“America Says” is a family-friendly television game show currently airing on the Game Show Network. The game involves two teams of four competing for $1,000. The winning team gets to play a bonus round to get a chance at winning $15,000.
The show has a 7.5/10 IMDb score. Most people call the show a fun watch you can enjoy with your whole family.
The show’s format allows its viewers to play along with the contestant. You will find this show a welcome change amidst other game shows that you can only passively observe.
This article explains what “America Says” is about, the game rules, and where you can watch it.
About “America Says” on Game Show Network
The Game Show Network, home to popular word game shows such as “Lingo,” “People Puzzler,” “Chain Reaction, ”and “Get a Clue,” brings another game show for your entertainment: “America Says.”
People call it a kid-friendly version of “Family Feud,” as “Family Feud” could sometimes get inappropriate for children.
The original air date of the show was June 18, 2018. With five new episodes released — one each day of the week — this show has tons of episodes to binge.
The first season of the show had 64 episodes. Season two, three, and four had 96, 161, and 90 episodes, respectively.
The show is still running as of June 2022, and you can tune in to GSN to catch its new and repeat broadcasts. Check the schedule here.
“America Says” is created by Cleve Keller and Dave Noll, who are the creators of many other popular games and reality shows, such as “Punchline,” “Face the Truth,” “Don’t Sweat It,” and “FilmFakers” — among others. Other executive producers of the show include Mark Herwick, Tara Long, John Quinn, Jeffery Breeder, and Michael Canter. John Michael Higgins has been hosting the show since its inception.
The premise of the show is simple. The contestants are presented with fill-in-the-blank survey questions, and they have to guess the top seven answers given by Americans in a survey.
The questions cover everything under the sun, and their answers are common knowledge, making the show inviting to play along. The simple nature of the show makes it easy for anyone to participate. If you are also interested in participating, you can fill out this form to try your luck.
The Game Show Network is available on many cable networks. It is also available to stream on FuboTV, Sling TV, Frndly TV, Philo, YouTube TV, DIRECTV STREAM, and more. Visit the official GSN YouTube channel to get a taste of this show.
How Game Rounds Work on “America Says”
The game has three rounds, and three questions are asked to both teams. The trivia questions can be related to anything. For example, “You can’t have a school cafeteria without ______.” A screen displays the top seven answers with the first letter of each word visible. The answers to the above question had words like “tray,” “students,” “food,” “lunch ladies,” etc.
Contestants can participate in the show in teams of four. We see people from all walks of life participating and having fun. The participants can name their group after anything, such as a shared hobby or activity, or a made-up name, such as “Zoom Buddies,” “Dolphin Trainers,” “Football Moms,” or “Ogilvie Sisters.”
The game has three rounds, and each round has one question for each team. The team on the left side of the audience goes first.
Once the host asks the questions, a 30-second countdown begins. The team captain starts guessing the answers one by one until they make a wrong guess. After which, the control passes to the next teammate. Similarly, all four members take turns until the 30-second countdown ends.
For each correct answer, teams are awarded 100, 200, and 300 points in the first round, second, and third round, respectively. If a player answers out of turn, the team is penalized five seconds, and their answer is deemed invalid.
One thousand bonus points are added if the team correctly guesses all the seven answers. However, some words can be tricky to guess, and mostly, the teams guess only four to five top answers.
The second team gets a chance to steal points by guessing the remaining answers. Time is not a factor, and the other team can confer on the answers. The scoring scheme for stealing points is similar to regular rounds. Unlike the first team, the second team does not get a second chance after making a mistake. For example, if they correctly answer the first question but guess the second wrongly, it will earn them points for that one correct answer, but they won’t be able to try again.
After three rounds, the team with the most points wins $1,000. The game also ends if the score difference gets so huge that it makes it impossible for the losing team to catch up.
The winning team gets a chance to win $15,000 in the bonus round.
About “America Says” Bonus Rounds
The bonus round has four questions. The participants have to guess the top answer for the first question, the top two answers for the second question, and so on.
The team has a total of 60 seconds to answer all four questions. The team captain starts the bonus round by answering the first question. The next person is asked the second question, then the third question is asked to the next person, and so on. Just like the main round, if a contestant guesses the wrong answer, then control passes to the next team member, and the players keep taking turns guessing the words.
If the team members find themselves in a tight spot with a question, they can press the skip button to save time and move on to the next question (allowed only once). However, they need to revisit the skipped question and answer it before the 60-second countdown to win the $15,000.
About the Host of “America Says”
John Michael Higgins draws viewers in with his dry humor. He always comes up with witty remarks on the comments and answers of the contestants.
Michael Higgins is a comedian and actor. Undoubtedly, he is a natural at hosting this game show.
The 23-years-young Michael Higgins first appeared in the musical comedy stage show “National Lampoon’s Class of ’86.” During the same period, he was an instructor with Street 70, a theatre production company in Rockville, MD, now known as Round House Theatre.
Since starring in “G.I. Jane” in 1997, Michael has made a streak of appearing in TV shows and movies every single year until now.
His first television show role was as Murray Phillips in the 1988 TV show “Miami Vice.”
Although “America Says” is his first time hosting a game show, his portfolio of sitcom drama shows, comedy movies, and improvisation makes him adept at his role.
In regards to hosting a game for the first time, he says, “These are real people and real contestants. I have always found that if I just dig in, lock eyes with them, and hear what they are saying, I will say something funny or something that works.”
His performance in “America Says” earned him a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host.
If you are interested in checking out more of Michael Higgins’s work, you can watch his movies, “The Late Shift,” “Killer Diller,” and “Pitch Perfect,” or watch him as a lead character in the TV show “Saved by the Bell.”
Discover More About Your Favorite Movies and Shows on BuddyTV
Wholesome game shows with a funny host are one of the best viewing experiences for the whole family. Check out other BuddyTV articles to discover TV series and reality shows for the entire family to enjoy.
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
