‘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.