If you have no problem with revealing your deepest darkest secrets for a big wad of cash on national television, then FOX's new game series The Moment of Truth is the show for you.

In a nutshell, The Moment of Truth is a show where contestants are strapped to a polygraph to determine if they are telling the truth or not, with every truthful answer earning the contestant the chance to win a big cash prize.  It's based on a Colombian game show that was promptly cancelled after a woman admitted to putting out a hit on her husband.

Not too worry though, as executive producer and creator Howard Schultz the upcoming American version is “not out to destroy somebody.”

"I don't think there's any joy in watching someone crumble under the lights,” Schultz said.  “So, typically, the people that we cast to be contestants are stronger people.  They have good self-esteem and a strong sense of themselves."

During the course of the game, a contestant will be asked to 21 personal questions, and motivated by the chance to win half a million dollars, answers truthfully in front of family, friends, audience members and the rest of the country.  The contestant, however, can leave with less money at any point in the 6-level game.

"It's the only game show in the history of the world where you know all the questions and all the answers," Mike Darnell, FOX's president of alternative entertainment, said.

Prior to filming, the contestant will be asked 50 to 75 personal questions, 21 of which will be asked during the actual taping of the contestant's episode.

"They do not know the results of the polygraph or what 21 questions will be asked," Schultz explained.  "They're free to change their answer the day of taping the show, but the polygraph is used as the measuring stick."

Questions that are proven to be sexually explicit against Federal Communications Commission standards are off limits.  Questions regarding criminal activity, on the other hand, are considered fair game.  One contestant, according to Schultz, truthfully answered the question, “Have you ever illegally smuggled something into this country?" with the contestant telling Moment of Truth host Mark L. Wahlberg that he might have smuggled drugs into the country, but is not absolutely certain.

Another contestant bravely faced questions regarding his troubled relationships with his family.

"He confronts each question with such vulnerability," Schultz said, "that after he answers each one of these questions honestly, the audience spontaneously gives him a standing ovation.  That, to me, is the surprise.  I never thought something like that would occur on a show like this."

The Moment of Truth premieres January 23 at 9pm on FOX.

Read More About The Moment of Truth:
The Moment of Truth: Premiere Review
The Moment of Truth Scores Big Ratings


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Associated Press
(Image Courtesy of FOX)