Ellen’s Game Of Games

IF you’ve always found the game segments on The Ellen DeGeneres Show entertaining, then try watching Ellen’s Game Of Games. Essentially, all the games that have been featured on DeGeneres’s talk show is put together in this hour-long game show.

It begins with a preliminary round where contestants are divided into four groups. The four groups will play different games – blindfolded musical chairs, anyone? – and contestants compete with others within their group. One winner from each groups advances to the next round and play “Know Or Go”. Here, the top four contestants take turns to answer general knowledge questions. Those who answer incorrectly gets eliminated. Only one contestant enters the final round, “Hot Hands”, to compete for US$100,000 (RM396,000). A slideshow featuring 10 celebrity images will be shown and the contestant must identify all 10 to win the cash prize.

My biggest beef with the show is its format. There are way too many contestants in the preliminary round. They have to be introduced one by one, which takes up a lot of time. And what’s the point of getting to know them when only one person from each of the four groups advances to the next round.

Start with fewer contestants in the preliminary round and allow for more contestants to go to the next round. This helps viewers to feel more attached to a contestant and root for him or her.

Having less contestants also allows for game master DeGeneres to interact longer with a contestant, giving rise to more of her signature hilarious banter, which there isn’t enough of. – Kenneth Chaw

Ellen’s Game Of Games airs every Wednesday at 8.05pm on Diva (Astro Ch 702).