Hollywood Game Night

Hollywood Game Night
Genre
Created by
Presented by Jane Lynch
Starring Dean Butterworth (Bandleader)
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 61 (as of May 24, 2018)
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Sean Hayes
  • Todd Milliner
  • Michael Agbabian
  • Dwight D. Smith
Production location(s) Universal Studios Hollywood
Los Angeles, California
Editor(s)
  • Simon Laight
  • Mike Souza
  • Nathan Miles
  • Victor Gonzaga
  • Lisa Kearney
  • Billy Harnist
Running time 42 minutes
Production company(s)
Release
Original network NBC
Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
Audio format Stereo
Original release July 11, 2013 (2013-07-11) – present
External links
Official website

Hollywood Game Night is an American television game show currently airing on NBC. The series, which is hosted by Jane Lynch, premiered on July 11, 2013. The game follows two contestants who take part in a casual game night with three celebrities each, making the main episode a game between two four-player teams. Five games are played on each episode, with teams accumulating points based on their performance in each of the games. After the fifth game, the contestant on the team with the most points competes in a bonus round with one of the episode's celebrities. The chosen celebrity plays for a chance to win $10,000 for a charity of his or her choice, while the contestants compete to win $25,000.

The series has generally received positive critical reception and earned relatively modest television ratings, while also inspiring several worldwide adaptions, as well as a party game and mobile app based on the show. The series' fifth and most recent season premiered on June 22, 2017, and concluded on September 6. The series has been honored with several awards nominations, winning the Writers Guild of America Award for Quiz and Audience Participation for three consecutive years. Lynch, meanwhile, has also been recognized for her performance as host, earning three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program and winning twice.

Gameplay

Two teams of four players each (consisting of three celebrities and one contestant) play a series of games.[1] The contestant is designated captain of the team. In season five, some episodes are "Show Vs. Show" specials, where each team consists of cast members of a specific show. For example, the first episode of season five was Veep vs. The Walking Dead.[2]

Five total games are played on each episode. Within each game, teams attempt to score points for their team, with one point awarded for each correct response in rounds one and two, and two points per correct answer in rounds three and four. The fifth and final game awards five points per correct answer, with the team in the lead going first. If both contestants are tied prior to the fifth and final game, then the contestant who won the last game goes first. The contestant with the most points at the end of play wins the game and advances to the $25,000 bonus round. When both contestants are tied at the end of the game, the contestant who wins more games will advance to the bonus round.[3]

Games

Games vary in complexity and subject. Some games require teams to answer questions based upon photographs of celebrities, television programs, or films, while others ask teams to place items in categories or order items based upon a chronological scale.[4] Others feature the teams to identify the brand of grocery products based on pictures of the product or to match pictures to audio clues played for the team. Several other games are based on wordplay, requiring teams to identify subjects for which the vowels have been removed, titles in which the order of words has been shuffled, or titles and phrases which are displayed in a language other than English. Games for which a time limit is involved are typically played for 90 seconds.[3]

Bonus round: Celebrity Name Game

In the bonus round, "Celebrity Name Game", the winning contestant chooses one of the six celebrities as their partner.[4] (Beginning in season three, this was changed to two celebrities, one from each team.)[5] The chosen celebrity begins describing a different celebrity as best they can. For every celebrity the winning contestant identifies correctly, the contestant earns $1,000 and the celebrity receives $1,000 for his or her charity. If the contestant guesses ten celebrities correctly within 90 seconds, the contestant's winnings are increased to $25,000 and the celebrity partner(s) wins $10,000 for his or her charity.[3]

Production

Jane Lynch, host of the series.

On August 1, 2011, NBC announced that they were developing a series under the name Celebrity Game Night.[6] This project's name was changed to Hollywood Game Night when it was ordered and greenlit on December 18, 2012.[7] In February 2013, it was announced that Jane Lynch would host the show.[8] The first season of Hollywood Game Night premiered on July 11, 2013.[9]

Created by actor/producer Sean Hayes and producer Todd Milliner, the show was inspired by real-life cocktail party-style game nights held by Hayes and Milliner.[10][11] "Sean Hayes, the creator of the series, has these notorious game nights that are so much fun, that a variety of people go to because he has a lot of interesting people in his life," Lynch told The Huffington Post. "And he said 'Let's put it on TV,' and NBC said, 'OK!' Before I knew it, I was hosting it, and we rented this mansion that is, ostensibly, mine, and we put couches in there and we got everybody tanked up on booze and we played these games."[4]

On August 20, 2013, NBC renewed Hollywood Game Night for a ten-episode second season.[12] The program's second season began with a Christmas episode that aired on December 23, 2013. Regularly scheduled episodes then premiered on January 20, 2014,[13] and aired on Mondays[14] until February 3. The rest of the season's episodes were aired on Thursdays, from February 27 to July 24.[15] The season was soon extended, with the eleventh episode airing on April 17.[16] The season includes fifteen new party games as well as some from the previous season.[17]

NBC announced on May 11, 2014 that Hollywood Game Night would return for a third season.[18] Season three began airing on July 7.[19] After season three's conclusion, a New Year's Eve-themed live episode of Hollywood Game Night, New Year’s Eve Game Night, was broadcast by NBC on December 31, 2015, replacing the primetime hour of New Year's Eve with Carson Daly. Andy Cohen hosted, as Lynch was unable to participate due to other commitments.[20]

Season four premiered on January 5, 2016.[20][21] Season four episodes aired on Tuesdays at 8 pm beginning January 5, 2016 until February 23 of the same year. The show returned with a new episode on March 13, 2016, in its new time slot of 10 pm Eastern Time. On March 30, NBC pulled the show from its Sunday night schedule, with one unaired episode remaining from the fourth season, which aired on July 28, 2016.[22]

On May 15, 2016, NBC announced plans to renew the series for a fifth season set to debut sometime during the 2016–17 television season.[23][24] Originally set to premiere on August 7, 2017,[25][26] the season debut was eventually moved up to June 22 of that year.[27] Including its season premiere, the series' fifth season ran for ten episodes, concluding on September 6, 2017.[28] Season five also added a "backyard" set (actually a studio set decorated to appear to be outdoors). At least one game per show, requiring more space than the original "great room" set could provide, is played in the "backyard".[29]

On April 11, 2017, Game Show Network (GSN) announced its acquisition of the first four seasons, which began airing on April 17.[30]

On March 19, 2018, NBC renewed the series for a sixth season with 13 episodes.[31] A special episode of Hollywood Game Night aired on May 24, 2018, as part of NBC's evening of programming in support of the Red Nose Day charity.

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
18July 11, 2013 (2013-07-11)August 29, 2013 (2013-08-29)
220December 23, 2013 (2013-12-23)July 24, 2014 (2014-07-24)
310July 7, 2015 (2015-07-07)September 8, 2015 (2015-09-08)
412January 5, 2016 (2016-01-05)July 28, 2016 (2016-07-28)
511June 22, 2017 (2017-06-22)May 24, 2018 (2018-05-24)

Reception

Critical response

The show received little advance press, but The Atlantic's Esther Zuckerman was excited at the prospect of celebrities being a part of the show, writing, "Even with everything left unanswered, we're going to give a point to NBC on this one. The mix of celebrities just seems too good to be true."[32] After its premiere, it was reviewed positively by Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times, who said, "Fast-paced, with a certain 'learn-as-you-go' air, the premiere episode...supplied a nice number of laughs and the inevitable angsty moments of group competition."[1] Ed Bark, a former television critic at The Dallas Morning News, gave Hollywood Game Night a "B-minus" grade, arguing that "as a silly summertime lark, HGN pretty much hits it out of the park on opening night."[33] Entertainment Weekly's Annie Barrett argued that the show "makes you feel like a genius" and saying "I've never felt smarter in my life."[34] Writing before the season three premiere, The Washington Post's Hank Stuever opined that while "Few things on television could seem more pleasingly old-fashioned and simply entertaining" than the series, it "also serves as another reminder that we live in a sad, unimaginative era of acquiescence to celebrity status."[35]

Ratings

Hollywood Game Night's ratings were first or tied for first in its timeslot for all eight episodes of season one.[36] The first season averaged 3.7 million viewers; the series premiere was watched by 4.29 million viewers, though the ratings progressively declined, with the season finale only garnering 2.82 million viewers.[37] During the second season, the viewership average over twenty episodes was 3.92 million; the fourth episode of the season set a series high with 5.495 viewers.[38] The series' ten-episode third season saw an average of 4.64 million viewers.[39] In season four, Hollywood Game Night averaged 3.767 million viewers over twelve episodes, with the ratings decreasing slightly as the season progressed.[40] In its fifth season, the series averaged 4.1 million viewers over ten episodes.[28]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2014 Writers Guild of America Quiz and Audience Participation Hollywood Game Night Won [41]
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program Jane Lynch Won [42]
2015 Writers Guild of America Quiz and Audience Participation Hollywood Game Night Won [43]
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program Jane Lynch Won [44]
2016 Writers Guild of America Quiz and Audience Participation Hollywood Game Night Won [45]
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program Jane Lynch Nominated [46]

International versions

The series' popularity has led it to become a worldwide franchise, having been recreated in several other countries outside of the United States. Versions of Hollywood Game Night have existed in Armenia,[47] Canada,[48] Czech Republic,[49][50] Finland,[51] France,[52] Greece,[53] Hungary,[54] Iceland,[55] Indonesia,[56] Russia,[57] Spain,[58][59] Thailand,[60] Turkey,[61] Ukraine,[62] and Vietnam.[63]

Merchandise

A boxed party game based on the series was released February 15, 2014.[64][65] Additionally, on July 14, 2015, a mobile version of the game was released for iOS devices.[66]

References

  1. 1 2 McNamara, Mary (July 11, 2013). "Let's All Play Hollywood Game Night!". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Veep vs. The Walking Dead". Hollywood Game Night. Season 5. Episode 1. June 22, 2017. NBC.
  3. 1 2 3 "The One With the Friends". Hollywood Game Night. Season 1. Episode 1. July 11, 2013. NBC.
  4. 1 2 3 Furlong, Maggie (July 11, 2013). "Hollywood Game Night Premiere: Host Jane Lynch Previews New Series". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Two Janes Are Better Than One". Hollywood Game Night. Season 3. Episode 1. July 7, 2017. NBC.
  6. ↑ Sullivan, Brian (August 1, 2011). "Greenblatt: 'We Want to Restore NBC to Its Leadership Position in Quality'". The Futon Critic. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  7. ↑ Kondology, Amanda (December 18, 2012). "NBC Announces Bold New Game Show Hollywood Game Night". TV by the Numbers (Press release). Zap2it. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  8. ↑ Bibel, Sara (February 22, 2013). "NBC Names Emmy Winner Jane Lynch as Host of New Game Show Series Hollywood Game Night". TV by the Numbers (Press release). Zap2it. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  9. ↑ Kondology, Amanda (April 25, 2013). "NBC Sets Premiere Dates for Crossing Lines, The Winner Is.. & Hollywood Game Night". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  10. ↑ Ng, Philiana (February 27, 2013). "How Sean Hayes' House Parties Led to NBC's New Game Show". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  11. ↑ Crowder, Courtney (February 8, 2014). "Hollywood Game Night host Jane Lynch thrills, jabs, zings as leader of NBC game show". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings, LLC. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  12. ↑ Andreeva, Nelliie (August 20, 2013). "NBC's Hollywood Game Night Renewed for Second Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Hollywood Game Night Renewed for Second Season by NBC". TV By the Numbers (Press release). Zap2it. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Hollywood Game Night Announces Additional Celebrities Appearing in Second Season" (Press release). NBCUniversal. December 20, 2013. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
  15. ↑ Webb, Matt (February 5, 2014). "Hollywood Game Night Moving to Thursdays; Michael J. Fox Show Cancelled". TVLine. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Updates - NBC Primetime Schedule". NBC Entertainment Press Releases (Press release). April 9, 2014. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
  17. ↑ Harris, Beth (January 19, 2014). "Jane Lynch Returns to Host Hollywood Game Night". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  18. ↑ Adalian, Josef (May 11, 2014). "NBC Schedule: The Blacklist Will Deliver a Blow to Must-See Comedy, and It's Over for Parks and Rec". Vulture. New York Magazine. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  19. ↑ Blyth, Antonia (June 23, 2015). "Jane Lynch on Hollywood Game Night Season Three: Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Quinto and Joe Jonas Will Join Cast". Deadline. PMC. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  20. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (December 9, 2015). "Andy Cohen Takes Over NBC's Primetime New Year's Eve With Game Night Special". Deadline. PMC. Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  21. ↑ Petski, Denise (December 2, 2015). "Hollywood Game Night Returns For Season 4 with January Premiere". Deadline. PMC. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Oh Yes, It's Ladies Night". Hollywood Game Night. Season 4. Episode 12. July 28, 2016. NBC.
  23. ↑ "NBC Augments its Stable Schedule with Ambitious New Dramas, High Concept Comedies and Unpredictable Unscripted Series". The Futon Critic. May 15, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  24. ↑ McLennan, Cindy (May 15, 2016). "Hollywood Game Night: Season Five Renewal for NBC Game Show". TV Series Finale. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  25. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (March 17, 2017). "NBC Sets Summer Premieres: Marlon, Midnight, Texas, Carmichael Show, Reality & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  26. ↑ Pena, Jessica (March 17, 2017). "Hollywood Game Night: Season Five Coming to NBC This Summer". TV Series Finale. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  27. ↑ Heimbrod, Camille (June 7, 2017). "Hollywood Game Night Season 5: Cast Of Orange Is The New Black, Walking Dead Go Head-To-Head [WATCH]". International Business Times. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  28. 1 2 "Hollywood Game Night: Season Five Ratings". TV Series Finale. September 7, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  29. ↑ Hill, Michael (July 7, 2017). "Hollywood Game Night mansion gets a backyard". NewsCastStudio. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  30. ↑ "GSN to Air Hollywood Game Night Monday Through Friday at 9:00PM (ET) Beginning April 17" (Press release). GSN Corporate. April 11, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  31. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (March 19, 2018). "'Hollywood Game Night' Renewed For Season 6 On NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  32. ↑ Zuckerman, Esther (April 2, 2013). "If NBC's Hollywood Game Night Is Like Hollywood Squares with Booze, Rejoice". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  33. ↑ Bark, Ed (July 11, 2013). "Celebs at play on NBC's Hollywood Game Night". Uncle Barky's Bytes. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  34. ↑ Barrett, Annie (August 1, 2013). "NBC's Hollywood Game Night makes you feel like a genius". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
  35. ↑ Stuever, Hank (July 6, 2015). "Hollywood Game Night and the problem with the celebrity fun bus". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings, LLC. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  36. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (August 30, 2013). "Hollywood Game Night Ties for #1 at 10 and Has Been #1 or Tied for #1 For Eight Telecasts". TV by the Numbers (Press release). Retrieved June 13, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Hollywood Game Night: Season Three Ratings". TV Series Finale. September 1, 2013. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  38. ↑ "Hollywood Game Night: Season Two Ratings". TV Series Finale. July 25, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  39. ↑ "Hollywood Game Night: Season Three Ratings". TV Series Finale. September 9, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Hollywood Game Night: Season Four Ratings". TV Series Finale. July 29, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  41. ↑ "WGA Awards: Budapest, Imitation Game Win Top Film Honors, True Detective, Louie Score On TV Side — Full List". Deadline. PMC. February 14, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  42. ↑ de Moraes, Lisa (August 18, 2014). "Creative Arts Emmy Awards: Saturday Night Live, HBO Grab Most Trophies — Full List Of Winners". Deadline. PMC. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  43. ↑ "2016 Writers Guild Awards Nominees". The Writers Guild Awards. Archived from the original on September 1, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Emmy Awards 2015: The complete winners list". CNN. September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  45. ↑ Eggerton, John (February 21, 2017). "FX Writers Score Big at WGA Awards". Broadcasting & Cable. NewBay Media. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  46. ↑ "68th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners". Emmys.com. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  47. ↑ "3/OFF". Armenia TV. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  48. ↑ "Silence, on joue!" (in French). ICI Radio-Canada. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  49. ↑ "Hvězdná Párty" (in Czech). NOVA Plus. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  50. ↑ "Hvézdná Párty" (in Czech). TV Nova. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  51. ↑ "GAME NIGHT" (in Finnish). TMC. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  52. ↑ "Canape Quiz" (in French). TMC. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  53. ↑ "CELEBRITY GAME NIGHT (Official site)" (in Greek). Mega Channel. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  54. ↑ "Gyertek át szombat este!" (in Hungarian). RTL Klub. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  55. ↑ Pálsson, Stefán Árni (September 29, 2015). "Sjáðu fyrsta brotið úr þáttunum Spilakvöld" (in Icelandic). Visir. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  56. ↑ "Celebrity Game Show" (in Indonesian). RTV. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  57. ↑ "Подмосковные вечера" (in Russian). Channel One. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  58. ↑ López, Tony (June 2, 2015). "La 1 estrena 'Jugamos en casa', el nuevo concurso de Los Morancos, el lunes 8 de junior". FormulaTV (in Spanish). Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  59. ↑ López, Tony (June 17, 2015). "La 1 cancela 'Jugamos en casa', el concurso de Los Morancos, tras sus bajas audiencias". FormulaTV (in Spanish). Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  60. ↑ "CELEBRITY GAME NIGHT (Weekly Program News)" (in Thai). ONE HD Channel. September 1, 2014. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  61. ↑ "Saba ile Oyuna Geldik" (in Turkish). www.tv8.com.tr. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  62. ↑ "Добрый вечер на Интере" (in Russian). Inter. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  63. ↑ "Demtieccungsao" (in Vietnamese). VTV3. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  64. ↑ "Hollywood Game Night Party Game Hits Shelves February 15" (Press release). The Futon Critic. NBC. February 14, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  65. ↑ "Hollywood Game Night Party Game (2014)". BoardGameGeek. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  66. ↑ "Hollywood Game Night: iOS". Metacritic. July 14, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
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