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Fox

Why The Floor Shoots in Ireland...
... and Why Budapest May Be the Next Stop
From the Budapest Reporter

American viewers might be surprised to learn that many of the glitziest prime-time game shows they watch every week aren't shot anywhere near Hollywood. They're not even in the United States.

But as major entertainment formats decamp to the UK, Ireland, and Canada to escape California's skyrocketing costs, an unexpected city keeps popping up in industry conversations — Budapest.And it didn't take a producer or economist to say it out loud. It took Rob Lowe.

During a recent episode of his podcast Literally!, Lowe described filming Fox's The Floor at Ardmore Studios in Bray, Ireland — and the math behind why American shows are fleeing the U.S.: "It's cheaper to bring 100 Americans to Ireland than to walk across the lot at Fox," Lowe told his guest, former Parks & Rec co-star Adam Scott.

Then Scott asked the question every line producer has been thinking for the past three years: "Do you think if we shot Parks right now it would be in Budapest?" Lowe didn't even pause: "100 percent we would be. We'd be in Budapest."

What was meant as an aside has become, unintentionally, one of the most honest assessments of the global production economy today. Because when you look at the numbers, Budapest isn't just a punchline. It's the next logical destination.

The Budapest Reporter
Los Angeles Times

posted 11/26/2025

Pivot! PIVOT!!!
Guy Fieri Injury Forces Changes with "Flavor Town Food Fight"
From Deadline

Guy Fieri is currently recovering from an accident that has forced the production team of his Food Network series Flavor Town Food Fight to get creative.

In a new interview, the TV personality recounted tripping on a stair, which has limited his mobility as he recovers.

"[I] slipped down a set of steps, and one foot went forward and the other foot got caught on the threshold. So, you know, it extended me out," Fieri said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "I looked like I was probably doing the splits, but when my right leg compressed into itself the giveaway point and the doctor said he's never seen — you know, in 20 years — he hasn't seen a tear in the biggest, thickest part of your quad in half. Yeah, it sucked."

Fieri noted that he was rushed to the hospital so his muscles didn't "recede" and said his whole quad muscle "exploded."

The incident occurred while he was also filming his Food Network show, which forced production to get creative and "pivot."

"So, right in the middle of filming that, and we've got everybody in town and all the chefs there and 125 people on set – and everybody's ready to go – and I'm in surgery," he explained. "So, we figured out how to pivot through it and to have some creative filming techniques. But it's been a run, and now I'm up here at the ranch, where it's always about hiking and outdoors, and you know, beautiful."

Fieri says his injury will keep him off his feet for about eight weeks, and he is using a wheelchair and crutches as he recovers.

Deadline
The Hollywood Reporter

posted 11/26/2025

Beat My Guest Goes to Greece
Lineup Industries Commissions Format
From Deadline

Lineup Industries' "Beat My Guest", a classic gameshow format featuring five singers, five days, five homes, five of their favourite songs but only one winning singer, has been commissioned in Greece. National broadcaster Skai, and its Greek Cypriot channel partner Sigma TV, have commissioned 120 episodes, to be produced by FOSS Productions.

Ed Louwerse, co-founder of Lineup Industries, said: "'Beat my Guest' is light-hearted, but has competition at its very core which makes it utterly compelling, heart-warming entertainment featuring real people and their passions that never goes out of fashion. Alkistis Marangoudaki and the team at Skai saw the huge potential of the format and we worked together with FOSS to realise a refreshed version for its family audience."

"Beat my Guest" was originally created by Mark van Berkel and co-developed by Reservoir Prod. The family entertainment, access primetime format sees five singers performing a song based on a daily musical theme, such as pop divas, soul and R&B or summer hits with the studio bought into the comfort of their own homes. Each contestant hosts an evening giving them the opportunity to transform their living rooms into the stage and they get to choose the theme.

Alkistis Marangoudaki, Chief Content Officer at Skai said: "We are delighted to bring 'Beat My Guest' to Greek TV. It's a highly entertaining format that celebrates music, personality and the joy of meeting real people into their real homes. We feel that the energy, light-hearted fun and originality of this concept are a perfect match for Skai's audience. We are excited to collaborate with Lineup Industries and FOSS Productions to deliver a vibrant, feel-good show that will quickly become a daily favorite."

FormatBiz

posted 11/26/2025

Balls Deep in the UK
ITV to Develop Series with "LOL UK" Producers
From Deadline

Could famous comedians be about to play some ball on ITV?

Deadline reports that ITV has put in early development a version of Dutch format Let's Play Ball, in which rival teams of comedians go head-to-head in a race to transport a gigantic ball across various terrains. Facing physical puzzles along the way, each episode of the Ninja Warrior-esque format will see the teams navigate varied landscapes. The show can be tailored to each territory by taking advantage of that territory's landmarks, so expect to see the giant ball making its way across Tower Bridge, or maybe rolling up Arthur's Seat.

Produced by Banijay-backed Last One Laughing UK makers Initial and Zeppotron, Let's Play Ball is in early development in the UK and there is no guarantee it will make it to screen. In the U.S., it was taken out to buyers last month by Banijay's Bunim/Murray.

Let's Play Ball is one of the biggest shows to come out of the formats hub of the Netherlands in recent months. That version from Talpa started out on YouTube, where it was hosted by popular YouTubers StukTV and landed more than 1.2 million views. It then broke out on Dutch broadcaster SBS6. Banijay exec James Townley recently told us the distributor is in talks with multiple buyers over international versions of Let's Play Ball.

If Let's Play Ball gets greenlit, it will be the latest in a line of recent shows in which celebrities battle it out in fun settings. ITV is also making The Box, hosted by Gary Lineker, which sees celebs packed in yellow boxes and sent to different locations, where they face physical and mental challenges. Prime Video, meanwhile, is onto its second season of the hit Last One Laughing UK, which also comes from Initial and Zeppotron.

Deadline

posted 11/26/2025

Wednesday Lightning Round
... or "Thanks"


posted 11/26/2025


Blex Media/Netflix

Now Streaming: Anthony Anderson
Netflix's "Star Search" Reboot Finds Its... err, Star
From the Futon Critic

Netflix's iconic talent competition series, Star Search, will premiere live on January 13, 2026 with Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor Anthony Anderson set to host.

Episodes will air live Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT and will include real-time voting to let the viewers help determine which contestants move forward.

The new and reimagined series draws on the rich legacy of Star Search, which helped launch the careers of global icons like Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler and many others. Off the air for 20 years, the show returns as a nostalgic yet fresh entry in the talent competition space - ready to captivate both longtime fans and a whole new generation.

The talent is bigger, the stakes are higher, and the format is more interactive than ever. Each episode will spotlight the best up-and-coming performers across numerous categories - music, dance, variety, comedy, magic and juniors - as they compete head to head for their shot at stardom. With an arced competition structure and weekly eliminations with real-time global voting, the series builds dramatic momentum, making every live episode an unmissable event.

Star Search is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment (Rhythm + Flow, Primetime Emmys, Super Bowl Halftime Show, Beyonce Bowl, BET Awards, Hollywood Squares). Executive Producers are Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, Madison Merritt, and Elaine Metaxas, with Jason Raff (America's Got Talent) and David Friedman (Bring the Funny) showrunning.

The Futon Critic
The Wrap
TV Insider
ComingSoon.net

posted 11/25/2025


BBC Studios LA/ABC

We Are Gathered Here Today to Get Through This Thing Called the Semis
More Ratings Success Ahead of DWTS Finale
From Variety

The “Dancing With the Stars” Season 34 semifinals episode, which was themed around Prince, hit another season high with 7.22 million total viewers, according to the network, and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49.

The Nov. 18 episode became the highest-watched semifinals episode in ratings in seven years (November 2018) and is up 28% in viewers compared to last season’s penultimate. Among adults, it nearly doubled its rating, with last year’s episode earning a 0.79; this year’s episode is the show’s best penultimate telecast in nine years (November 2016).

The interest has also grown immensely with younger viewers, with a 1.68 rating among adults 18-34, the best delivery in the younger demo in 10 years and the strongest for a penultimate episode in 14 years. Additionally, fan voting rose to a new high of 55.9 million votes.

Variety
The Futon Critic
Deadline
Deadline
Entertainment Weekly
Variety
The Hollywood Reporter
Reality TV World
Reality Tea

posted 11/25/2025

Barry Poznick Exiting Amazon MGM Unscripted
"5th Grader" Co-Creator Oversaw Survivor, The Voice
From Deadline

Barry Poznick, who oversees unscripted television for Amazon MGM Studios, which produces series including The Voice and Survivor, is exiting the company.

Poznick is departing after nearly 10 years at MGM, which was acquired by tech giant Amazon in 2022.

Poznick, who was General Manager of Unscripted Television at Amazon MGM Studios, has signed a three-year deal to remain as executive producer on a number of projects. He has a first-look production deal meaning he will continue to work on The Voice, Shark Tank, Vanderpump Rules and American Gladiators as well as The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, The Real Housewives of Rhode Island and The Real Housewives of Orange County.

Deadline
The Wrap
Variety
The Hollywood Reporter

posted 11/25/2025


Sony Pictures TV Studios/CBS Media Ventures

Half-Million Dollar Wheel of Fortune
Game Show Teams with Draftkings for Tournament
From Deadline

Get ready for a whole week of Wheel of Fortune like you’ve never seen before. The game show will introduce a new Toss-Up Bonus Round, worth up to $500,000, but it will only last for one week.

In collaboration with DraftKings Casino, Wheel of Fortune is hosting the DraftKings Casino Multiplier Tournament, airing from November 24 to 28.

This tournament-style week of shows will have the Bonus Round played in the style of Toss-Ups, where the contestant has the chance to win up to $500,000, according to a press release.

Throughout the week of shows, there will be two special DraftKings Casino multiplier wedges on the wheel, offering more opportunities to win big. If a contestant lands on one of the wedges, they’ll get $1,000 per consonant called that’s in the puzzle, then the total will be multiplied by whatever number is on the other side of the wedge, up to 5X. Monday through Friday, the Bonus Round will be played as usual. But on Friday, November 28, the top three winners of that week return for the championship game. The winner of that game will advance to the Bonus Round, where they will play a Toss-Up-style one. The winner will have to try to solve five rapid-fire toss-up puzzles, all in the same category, worth $10,000 each in 45 seconds. The bonus wheel envelopes will be replaced with 2x, 3x, and 4x multipliers. The contestant still gets to choose from a list of categories.

The puzzle will start with “RSTLNE,” then begin to populate. If the contestant gives an incorrect solve, they move on, but the clock never stops. After the round, the amount of money earned will be multiplied by the number revealed by host Ryan Seacrest to be in the bonus wheel envelope (up to 4X), bringing the prize up to $200,000.

Additionally, during the final episode of the week, a special-edition DraftKings Casino 10X Multiplier Wild Wedge will be added to the wheel during regular gameplay. The contestant who picks up the wedge can choose to use it like a normal wild card, or, if they are the night’s winner, they can take the 10x multiplier to the bonus round to add a 10X envelope to the bonus wheel for a chance to win $500,000.

Fans can also participate in the DraftsKing week by entering the giveaway at wheeloffortune.com. Take note of the Bonus Round puzzles.

“The introduction of this new bonus round format for the tournament is just one of the many ways our collaboration with DraftKings demonstrates how Wheel of Fortune integrations set the industry standard,” Suzanne Prete, President, Game Shows, Sony Pictures Television, said. “Working closely with our sponsors, our partnership team and producers continue to create fresh, entertainment-driven content that elevates the brands while staying true to the game fans love.”

TV Insider
NJ.com
Parade

posted 11/24/2025

More on "Simon Cowell: The Next Act"
Netflix Details Search for a New Pop Act
From Deadline

Simon Cowell, best known in the U.S. for starring in American Idol and America’s Got Talent, has been instrumental in the success of bands such as Westlife, One Direction and Little Mix.

He’s now looking for his next boy band in Netflix docuseries Simon Cowell: The Next Act. The cameras are following him in this journey, starting with raw open casting calls to the release of a debut single by bringing together 16 boys in Miami.

“As much as I love my job on TV, I miss where I started, signing artists and working with bands. There is a massive opportunity: I am going to find a new boy band,” he says in the trailer (above). “If this goes wrong, it will be Simon Cowell has lost it.”

The series, which will premiere on December 10, is produced by Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and Drive to Survive producer Box to Box Films. Cowell exec produces alongside James Gay Rees, Paul Martin, Warren Smith and Cassie Bennet.

Simon Cowell: The Next Act is a departure for the music mogul; on the television side, he has largely been involved with major entertainment franchises such as AGT, Idol and The X Factor rather than documentary series such as this. He was, however, involved in BBC documentary series Boybands Forever, which was produced by Louis Theroux’s Mindhouse Productions and aired last year.

He also recently featured as a judge on a proof-of-concept taping of Who’s In The Band, a music competition series in development at ABC. The series, which comes from Richard Bacon’s Yes Yes Media, also featured Joe Jonas, Mel B and Savan Kotecha as judges with KPop Demon Hunters’ Rei Ami as host. However, if the project does move forward at the Disney-owned network, Cowell will be unlikely able to be involved on screen given his NBC contract.

Deadline
The Futon Critic
The Wrap

posted 11/24/2025

Monday Lightning Round
... or "One Piece or No One Piece"

  • Joe Manganiello joins the cast of "One Piece" for season 3 (The Futon Critic)

  • Chance the Rapper, Julianne Hough to join Seacrest to ring in 2026 (The Futon Critic)

  • Corey Feldman says "Dancing" was "toxic" behind the scenes (The Wrap)

  • You're not seeing double: that's Ray Lalonde's identical twin on Jeopardy! (CBC News)

  • Witney Carson's literally giving her all for the final (Reality Tea)

  • A FEW GOOD MINUTES with two Wheel Watchers finding love (KXLG Watertown)


posted 11/24/2025


MrBeast/Getty Images

Beast Games Season 2: January 7
Catch It on Prime Video
From Deadline

Beast Games is back.

Amazon has set the premiere for Season 2 of MrBeast’s competition series, launching the sophomore run on January 7, 2026. The series, which became the streamer’s most-watched unscripted show ever, will launch with three episodes before moving to a weekly rollout.

The prize money is $5M – although the first season was also meant to be $5M but the winner, Jeffrey Randall Allen actually won $10M with Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast actually handing out a total of $25M across the first season.

This comes after Amazon handed MrBeast a two-season order earlier this year.

The streamer said that the show will return with its “fiercest competitors yet” with what it is calling a “Strong vs. Smart” narrative across the season, which is thought to have shot some of its second season in Saudi Arabia.

The show saw 1,000 contestants compete in a series of physical, mental and social challenges to win the grand prize. It premiered in December and ran through February.

Donaldson returns as host and will executive produce. Sean Klitzner, Tyler Conklin, and Mack Hopkins also serve as co-creators. Klitzner and Matt Apps serve as showrunners, as well as executive producers alongside Michael Cruz, Jeff Housenbold, Conklin, Michael Miller, Josh Kulic, and Chris Keiper. Tyler Conklin is Series Director.

Deadline
The Wrap
The Week
The Futon Critic

posted 11/21/2025

An Icon Returns to the Stage
Sandra Diaz-Twine, Daughter to Play "Extracted"
From Entertainment Weekly

A two-time Survivor winner is headed back to a reality competition series about being stuck out in the elements, but this time, she won’t be the one suffering.

The Queen herself, Sandra Diaz-Twine, will be starring on season 2 of Extracted, which premieres Jan. 26 on Fox. And she won’t be alone. Sandra and daughter Nina Twine — who competed twice on Australian Survivor (including once with her mother), and won the USA channel’s The Anonymous — will be stationed in Headquarters while Nina’s boyfriend, Eric Rivera, is stuck trying to survive out in the Canadian wilderness.

Will Sandra and Nina — who will watch Eric’s exploits on a 24-hour live feed — show mercy on their loved one and push the Extract button to put an end to his misery, or will they push him instead to stick it out and claim the $250,000 prize?

Entertainment Weekly

Reality Tea

posted 11/21/2025

Your Faithfulness Is Rewarded, UK...
"Celebrity Traitors" Renewed by the BBC, Season 1 to Air on Peacock
From the Wrap

The Celebrity Traitors UK are coming to the U.S., and Peacock will be their home with Season 1 premiering all nine episodes on Thursday, November 20.

Claudia Winkleman hosts the celebrity version of The Traitors UK, opening up Ardross Castle in the Scottish Highlands for celebrities playing for charity. The cast of the first season includes Alan Carr, Cat Burns, Celia Imrie, Charlotte Church, Clare Balding, David Olusoga, Joe Marler, Joe Wilkinson, and Jonathan Ross.

The BBC reality series will return to Ardross Castle next year after becoming the most-watched show on British television in 2025. The BBC said episode one of the ratings phenomenon was the biggest single event on TV so far this year with 14.8M viewers, according to 28-day Barb figures. The UK broadcaster added that The Celebrity Traitors has also become the biggest unscripted title in the UK since 2021.

The finale screened on BBC One last week, with watchalong parties being held by super fans. The show reached a dramatic conclusion, with Alan Carr, a TV presenter turned traitor, duping his fellow players and taking home the cash for his chosen charity.

Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, said: “In 2026, the doors of the castle will be opened again to welcome celebrity players to the game to see who can charm, who can scheme and ultimately who can survive in series two which promises to be just as unmissable as the first.”

The renewal was announced as the BBC published an economic impact report, revealing that The Traitors format — including the U.S. series — has generated an estimated £21.8M boost in gross value added to Scotland’s economy since filming began in 2022.

The Traitors is produced by All3Media-owned Studio Lambert. Created in the Netherlands by IDTV, an All3Media company, The Traitors format was further developed with the RTL Creative Unit and originally produced by IDTV for RTL4. All3Media International is global partner for The Traitors and handles format and tape sales worldwide.

Deadline
Female First
The Hollywood Reporter
Deadline
Deadline
Deadline
Reality Blurred

posted 11/21/2025

Happy Friday Lightning Round
... or "Defending the Indefensible"

  • Mel Owens defends not telling PEg Munson he loved her (Reality TV World)

  • Netflix, PAramount, Comcast in the running for Warner Bros. (The Wrap)

  • Jay Pharoah plays Columbus (WSYX Columbus)

  • Whitney Leavitt compares being eliminated on a game show to a "Break up" (The Wrap)

  • Another "Strictly" star arrested on charges of abuse (Deadline)

posted 11/20/2025

Prelude to the Last Dance
The Freestyle Finale Is Coming Up
From Deadline

The Dancing with the Stars Season 34 finale is right around the corner, and you know what that means. It’s finally freestyle time!

After ten weeks of assigned dance styles, the five couples vying to become the next mirrorball champions will get to show off their growth in whatever way they choose with this dance, and ABC has just unveiled what songs they’ll be performing to via Joey Graziadei’s official DWTS podcast.

There are three dance rounds during this intense three-hour finale, and the details on the other two rounds are still to come.

Deadline
Variety

Reality Tea

posted 11/20/2025


CTV News
BILL BRADY: 1932-2025
Canadian Radio Icon Hosted Local Game Show
From 106.9 the X

Bill Brady, a London radio icon and long time London Free Press columnist has passed away Sunday Evening.

He started at 980 CFPL. He was born in Windsor, Ontario and moved to London, Ontario, and he moved to London in the 50’s. Brady's daily radio program was on the air in the Southwestern Ontario region for more than 20 years. He also hosted a game show called Act Fast on the local television station CFPL-TV.

He did work as well for Blackburn media, he received the Order of Canada.

Mike Drabick, who worked with Brady for years explains what he thinks about his life. “He was a great Canadian, a great human being. He worked as a volunteer for many, many years, and was very, very well liked”. “He was always a champion of the people, and he was the go-to person for the coordination of charities and things all over London. He was Mr. London, I guess we can call him.”

Drabick talks about what he wants people to remember Brady for, “I remember Bill from his caring. He always cared.” Brady was 93 at the time of his passing.

CIXX-FM London
CTV News
YouTube

posted 11/20/2025


CW

CW Slots Midseason
New Seasons of "Scrabble", "Trivial Pursuit" Lined Up

From The Futon Critic

The CW Network today announced the midseason premiere dates for the returning hit series WILD CARDS, second seasons of the fan-favorite game shows SCRABBLE and TRIVIAL PURSUIT, and new episodes of the adrenaline-packed POLICE 24/7.

Thursday night is game night on The CW this January with the returns of fan-favorite game shows SCRABBLE on Thursday, January 22, 2026 (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT) and TRIVIAL PURSUIT (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT), based on Hasbro's iconic board games of the same titles. Multiple Grammy-nominated, Peabody, and Emmy(R) Award winning actor, writer, producer, director and comedian Craig Ferguson ("The Late Late Show," "Celebrity Name Game") joins SCRABBLE as the show's new host while Emmy(R) Award-winning actor, director, producer and podcaster LeVar Burton ("Roots," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Reading Rainbow") returns as host and executive producer of TRIVIAL PURSUIT.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22
- 8:00-9:00pm SCRABBLE (Season 2 Premiere)
- 9:00-10:00pm TRIVIAL PURSUIT (Season 2 Premiere)

The FUton Critic
Deadline
TV NewsCheck
Lehigh Valley Live

posted 11/20/2025

Thursday Lightning Round
... or "Forever Cool as the Other Side of the Pillow"


posted 11/20/2025

Boomshakalaka
More on Shaquille O'Neal's "Dunkman" For TNT Sports
From Variety

“Inside the NBA” has migrated over to ESPN, but TNT still has a few other jobs for some of that popular studio show’s hosts.

Shaquille O’Neal will serve as a judge along with other NBA greats including Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson and Mac McClung, and Chris Webber on “Dunkman,” a six-episode reality competition program set to air across Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT, truTV and HBO Max in December.

In “Dunkman,” 40 amateur dunkers from around the globe will compete for a $200,000 grand prize. And while the premise may not prove shocking, what’s interesting is that Warner’s TNT Sports is continuing to find ancillary roles for O’Neal and others even as the company’s flagship sports program becomes a property that will be more associated with Disney’s ESPN.

Variety
Times of India

posted 11/19/2025


Neil Patrick Harris

More on "What's In the Box?"
Catch It on Netflix December 17!
From Deadline

Netflix is set to answer the question: What’s In The Box?

The Neil Patrick Harris-hosted game show is set to drop on the streamer on December 17.

The six-part series comes from British production company Rollercoaster Television, which is part of ITV Studios.

In the show, giant boxes conceal prizes, surprises and unexpected reveals and the show tests smarts, strategy and stamina. Over several episodes, pairs of contestants face off in trivia rounds, racing to correctly guess what’s inside each box. But winning a prize is just the beginning. As the game unfolds, shifting alliances and unexpected twists mean only those with sharp instincts — and a little luck — will hold onto their winnings and claim victory.

It is exec produced by James Fox, Dom Waugh, Wes Kauble and Leanne Witcoop.

What’s In The Box? was one of a number of unscripted shows ordered by Netflix this year; other titles include Harry Jowsey’s Let’s Marry Harry, Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which is also set to premiere next month, Nick Viall and Natalie Joy-hosted dating show Age of Attraction, Palm Beach reality series Members Only, which is also set to drop in December, and Calabasas Confidential.

Deadline
The Futon Critic
Gayety
TV Zone
Parade
Polygon
PopCulture
EntertainmentNow

posted 11/19/2025


Netflix

Game Night Comes to Netflix
Weekday Quiz to Be Hosted by Hunter March, Howie Mandel

From the Hollywood Reporter

The sun was a few hours from setting when doors opened at the Netflix on Vine studio space as the streamer hosted an official Netflix Game Night for press, partners and guests on Wednesday afternoon. The digital showcase gave attendees an exclusive opportunity to play recently released Netflix Games made for smart TVs while getting a sneak peek at upcoming launches as the streamer continues its push into becoming a one-stop shop for all things entertainment.

“Our vision is simple,” Netflix Games president Alain Tascan said in kicking off the presentation in front of a standing room only crowd. “Can we make playing a game as simple as streaming a movie on a Friday using the same innovative mindset that led Netflix to transform itself from a company shipping DVDs to streaming, movies, shows and now games. I tell my team almost every day we have a golden ticket, the opportunity to reinvent the way people play games, but also engage and reengage with IP and worlds they are familiar with. So hopefully today you’ll see the potential of what can be games on Netflix and on the TV, where the majority of our audience is.”

The event, and Tascan’s comments, come a little more than a month after Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters announced to Lucas Shaw at Bloomberg Screentime that the streamer was making a move with its games division from offering a suite of mobile apps to games that can be played on TVs for the first time using smartphones as controllers. Group games dominated the first rollout with currently available titles like Boggle Party, LEGO Party, Party Crashers: Fool Your Friends, Pictionary: Game Night and Tetris Time Warp.

Up next: Dead Man’s Party: A Knives Out Game that features detective Benoit Blanc (played in the franchise by Daniel Craig) and allows users to solve a mystery in which everyone playing is a suspect. Courtesy of Netflix Games The games range from existing IP like the LEGO franchise to Netflix originals and beyond.

Tascan, who joined the streamer last summer from Epic Games, explained why they’re doubling down in his division. “At Netflix, our mission is to entertain the world but entertainment isn’t just about shows and movies. Right now, more than three billion people around the world are playing games. It’s the biggest entertainment shift in the last 30 years. Games tell a story and we are home of the best storytellers on the planet. It’s why I’m so excited about what we’re creating At Netflix. Our strategy is to give people something familiar, whether it’s a game they know or a world they love, but we also want to take advantage of the rich and innovations at Netflix to push games in new and unexpected directions.”

It was Netflix Games vp Jeet Shroff who said that one of those directions won’t require any movement as they want subscribers to simply keep the Netflix app open on on their TVs all night. “Let’s say it’s Friday night, dinner’s done and you’re looking for something to do. Forget fumbling through that board game closet. Just open up Netflix,” said Shroff, who explained that scanning a QR code allows smartphones to become game controllers.

“You’re going to have a blast with your family and friends. You can go straight from watching KPop Demon Hunters to playing a party game without ever leaving Netflix.”

That’s not to say that Netflix is abandoning its mobile games. Far from it. There are 80 mobile options and more on the way, including high profile launches. The “coming soon” lineup includes PAW Patrol Academy, the wrestling sim WWE 2K25: Netflix Edition starring superstars like Roman Reigns, Trish Stratus, Undertaker and Rhea Ripley, the daily game Netflix Puzzled featuring hot titles like Stranger Things, Squid Game, KPop Demon Hunters, Bridgerton and Emily in Paris, and Red Dead Redemption.

To tease another launch, Tascan and his Netflix Game Night team then allowed attendees to be among the first to play Best Guess Live hosted by TV and media personality Hunter March (Sugar Rush, Nightly Pop) and Howie Mandel in what was presented as a live stream from another location. Reminiscent of the wildly popular Trivia HQ, the mobile game show is sure to be a weekday phenomenon that allows users to compete in real time against real players for cash prizes. Best Guess Live offers up five clues, which last 20 seconds each, allowing users to drop their answers as quickly as they can to beat the competition.

Speaking of, one reputable journalist in attendance beat the competition by guessing that March and Mandel were just down the hall, and they were. After the game had ended, the two raced over to surprise the crowd and join Tascan for some final comments.

“You can see why games on Netflix are going to be different. And let me be clear, we are not here to compete with consoles. We’re creating a completely new way to play games,” Tascan concluded. “One that’s as easy as streaming a show on a Friday night. On the TV and film side, we’ve gone from sending DVDs through snail mail to streaming films and movies to an audience of more than 700 million people around the world. It’s in Netflix’s DNA to innovate and push boundaries. In the history of gaming, some of the biggest successes have come from taking big swings and now we’re going to apply that same innovation to games. We’re going to keep experimenting and entertaining the world. This is just the beginning.”

The Hollywood Reporter
That Hashtag Show
NBC News
Netflix

posted 11/19/2025

Keller/Noll Get Bit
Creatives Pick Up Rights to "Shark Bite" Game
From Variety

Cleve Keller and Dave Noll have partnered with Goliath and Perfect Game to launch “Shark Bite,” a new game show based on the global brand. The family board game was first released in 2017.

“Shark Bite” centers around five 20-foot animatronic sharks, each with their own unique personality and name. Five pairs of contestants will battle for the opportunity to receive $100,000, with the chance of going into the shark’s mouth if they get one question wrong.

“’Shark Bite’ is enormously popular around the world,” said Keller. “And obviously sharks are always in the zeitgeist in just about every country across the globe. The ‘Shark Bite’ brand is the greatest IP we’ve seen in a long time.”

Variety
Realscreen
Worldscreen
C21Media

posted 11/19/2025

Wednesday Lightning Round
... or "This Week in Game Show History..."

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posted 11/19/2025

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