‘Meet the Marks’ Misses the Mark

In 1947, a World War II veteran just out of the service came up with an idea that he figured was a can’t-miss proposition for a radio show: Put regular folks into kooky situations, then capture their reactions on a hidden tape recorder.

But Allen Funt’s problem with his “Candid Microphone” concept was that the recording equipment of the day wasn’t very portable, so he had to get his “marks” into his office before the fun could begin.

Funt would refine his idea into the “Candid Camera” TV show the next year, creating a lucrative juggernaut that his son, Peter, carries on to this day on the Pax network.

Success spawns imitators, of course, and there have been countless “Candid” clones through the years. But the latest, “Meet the Marks” (tonight at 8:30 on Fox), has garnered only lackluster ratings since debuting two weeks ago. Whereas the utter simplicity of “Candid Camera’s” execution was its charm, the Fox show’s leering “More Is More” philosophy may be a stumbling block.

“Meet the Marks” takes sitcom situations using a faux family of actors, the suburban Marks clan, and then plops unsuspecting people into the middle of the proceedings. Like “Candid Microphone,” the action takes place in one location, an upscale house that was gutted to allow for the placement of a dozen hidden cameras.

In one segment (there are two per half-hour show), a rent-a-clown arrives for what he believes will be a children’s party, only to find a bachelorette soiree waiting for a male stripper. And the ladies aren’t in the mood for any clowning around.

Most episodes have the feel of a skit that overstays its welcome. Somehow I don’t think we’ll still be talking about “Meet the Marks” a half-century from now.