Hidden camera shows are popular all over the world. But the original concept started way back in the 1940s with Candid Camera.
Candid Camera was created and produced by Allen Funt. It started out on radio in 1947, but ended up on TV in 1948. The idea for the show was simple. Hidden cameras would film ordinary people in unusual situations. When the joke was revealed, the victims would be told the show’s catch phrase, “Smile! You're on Candid Camera.”