“Almost Christmas” Cast To Compete on “Family Feud” On October 25

This Tuesday on the top-rated syndicated game show, the cast and producers of the upcoming Universal Pictures holiday comedy movie compete against each other for a chance to win $20,000 for charity. Team Talbert – comprised of writer/director David E. Talbert, Mo’Nique, DC Young Fly, Jessie T. Usher and Keri Hilson – faces Team Packer – comprised of producer Will Packer,  Gabrielle Union, Kimberly Elise, Romany Malco and Omar Epps. Team Talbert is playing for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Team Packer is playing for the UCLA Rape Crisis Center. Check out a preview of the episode in the clip below and stay tuned for the special show on Tuesday, October 25 (check your local listings) and the theatrical debut of Almost Christmas on Friday, November 11. 

CBS Orders Game Show Based On “Candy Crush Saga” Mobile Game

Earlier today, CBS announced giving a full series order to Lionsgate’s television adaptation of the wildly popular and addictive Candy Crush Saga mobile app. Matt Kunitz, former producer of Wipeout and Fear Factor, created the format and will executive produce the series with Peter Levin of Lionsgate, Russell Binder of Striker Entertainment, Nicki Sheard of King and the mobile app’s creator Sebastian Knutsson. The hourlong game show will have pairs of teams face giant interactive game boards to overcome levels, puzzles and obstacles for a chance to become Candy Crush champion. The series is also offering a play-along option for home viewers. According to CBS, the Candy Crush Saga and Candy Crush Soda Saga apps have generated over 18 billion game rounds last month. No word yet on who will be hosting the series or when the show will premiere.

The Paley Center LA To Hold CBS Daytime Game Show Panel On October 20

This Thursday at 7:00pm PT, The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA begins hosting a series of panel events featuring the stars of prominent CBS Daytime shows including Let's Make A Deal, The Price Is Right, The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Talk. The four-week series starts with the “CBS Daytime Presents: The Game Shows Panel” event featuring Let’s Make A Deal host Wayne Brady, The Price Is Right host Drew Carey, LMAD and TPIR executive producer Mike Richards and LMAD executive producer Dan Funk. If you are interested in attending the game show panel session, click here to register for your free ticket(s). Go to CBS.com/DaytimeExhibit if you are interested in attending any of their other panel events.

ABC Orders “Five To Survive” Ricky Gervais Game Show

To Tell The Truth, Family Feud, The $100,000 Pyramid, Match Game, Big Fan, The Gong Show and (possibly) 500 Questions – these are all the game shows that are scheduled to air on ABC in 2017. The network added Five To Survive to its vast collection of game show season orders earlier this week. Developed by comedian/actor Ricky Gervais and Banijay Studios North America, the hourlong game show has an adult contestant answer 10 questions for a chance to win the show’s top prize. Should they answer incorrectly, a panel of five kids will have a chance to save the contestant’s game from ending by providing the correct answer to the same question. Although Gervais will be asking the questions and conversing with the kids throughout each episode, the show is reportedly searching for an emcee to host the series. Robert Mills, Senior VP of Alternate Series, Specials & Late Night Programming at ABC Entertainment, was instantly sold with the Gervais-inspired concept. “When Ricky presented his idea for Five to Survive, we immediately knew this was a project that needed to land here at ABC,” said Mills. Banijay Studios North America is also producing the primetime game show Big Fan, based on the Jimmy Kimmel late night segments.

“The Almost Impossible Game Show” Premieres October 13 on MTV

The year-old, ITV2 game show is heading to US soil this Thursday at 10:00pm ET. Produced by the same group who brought you Wipeout, The Almost Impossible Game Show provides six contestants with 40 lives and they must complete four of the six comedically-tough challenges before their lives expire. Physical challenges include riding a tiny bike across a thin balance beam, removing croissants that are taped onto their body without using their hands and trying to put on pants while running on a treadmill. The comedy duo The Rubberbandits will be providing the commentary for this version as well. The Almost Impossible Game Show is produced by Endemol Shine North America is association with Left Hook Media. George Hurford-Jones and Rob Smith will serve as executive producers for Endemol Shine North America, and Matt Odgers and Scott Teti will serve as the show’s executive producers for Left Hook Media.

GSN’s “Hellevator” Returns Tonight + Live Facebook Q&A With Jen & Sylvia Soska

Heading into its second season, the network’s horror-themed game show returns tonight at 9:00pm ET with slight changes made to the format. Every episode this season is centered around the “seven deadly sins” (pride, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, sloth, wrath) and a team of four contestants will be faced with the daunting task of traversing through three challenges for up to $10,000 and the Inferno end game for up to $40,000, all while The Twisted Twins do everything in their powers to stop them in their track. In the new Inferno round, the surviving contestants have seven minutes to search through up to seven rooms to find the key that unlocks the dungeon cell within the Inferno room that houses the captured teammates who failed to complete their respective Hellevator challenges. The only way the team can win any additional cash they accumulate during the Inferno round is if the survivors find the key to unlock the cell and rush back to the Hellevator before time expires. 

"Double Dare" Returns To Nickelodeon For One-Episode Special In November

In addition to debut of the new Legends of The Hidden Temple movie – which now has a confirmed date of November 26 – Nickelodeon is also bringing back Double Dare next month for a one-off retrospective special. The half-hour episode airs November 23 in honor of the show’s 30th anniversary and features host Marc Summers, announcer (John) Harvey and Robin Marella reminiscing about the series. Viewers will also have a chance to watch exclusive behind-the-scenes content, vintage footage and new games taped earlier this year. 

ABC Orders “Gong Show” Revival With Host Will Arnett

Yesterday afternoon, the network announced its decision to revive The Gong Show. ABC has ordered ten episodes of the once (in)famously iconoclastic and controversial talent game show and the new version will be hosted and executive produced by actor and comedian Will Arnett. Arnett will serve as executive producers alongside Evan Prager, Jesse Ignjatovic and Peter Principato, and Jared Morell, Jordan Barrow and Marc Forman will co-executive produce. The Gong Show will be produced by Electric Avenue Productions, Principato Young Entertainment and Den of Thieves in association with Sony Pictures Television. “The comedy culture we are living in has finally caught up to The Gong Show, so the timing is perfect,” said Holly Jacobs, EVP, reality and syndication programming for Sony Pictures Television. No word yet on casting call or taping dates.

News In A Flash!: Quick Game Show Updates #97

This week's update article will take a look at the some of the latest US and international game show news from the past week in 200 characters or less. Highlights include a Chaser setting a new record on The Chase, BBC's Make Me An Egghead wrapping up its first series by adding two new Eggheads to the program, the upcoming College online audition test for Jeopardy!, a comedic UK game show headed to MTV in less than a month and some of the latest game show ratings.

News In A Flash!: Quick Game Show Updates #96

It's time once again to quickly peruse through of some of the latest headlines in the world US and international game shows. This week's update article will take a look at the some of the latest game show news from the past week in 200 characters or less. Highlights include fall season premieres of prominent CBS Daytime game shows, Match Game's first season finale, Millionaire returning to India after a two-year hiatus, the dates for Jeopardy's online audition tests and some of the latest game show ratings.

Top 10 2016 Summer Game Show Moments

Since today marks the season premiere of many syndicated game shows in US, including Millionaire spending its 15th syndicated season in Las Vegas, today's article will highlight the top 10 game show moments that have occurred from late May to early September. Some of the highlighted moments include the return of Mastermind in New Zealand, The Price Is Right's primetime specials, Millionaire Hot Seat giving away its million-dollar grand prize for the first time in the show's seven-year existence and Channel 4's Fifteen To One crowning two series champions.

GSN’s “Window Warriors” Set To Premiere November 15

The cable network’s latest competitive reality series is ready for its television debut. The new show is hosted by Garcelle Beauvais, actress and current co-host of Hollywood Today Live, and features television personality Carson Kressley, entrepreneur Tai Beauchamp and Douglas Little as the resident judges who will decide the contestants’ fate. Premiering Tuesday, November 15 at 9:00pm ET, Window Warriors features eight talented window merchandising designers compete against each other to build creative, extravagant and alluring window displays for a chance to win $100,000, a contract to design displays for a premiere mall developer, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design a holiday display at a major department store in New York City and a feature story in a retail design magazine. Here are the eight contenders who will be vigorously vying for the career-changing grand prize package: 

STAY TUNED Fall Edition: New Seasons Of Daytime & Syndicated Game Shows Begin September 12

As we are only less than a month away from summer officially coming to an end, today’s article will focus on the veteran game shows that will be returning to television networks in September with new episodes. Next week, I’ll be reviewing the highs and lows of a few game shows that have aired this summer in the US and UK. For now, let’s take a look at what’s in store this year for shows including Family Feud, Celebrity Name Game and Wheel of Fortune.

UPDATE: The Price Is Right will unveil a new pricing game during the show's premiere week and Let's Make A Deal debuts its eighth season on CBS Daytime on September 19 with "Mega Deal Week". 

VIDEO REPLAY: “Millionaire Hot Seat” Crowns First Million-Dollar Winner

Eight seasons and over 1,300 episodes later since the Australian game show premiered on Nine Network, Millionaire Hot Seat has finally found its million-dollar winner. Edwin Daly, a 67-year-old Vietnam war veteran from Mount Barker, South Australia, became the show’s first contestant to win the elusive $1 million prize on today’s episode. Once Daly had taken control of the Hot Seat on the $2,500 question upon a Pass, Daly streaked through the nine remaining questions and won the seven-figure jackpot. Daly is now the show’s biggest winner, placing Gerard Lane (won $541,000 on March 16, 2015) in the second position among the all-time winners’ list of Millionaire Hot Seat.

BUZZR Celebrates Monty Hall's 95th Birthday With Special Marathon On Thursday

In honor of TV's big dealer turning 95 this week, the network is airing new-to-BUZZR episodes of Let's Make A Deal (8:00pm-10:00pm and 11:00pm-1:00am) and The All New Beat The Clock (10:00pm-11:00pm and 1:00pm-2:00pm) on August 25. Throughout Hall's illustrious television career, he has co-created, executive produced and hosted several game shows including Let's Make A Deal, The All New Beat The Clock, Split Second, It's Anybody's Guess and Three For The Money. Hall has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1973, the Ralph Edwards Service Award from the Game Show Congress in 2005 for his consistent charity work and was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. In 2013, Hall received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmy Awards.

Quick Review of "Alphabetical"

Here's how the game is played: four contestants (one returning champion and three challengers) play five rounds based on the letters of the alphabet and start the game with 100 seconds. In the first round, "First Letter", each contestant is given a key letter, with each answer starting with that letter, and has 60 seconds to answer questions for one second per correct answer. The second round, "Last Letter", is played the same except the contestants are given a different key letter and each answer ends with that letter. In round three, "Starting Letters", contestants are given three clues to solve an answer shortened into an acronym. Solving it in one clue earns five seconds, two clues earn three seconds and three clues earn one second. Two categories are played and the challenger with the lowest score is eliminated. In the fourth round, "13 letters", the remaining three contestants are given 13 randomly-selected letters and each answer starts with the key letters. Every question is a toss-up worth two seconds each, an incorrect answer locks the contestant out for a question and the lowest-scoring challenger is eliminated.

Bow Wow To Host Spike’s Music Game Show “Tracks”

Actor, television personality and former rapper Bow Wow has been named the host of Spike’s upcoming game show Tracks. Produced by Mission Control Media and MX Productions, Christina Aguilera’s production company, in association with Lionsgate, Tracks is the new music-based game show where teams of two attempt to guess popular song titles based on the song’s individual tracks (guitar, bass, drums, etc.) being played one at a time. Special musical celebrity guest stars will also be featured in each episode, including Aguilera and Tommy Lee. The show debuts in two weeks on Thursday, September 1 with back-to-back episodes starting at 10:30pm ET on Spike.

FOX Orders Musical Game Show “Beat Shazam”

It looks like FOX is stacking up on game shows once more after coming off of a lackluster year when Bullseye, BOOM! and the revival of Are You Smarter Than 5th Grader? all exited after their first seasons last summer. After ordering the American adaptation of You’re Back In The Room late 2015, the network has picked a new music-based game show called Beat Shazam. Like to Name That Tune, the format has contestants attempt to identify a series of songs, similar to how the Shazam music app help users identify songs, titles and artists. The contestants who fare the best will have a chance to go head-to-head with the Shazam app itself for the show’s top prize. Beat Shazam will be executive produced by Mark Burnett and Jeff Apploff (the same producer behind Don’t Forget The Lyrics) with Shazam Entertainment Limited joining as a partner on the series. No word yet on a premiere date or when production begins.

"Cash Trapped" Review

Set Design- 8

Gameplay- 8

Show Flow- 6

Potential Viewer Ratings- 7

Play-Along Factor- 10

Host- 10

Overall Rating- 8.1

"Sports Jeopardy!" To Debut On NBC Sports Network August 7

Beginning early Sunday morning, Crackle's Sports Jeopardy! makes its television debut on NBC Sports Network. The Sony Pictures Television-produced game show will air every night from midnight-2:00pm ET following the network's coverage of the Rio Olympics for the next two weeks before going on a temporary hiatus. Sports Jeopardy! will return to NBCSN in the fall to air every Wednesday night after the network's coverage of NHL Wednesday Night Rivalry. NBC Sports Group had struck a multi-year agreement with Crackle in April to acquire the exclusive television rights to air more than 100 episodes that currently exists in Sports Jeopardy's library. Episodes that have aired on NBCSN will also become available on the NBC Sports App. The first and second seasons of Sports Jeopardy! are currently available to view on Crackle and new episodes premiere every Wednesday on the streaming site.