The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
ABC launches new roster of game shows
Ever since their inception — which closely followed the birth of television — game shows have had a lot to offer TV viewers. From cost estimates and budgeting practices in “The Price Is Right” to predictions of the collective conscience in “Family Feud” or the expansion of one’s pool of general knowledge with shows such as “Jeopardy!” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,” unscripted game shows have always had a way of bringing people together.
This week, ABC welcomes two returning game shows — Americanized trivia series “The Chase” and smash golf sensation “Holey Moley” — before initiating a new kind of unscripted game called “Who Do You Believe?” It all begins Tuesday, May 3, in a threehour prime-time block on ABC.
First on the docket that day is the Season 4 premiere of the extreme mini-golf competition series “Holey Moley.” Featuring color commentary by co-hosts Rob Riggle (“Step Brothers,” 2008) and ESPN’s Joe Tessitore, both veterans of the show, Season 4 also sees the return of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry. Curry, a massive fan of all things sports, acts as a resident golf pro in the series and serves as an executive producer.
Joining Riggle, Tessitore and Curry is Emmy-winning TV host Jeannie Mai, who returns to provide sideline correspondence throughout the upcoming season. Her job may be made more difficult, however, by the presence of some notoriously wild new additions to the cast.
The Muppets are joining the action for Season 4 of “Holey Moley” in an on-screen collaboration unlike any other. ABC announced the joint forces in a March 15 news release, saying, “Muppets favorites unite with on-camera commentating duo Rob Riggle and Joe Tessitore, making for some un-fore-gettable hijinks” during the fourth season.
Existing fans of the show can expect to see some returning favorite holes, while fans old and new are sure to be delighted by the new hole designs, “special guest appearances and other surprises along the way.”
Following “Holey Moley” is the Season 3 premiere of “The Chase.” Made famous stateside for its “Jeopardy!” champion Chasers, this series is an American adaptation of a British favorite.
Since its debut in January 2021, “The Chase” has been home to “Jeopardy!” GOATs Ken Jennings, James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter alongside the British version’s “Beast,” Mark Labbett.
Some changes are in the works this year, however, as three new Chasers — Brandon Blackwell (“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”), Buzzy Cohen and Victoria Groce (both of “Jeopardy!”) — join the team in Jennings’ absence. Holzhauer, in teasing co-star Jennings about his upcoming departure from the show tweeted, “By popular demand, The Chase is now 100% @KenJennings-free.”
Speculation has arisen as to whether this means Jennings will step up as the full-time host of “Jeopardy!,” though given current host Mayim Bialik’s (“Call Me Kat”) on-again, off-again appearances in the syndicated show, paired with a lack of confirmation from “Jeopardy’s!” executive team, these rumors remain unsubstantiated.
Other than cast updates, “The Chase” remains much the same in Season 3 as in previous seasons. Three contestants are welcomed to the stage and must face off in a battle of knowledge against a Chaser, defined by ABC as “a ruthless quiz genius determined to stop them from winning cash prizes.” While some contestants get off to a good start and appear to climb the ladder toward quiz success, the Chasers are proven masters when it comes time to shine.
While Groce, Blackwell and Cohen may be new to “The Chase,” they’re hardly new to quizzing. In fact, Groce may prove to be one of the most unforgiving Chasers yet as she was personally recommended by Labbett and is
currently ranked No. 3 quizzer in the world, thanks to her many appearances at the World Quizzing Championships (yes, those actually exist).
And for those who just can’t get enough of the game show experience, ABC welcomes a new series immediately following “The Chase.”
“Who Do You Believe?” combines the thrill of reality TV with creative storytelling to allow viewers to step inside the often dualistic world of real-life criminal cases. While there are no contestants as there are with traditional game shows, this new series offers a unique chance for its at-home audience to play the part of the participant.
Per ABC, “the audience steps into the shoes of two contrasting narratives to hear the recounts directly from the victims and criminals with never-beforerevealed details” in each episode. “Then the viewer plays armchair detective to deduce and piece together different versions of the truth.”
The network is adamant that “there are two sides to every story — and there’s no telling how far one would go for their marriage, child or way of life.” At the end of each episode, the viewer is left with key details on both sides of the case, prompting the show’s overarching question: “Who Do You Believe?”
Don’t miss the first Tuesday night of game show fun when Season 4 of “Holey Moley” and Season 3 of “The Chase” premiere before the first-ever episode of “Who Do You Believe?” on ABC.