, early episodes from the original series' first season in 1952 appear to have been lost. From late 1952 until the 1967 cancellation, most episodes appear to exist as a digital transfer of the original black-and-white kinescope films. However, the premiere episode, which featured a drastically different set-up, is presumed to be lost.

GSN concluded its most recent airing of I've Got A Secret's run on July 13, 2008 at 3:30 AM (ET), paired with What's My Line? at 3:00. However, they began their run in mid-2007 with episodes from late 1961 or early 1962. A good portion of the series is unlikely to be aired, due to the show's longtime sponsorship by Winston cigarettes, which remains an existing brand. In fact, the prize on the 1956 episode about the 96-year-old man who was at Ford's Theater when Abraham Lincoln was shot included $80 and a carton of Winston cigarettes. The man did not smoke cigarettes, so he was given Prince Albert pipe tobacco. It is unclear whether this is mandated legally, or simply a choice by GSN; it is worth noting that GSN had aired many Winston-sponsored episodes in previous years. In addition, the network skipped several episodes through its run which are known to have been skipped in previous runs of the show; this may mean that other episodes are lost or in bad enough condition for GSN not to air them. For a brief period of time in December 2009 and 2010, GSN aired episodes of the series from the Moore and Allen CBS runs.

All subsequent revivals of Secret exist in their entirety, except for the 1976 run, whose status is currently unknown. The premiere episode exists among private collectors, and the finale is available in audio. GSN has occasionally aired single episodes from the 1972–1973 season, the latest being an episode featuring Bob Barker as the celebrity guest, to commemorate his retirement from The Price Is Right in mid-2007. GSN also occasionally adds reruns of its 2006 revival to the regular schedule.