Chuck Barris, young, energetic, and focused on a top career in the growing television industry, finds himself being followed by a suspicious character who quickly lures him into a secretive and dangerous world: that of a CIA operative. While Barris gains notoriety as a dynamic television producer--creating such innovative and popular shows as "The Newlywed Game" and the self-hosted "The Gong Show"--he regularly executes assassinations for the United States government. As ratings rise, Barris incorporates his shows into his secret life, providing a cover for his covert missions. As Barris basks in the glamour of his two worlds, his life begins to spiral out of control. He is torn between the woman who loves him and the mysterious woman of his fantasies. Just as he receives mass criticism from the public who accuses him of contaminating the airwaves, he finds himself marked for death by an operative.
