018 - Game Show Year in Review
GAME SHOW RECAP
It's December, so I decided it's a great time to do the "year in review" recap with these next few episodes, so I don't have to worry about them near Christmas and New Years.
First off, this year was one of the best years for the Genre, a ton of new formats showed up internationally, so if I forget it, I'm deeply sorry.
Press Your Luck brought back it's audience, and it's brought back the thing that's been missing - audience feedback. I know let's make a deal and the price is right have returned to "pod" based audience participation, but much like a sports event, press your luck lives off the energy of the crowd. It's the force that makes deal or no deal work, and, in my opinion, what made card sharks in it's second season a downer.
This month will see NBC debut "The Wheel", not to be confused with "Spin the Wheel" with Dax Shepard and "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" with Pat Sajak. The Wheel started out as a game show born out of the pandemic and social distancing, and surprisingly, as things are "lightening up" the show has continued to be successful on BBC for three seasons. I don't know how audiences will treat Michael, but that theme song is very catchy and I think some of the contestants in their recent episodes have been great, with some contestants winning nearly 100,000 pounds. I hope it does well here, because it is "celebrities, they are just like us", but it's a 1 in 3 WHO'S IT GONNA BE?
This year marked the most iconic tournament of champions in recent time, with many Super champions playing at the same tournament. Matt Amodio, Amy Schneider, Matea Roach, Ryan Long and so much more. The tournament used to be two weeks long having a 2 day total and there are wildcard. This time around, it's played practically for over a month, with second chance spots played, and win or go home spots at every game, leading to a "goat style" first to 3 wins take the championship, this is a little longer way for somebody to win $250,000 and personally, I think it should be either shorter, or the prize should be the million. Right? I don't want to downplay the game, and understand the contestants are more or less playing for pride, but in old ToC you win your qualifier, you win the semi final, you play two games and that's it. 4 in total. And here, you're going through 3 games before playing up to 7 to win, but eh, I just want to see the tournament structure more like "Celebrity Jeopardy", but unsure about Triple Jeopardy as a concept still.
But, hey if you love Jeopardy, you'll know Ken has become the new host and has since resigned from The Chase, and they brought in 3 new chasers. Brandon, Buzzy and Victoria aka "The Lightning Bolt", "The Stunner" and "The Queen" and it's worth noting - Buzzy is the only one with Jeopardy Rappoire as Victoria is actually a highly ranked quizzer in the world, and Brandon has practically destroyed every quiz game show in the world as well, including University Challenge, and also is use to Chasing…. FROM THE RUNNER ON GO 90, I am probably the only person who remembers this, and maybe matpat.
But if trivia isn't your speed, you could fake it till you make it on "Bullshit" hosted by Howie Mandel, where bizarre questions involve "how did you get to that answer" that makes for dramatic reveals.
In other new game show formats, ABC had Jenga, but with stuff in the form of "The Last Straw" which had some very creative "stacks" of items from candy to kitchen sinks all very safe to have topple over contestants. I also appreciated it going for the tournament structure of gameplay, especially something that's as simple as "removing things from a stack".
Dancing With Myself also made it's debut this year, in something that looks EXACTLY like the kind of idea that would've been in COVID-era production. 12 contestants in 12 boxes and it goes down. We've come a long way from Dance 360.
Fox is also aiming for syndicated gold to piggy pack off You Bet Your Life revival and 25 Words or Less and that's in the form of two shows - Pictionary, hosted by Jerry O'Connell, and a personal favorite for "best new game show" - Person Place or Thing with Melissa Peterman for being a straightforward game show format that could've fit in 2020s as it could in the 60s, 70s, 80s and more. There's also a cute little bird.
CBS decided to get rid of Love Island (it's on peacock now) in favor of a reality show all star challenge in the form of "The Challenge USA", which is exactly what you think - what if MTV's The challenge, but Survivor and Big Brother and The Amazing Race, and yes, the same challenges on that show as well. Who will win the respect of TJ Lavin?
And while that wasn't a "reboot" there was a few reboots that happened this year.
First, Don't Forget the Lyrics returned to FOX, but instead of Wayne Brady it's star of "The Rookie: Feds" Niecy Nash, because it's MUSIC GUESSING GAME which is pretty much all their genres besides RAMSAY COOKING CONTEST and WWE SMACKDOWN I GUESS
But, on opposing NBC, Keke Palmer, fresh from Nope is hosting Password with Jimmy Fallon, who will say a one clue wonder and get the standing ovation?
And MSNBC's Alex Wagner is the new "News Reader Turned Host" of the Netflix reboot of The Mole, yup, it's The Mole… can you figure it out within the first ten minutes?
But if you were looking for TVS SMARTEST GAME SHOW, it wasn't on Netflix but rather The Netherlands as they attempted a reboot of the South Korean cult classic, "The Genius", as celebrities from all skillsets try and break games and socially deduce challenges to win the game.
But if you want something more silly, Taskmaster has continued it's growth, not just in New Zealand and with a app to watch every version, but also a new version just debuted in Quebec Canada! And there's a version coming soon to Australia hosted by "Hard Quiz" comedian host, Tom Gleeson
Hey, there is also THE HOTTEST NEW FORMAT, the traitors, as a version in Australia and United Kingdom and coming soon to The United States! It's, big money Mafia, essentially.
But speaking of the United Kingdom, they are a creature of unique games.
I mean, this year had Great British Baking Show have it's most iconic Baking Contest yet - Tacos with "Pickle The Gillo", yum?
It also saw the return of Jimmy Carr's game show "I Literally Just Told You" (from Richard Bacon, the mastermind behind The Hustler)
There was Ant and Dec with "Limitless Win" where contestants could win infinity money, but one over is game over.
There was a battle royale game show based on word puzzles called The 1% Club, There was a buzzer quiz with actual riddles called Riddliculous
And there was a process of elimination show called "One Question" that asks "What is Blue?" With 20 wild subjects like "A Color on The Italian Flag" and "A Top 40 Single By Weezer" (which are neither correct)
And if you like that clever ticking clock, Bridge of Lies also debuted that offers a maze of answers in relation to a category. It has a cool clock and I think it's one of the better formats to do "things that fit in this subject"
I will give my “top 5” of these shows on my birthday, because there are so many shows, like Only Connect that are still around, and finding where it all belongs is very difficult.
And that's not including Barmaggedon, with Blake Shelton, where celebrities play Bar Games like Cornhole and Shuffleboard and Beer Pong but on bigger scales inside one of his Nashville bars!
I know, I probably forgot about Tug of Words getting a new host, I forgot People Puzzler is just as great as Family Feud, I know One and Six Zeroes existed and Lingo is coming up hosted by RuPaul… I am probably forgetting about The American Baking Show on Roku Channel, or whoever won American Idol this year.
But y'know, we only have so much time to cover them all.
