As more viewers migrate to streaming platforms and fewer are old enough to remember rabbit ears anymore, broadcast networks keep turning to timeworn tactics to survive. Thus, the obsession with putting game shows in prime time continues, the programming equivalent of trying to stop a leak in a giant dam with chewing gum.
There isn't enough Doublemint in the world to prevent Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and their corporate cohorts from dominating the TV landscape. So why turn to game shows? They cost less. They've been easier to produce during a pandemic. Plus, the rebooted kind come with built-in name recognition.
It's a strategy ABC has resorted to in recent years with a string of nostalgic revivals, the most recent being "Celebrity Dating Game" with Zooey Deschanel as host. This year, Fox brought back "Name That Tune," hosted by Jane Krakowski.
CBS also dipped a toe into game shows with special prime-time episodes of "The Price Is Right" and "Let's Make A Deal."
As for NBC, this summer the network went deep with a vintage resurrection, "Capital One College Bowl," a reboot of the brainiac challenge that began on radio in the 1950s.
Now Kristen Bell (NBC's "The Good Place") and Dax Shepard (the "Armchair Expert" podcast) are joining forces for "Family Game Fight."
The husband-wife duo told USA Today that the show grew out of a contentious game they played in 2019 on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that required them to wear blindfolds, taste unidentified foods and provide clues to get their spouse to guess what it was.
Seeing the potential for more hilarious conflict, the popular stars became the executive producers of "Family Game Fight," along with DeGeneres. The concept for the series pits two families against each other as they vie for the $100,000 top prize by playing a series of simple games that involve slapstick risks. If a team member guesses wrong, a shower of ice down the back is the penalty.