Game Shows To Watch For The Next 48 Hours

This week seems like a moderately busy one for game shows — well, at least for the next two days. Tomorrow,  HLN premieres its first-ever game show, Keywords, with former Figure It Out host Summer Sanders and CBS's daytime talk show The Talk revealing this year’s Daytime Emmy nominations including the nominees for “Outstanding Game Show Host” and “Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show”. On April Fools Day, both CBS daytime game shows, Let’s Make A Deal and The Price Is Right, are marking the occasion by hosting special episodes featuring the cast of LMAD kidnapping Drew Carey and legendary host Bob Barker stopping by set of TPIR. Later that evening, Idiotest returns for a second season. I also have news of a last-minute decision by GSN to pull Monopoly Millionaires’ Club.

2015 Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced Live On The Talk: March 31 at 2:00pm on CBS

Even though this isn't a game show, the nominees for the 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be announced live on the CBS daytime talk show The Talk starting at 2:00pm EDT. Nominees include the shows and hosts contesting for this year's “Outstanding Game Show Host” and “Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show” Emmy Awards, which are currently held by Steve Harvey and Jeopardy! respectively. Immediately following the program, the full nominations list will be posted online by NATAS on emmyonline.tv. The encore of special episode of The Talk will air on Pop (formerly TV Guide Network) on the same day at 8:00pm EDT. The iconic awards show returns to television later this spring on Sunday, April 26 at 8:00pm EDT on Pop. 

During the ceremony, Betty White, the “First Lady of Game Shows” according to Senior Vice President of Daytime David Michaels, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Throughout her career, White has captured the hearts of millions with her wit, charm and keen sense of humor in her various appearances on multiple television shows, and has also won several Daytime Emmy Awards in process including becoming the first woman to win an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Game Show Host” in 1983 for hosting Just Men. 

Keywords: March 31 at 10:00pm at HLN

A little while after the new lottery game show premieres on GSN, head over to HLN and take a look at the cable news network’s new game show, Keywords. Hosted by famed Olympic swimming champion Summer Sanders, the series pits two teams of two contestants against each other in a quest to guess people, places and other subjects based on the five keyword search terms clues given. Check out a quick sneak peek of Keywords below and, if you have a iOS mobile device, download the Keywords app and play at your leisure. 

Let’s Make A Deal & The Price Is Right: April 1 on CBS Daytime

If you get a chance to during the day, or even during the latter half of the week, watch the special April Fools episodes of Let’s Make A Deal and The Price Is Right. On LMAD, the gang hijack Drew Carey and the famous “Pl!nko” board, which will be played on show for the first (and probably only) time ever. On TPIR, Bob Barker makes a special guest appearance on the show! Need I say more? Stay tuned for the antics on both shows April 1. Check your local listings for show times. 

Idiotest: April 1 at 8:00pm on GSN
Idiotest returns with new brain-bending puzzles, a slightly revamped set, featuring two touchscreen tables placed on either side of the stage for each team, and new contestants for host Ben Glieb to taunt and tease. Not much more to report here other than to stay tuned for season two doubleheader premiere of Idiotest April 1 at 8:00pm-9:00pm EDT on GSN!

Weird News: Monopoly Millionaires’ Club Pulled By GSN 

Here's your weird news for today: Effective yesterday evening, the network has postponed the debut of Monopoly Millionaires' Club. The show was originally scheduled to premiere today at 8:00pm on on GSN. A rerun of The Chase will air in its time slot instead. I haven't seen a series premiere of a game show abruptly pulled from a network schedule since FOX yanked Our Little Genius, which led to its cancellation.  No word yet as to when or if the show will air on the network. The series has already kicked off in select cities in syndication who are (or were) carrying the lottery game of the same name. The game show, hosted by Billy Gardell and co-hosted by Todd Newton, takes contestants who won their way onto the show via the lottery scratchers and engages them in a series of games based on elements from the Monopoly board game for a chance to win up to $100,000 to split with their section of the studio audience. Contestants will also have a chance to risk their winnings by going around the board for a shot at $1 million. Check out the clip below for more insight into the development of the new game show. 

Sources: CBS Press Express, EmmyOnline.com, Game Show Follies, HLNtv.com, The New York Times