News In A Flash!: Quick Game Show Updates #75

This week's quick update article will cover some of the latest game show news headlines from the past few days in 200 characters or less including updates featured on the TBIR Facebook page. News updates include a live performance of Let's Make A Deal coming to Michigan this weekend, Jeopardy! holding a special online audition test session for Houston residents next week, TLC's Labor Games host Lisa Arch talking with WSRQ Talk Radio's Marilu Henner about her experiences hosting the pregnancy ambush game show and Showtime creating a series based on a former Barker's Beauty model.

All In The Family: HGTV Brothers and Cousins To Compete On "Family Feud” November 19

Next month, Property Brothers stars Jonathan and Drew Scott will face cousins John Colaneri and Anthony Carrino, stars of America’s Most Desperate Kitchens, in a special celebrity episode of Family Feud set to air next month. The two teams will be joined by members of their own family to play for up to $20,000 for their respective charities. Team Brothers are playing for St. Baldrick’s Foundation and includes Jonathan and Drew’s older brother, JD Scott, their mother, Joanne Scott, and Drew’s girlfriend, Linda Phan. Team Cousins are playing for Rebuilding Together and includes John’s wife, Jennifer Lindsey Colaneri, and Anthony’s parents, Alfonso Greg Carrino and Francine Carrino. Stay tuned for the special episode Thursday, November 19 in syndication to see which family pair will emerge victorious. Check your local listings for air times.

News In A Flash!: Quick Game Show Updates #74

This week's quick update article will cover some of the latest game show news headlines from the past few days in 200 characters or less including updates featured on the TBIR Facebook page. News updates include Stephen Fry stepping down as the host of the curiously entertaining BBC panel game show QI, another contestant winning Channel 4's Deal or No Deal's £250,000 top prize, Alex Trebek donating $1 million to Forham University, the first champion to win GSN's newest competitive reality series Steampunk'd along with the show's $100,000 grand prize, and a few GSN ratings updates.

Pop To Begin Production On “Easiest Game Show Ever” October 19

The cable network, formerly known as the TV Guide Network and TVGN, will start production on the new true/false game show aptly named Easiest Game Show Ever. As stated in its title, the game is simple, a team of two contestants must answer 15 out of 20 true-or-false pop culture questions correctly to win $100,000 in cash. During the game, host and co-host Michael Ian Black and Abbi Crutchfield will provide teams with more facts to the questiobns once they provide their initial responses and will be allowed to change their answers. The first 20-episode season will start filming October 19 and is scheduled to premiere early 2016 on Pop. Easiest Game Show Ever is executive produced by Nigel Lythgoe, Gail Berman and Eric Levy with executive producer Barry Poznick. On a quick end note, this will be Black’s second true/false-formatted game show he will have hosted with the first being TBS’s short-lived series Trust Me, I’m A Gameshow Host.

Yahoo! TV Previews First 12 Minutes of GSN’s “Hellevator”

Within the next couple of weeks, GSN will debut its new horror-themed game show, Hellevator, with hosts Jen and Sylvia Soska (a.k.a.: The "Twisted Twins”). In each episode, a team of three friends will have a chance to win up to $50,000 by stepping onto a haunted elevator and facing the frightening and daunting task of navigating through the various levels in the game’s slaughterhouse while the Soska sisters serve as the show's masterminds and watch the action from the control room. One contestant must exit the hellevator on each floor and complete a challenge by themselves to earn money for their bank before the hellevator closes and abandons them on the level. In this sneak preview, courtesy of Yahoo! TV, we see contestants Richard, Reina and Sinead entering the slaughterhouse at midnight, bracing themselves for the horrors that await them inside. Check out the first challenge in the clip below and stay tuned for the series premiere of Hellevator October 21 at 8:00pm ET on GSN!

BUZZR Lets Viewers “Pick & Play” New Shows For Sunday Night Block

Beginning this week, BUZZR has initiated its "Pick & Play” promotion, which allows viewers to choose which of the six selected game shows most requested from social media will be added to the channel’s revised Sunday evening schedule. The nominated shows include Trivia Trap, Sale Of The Century, Word Play, Double Dare, Beat The Clock and Now You See It. The top three most voted shows will be added to BUZZR’s Sunday night lineup. Not only will viewers have a chance to vote on their favorite show to air on the network, participants will also be entered into a contest where the winner will receive a grand prize trip to either Los Angeles, CA to see Wayne Brady on Let’s Make A Deal or to Atlanta, GA to see Steve Harvey on Family Feud. Go to BUZZR’s website or Facebook page to cast your vote and enter into the contest. Voting ends October 12 and the new lineup will be unveiled October 18. Stay tuned and good luck!

News In A Flash!: Quick Game Show Updates #73

This week's quick update article will cover some of the latest game show news headlines from the past few days in 200 characters or less including updates featured on the TBIR Facebook page. News updates include how ITV2's newest physically challenging game show, Almost Impossible Gameshow, performed in its first night out, GSN's record-breaking third quarter performance in nearly all of its demographic ratings, Canada's Smartest Person returning for another season and a few GSN ratings updates.

ABC Renews “500 Questions” For Second Season

Here’s some interesting and slightly surprising game show news for you this morning: ABC has decided to give the primetime hard quizzer 500 Questions another chance as the show was renewed for a second season. Created by Mark Burnett and Mike Darnell and hosted by CNN’s Richard Quest, the series is scheduled to return in 2016. ABC’s reason for bringing back 500 Questions is due to the network’s continuing effort to "repopularize the trivia-style game show format.” The goal of the game is for contestants, billed as “geniuses”, to answer 500 questions before getting three “wrongs” in a row. Contestants could win over $500,000 if they can complete the daunting challenge.

NBC Orders Ten Episodes of Game Show Based on “QuizUp” App

The network announced their acquisition of the eponymous game show yesterday afternoon. QuizUp will have in-studio contestants attempt to win eight trivia battles against home viewers who play via the mobile app. In order to qualify to compete as a in-studio or home contestant, players will have to pass a weekly trivia quiz. Defeating all eight home-viewing contestants wins the in-studio contestant the $1 million grand prize. Contestants who win their games at home will receive the money attached to the round. The format was created by Jeff Apploff (Don’t Forget The Lyrics) and Wes Kauble (The Newlywed Game) and developed in-house by Universal Television in partnership with Plain Vanilla Corp., the Icelandic game studio that created the game. QuizUp will be shopped by NBCU International Formats at MIPCOM next week. Viewers will have a chance to play-along with the show through the NBC QuizUp live interactive app by answering the same questions as displayed on the broadcasts, even if they don’t qualify for the show. Head to the QuizUp's website for more information on how you can download the addicting social trivia game to your mobile device. INTERNATIONAL UPDATE: ITV has ordered a pilot of QuizUp from NBC Universal International Studios. The show was ordered by Elaine Bedell, ITV's director of entertainment and comedy.