# Kids Say the Darndest Things

Kids Say the Darndest Things is an American comedy series that was based on a feature segment of the same name on Art Linkletter's radio and television program, House Party. Linkletter hosted the segment on the program's CBS television adaptation from 1959 to 1967. The network later resurrected the segment in the form of hour-long specials, hosted by Bill Cosby, that aired on May 16 and November 14, 1997, and then as a weekly series from January 9, 1998, to June 23, 2000. A revival of the program, hosted by Tiffany Haddish, aired on ABC from October 6, 2019, to January 19, 2020; after its initial cancellation, the series moved to CBS, its original network, airing for one additional season from May 5 to June 23, 2021.

## Premise

The host would begin a conversation by posing a question about life topics to a child, who usually responds with their own innocent, often comedic perspectives on the various topics.
In the show's first inception, it would sometimes flash back to the 1950s and 1960s show Art Linkletter's House Party, with Cosby joined onstage by Art Linkletter, that show's host, to introduce the vintage clips. It would show kids (of the time), their same comedic reactions to whatever Linkletter would ask or say to them. Cosby also provided some of the humor in the show.
The revival continued the premise, with part of the show performed in front of a live audience, and the rest featuring taped segments.

## Production

Kids Say... was developed in 1945 as a regular segment on Art Linkletter's CBS Radio program House Party; it was later carried over into the TV version of the program on the CBS television network, which aired concurrently with the radio show mostly five days a week from 1952 to 1969.
For the series' first iteration, Kids Say the Darndest Things was produced by CBS Productions with the co-production of LMNO Productions and Linkletter's company, Linkletter Productions.
The revival continued its CBS association via CBS Studios, and was also co-produced by Haddish through her production company, She Ready Productions, and Eric Schotz of Anvil 1893 Entertainment.

## In other media

The subplot of the Family Guy episode "Brian Does Hollywood" features Stewie auditioning for the show in an attempt to hypnotize the entire world using a mind-control device, with Cosby later unwittingly foiling his plans.
In 2005, Robert Johnson and Albert Evans adapted the show into a full-length musical comedy.

## International versions

| Country | Name | Host(s) | TV station | Premiere | Finale |
| Australia | Kidspeak | Andrew Daddo | Seven Network | 1999 | 2000 |
| Hungary | Gyerekszáj | Sándor Friderikusz | TV2 | 2000 | 2001 |
| India | Badmaash Company - Ek Sharat Hone Ko Hains Kutties Chutties (Tamil) | Juhi Chawla | Colors TV Sun TV (Tamil) | 2000 | 2000 |
| Italy | Zitti tutti! Parlano loro | Carlo Conti | Rai 1 | January 17, 2000 | May 26, 2000 |
| Singapore | Kids Talk Back | Andrew Lim | Television Corporation of Singapore | 1999 | 1999 |
| Singapore | Gurmit's Small Talk | Gurmit Singh | Television Corporation of Singapore | 2003 | 2003 |
| United Kingdom | Kids Say the Funniest Things | Michael Barrymore | ITV | December 27, 1998 | October 8, 2000 |