Game shows can be hit or miss with audiences. But that doesn’t stop the networks from continuing to order them left and right in the hopes of securing the next Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? or Deal or No Deal. ABC just announced they’ve ordered eight episodes of a new game show called Bet On Your Baby, hosted by Melissa Peterman.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, in each episode “five families with children between the ages of 2 and 3 1/2 will play a self-contained challenge — as in against themselves, rather than against other families. Those that advance then will compete for the chance to win $50,000 toward their toddler’s college fund.” With college tuition costs rising every year, the prize is definitely worth competing for. But the concept sounds ridiculous: parents will have to predict the next move their child makes in the challenge.
Bet On Your Baby is expected to premiere in April. But until then, let’s look back on some other downright ridiculous (and short-lived) game show concepts from over the years.
Oh Sit!
Oh Sit! is the most recent attempt on The CW, though it’s too early to tell if it’ll be as short-lived as the others. Put simply, it’s a game of musical chairs, but on a grander scale. Contestants must maneuver their way through obstacles while the music’s playing. But once the music stops, they better get to a chair before the rest of their competitors do.
The Moment of Truth
A highly controversial concept even before it premiered, contestants on FOX’s The Moment of Truth must take a lie detector test and then answer those very personal questions on air. If caught lying, they’re eliminated. One contestant even revealed that she cheated on her husband, with her better half sitting in the studio audience. Yeah, that’s bad.
Hole in the Wall
When The Moment of Truth went off the air, guess what FOX replaced it with? Hole in the Wall. It’s based on a Japanese game show in which players have to fit themselves through a cutout in a moving wall. Sometimes, the shapes are easy. But if you don’t make it through, you fall into a pool of water. Pretty soon, the network cancelled it, but Cartoon Network revived it. However, even that edition came to an end last year.
Identity
Magician Penn Jillette hosted Identity, where contestants had to match 12 strangers with their identities (belly dancer, football player, poker player, etc).
The Chair and The Chamber
Some game shows are downright cringe-worthy. Both The Chair (ABC) and The Chamber (FOX) premiered in January 2002. The Chair had people hooked up to heart rate monitors. Answering questions along the way, their heart rate could not reach above a certain level. The Chamber had a similar concept, where players were strapped to a chair with their arms above their head. (Various medical equipment were attached to them as well.) And they answered questions while in a torture chamber. Sounds like fun, right?
Amne$ia
Then there’s Amne$ia — yes, with a dollar sign in place of the S. Contestants answered questions about their own lives. Could you remember what your wife’s wedding dress looked like? One of the most simple concepts I’ve heard yet, and also one of the more ridiculous.
Show Me the Money
Answering a series of questions is normal for a game show. But we couldn’t take the William Shatner hosted Show Me the Money very seriously after everyone broke out into dance.
My Dad is Better Than Your Dad
My Dad is Better Than Your Dad. I think the name says it all: fathers and their kids answer questions and compete in various stunts. Did we really need a show like this?
Solitary
Would you be able to withstand solitary confinement? If so, then maybe this reality game show would’ve been a perfect fit for you. Solitary is just what it sounds like. Players must outlast everyone else. And with no clocks or contact with the outside world, it’d be easy to go a little insane.
Do you think Bet On Your Baby will end up being as ridiculous as these game shows? And are there any others that have aired over the years that are just as outrageous?
(Image courtesy of FOX)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
