Gookin shines in ABC game show

Dan Gookin stood up Tuesday night to introduce himself to a national audience.

“I am a sexologist,” he told three celebrities and millions of viewers of “To Tell The Truth.”

While the Coeur d’Alene City Council member and famed author behind the original “For Dummies” book never made his mark professionally as a sexual educator, his deception was part of the plot of Tuesday’s episode of the hit ABC game show.

Gookin joined two anonymous strangers — including an actual sexologist — on the “To Tell The Truth” set in Burbank, Calif., back in December to film the segment, alongside actors Alfonso Ribiero, Tom Lennon and Vivica A. Fox.

While one of Gookin’s fellow participants was eventually revealed to be the actual sexologist, Gookin participated in a second segment, where Ribiero, Lennon and Fox had to eventually — and, for the most part, incorrectly — guess who was the author behind the most successful book series in how-to history.

The premise of the show, which is hosted by seasoned television veteran Anthony Anderson, pits celebrity panelists against three strangers, one of whom holds a claim to fame but all of whom tell well-rehearsed backstories. The celebrities then try to guess which stranger is telling the truth. No cash prize is awarded to contestants; the point is rather to generate laughs from the celebrities.

“The casting director contacted me, sent me an email everywhere, and also on Facebook — instant messaged me — and said, ‘Hey we’re looking for authors to be on our TV show, and would you be interested?’” Gookin recalled. “And I said, ‘Are you serious? Is this legitimate?’ They set up a Skype interview. They asked a bunch of questions. They just wanted to see if you’d be good on camera. Then she wrote back after the interview and said, ‘Well, ABC liked you.’ So we went onto the next phase.”

After additional interviews and COVID-19 precautions, Gookin flew to Burbank for the filming, which was recorded on an unusually-empty set, the result of COVID-19 restrictions that prohibited a studio audience. The experience was something he said was likely his one and only shot at television stardom, adding that he was fine with his 15 minutes of fame.

“I have no ideas, no notions, to be on TV or be a movie star or anything,” he said. “To me, it wasn’t a big deal. In fact, there’s still a lot of people I haven’t told about it. I got a lot of people who told me [after the Coeur d’Alene Press Feb. 23 article], ‘Oh, you didn’t tell me.’ Yes, that’s right. I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone.”

The episode is slated to stream on ABC’s website in the “To Tell The Truth” catalog in the coming days.

“It was a lot of fun,” Gookin said. “I’m glad I got the chance to do it.”