Press Release: Game Show Network has announced its slate of original programming for this summer, including returning “Master Minds” and “Switch”. and new episodes of “Split Second” and “Hey Yahoo.”
RETURNING FAVORITES:
Returning to Game Show Network’s schedule are new episodes of the fan favorite all-star trivia show MASTER MINDS, airing in August, and SWITCH, a quick-moving trivia show where contestants take positions behind large numbers from 1 to 5, airing in September.
This winter MASTER MINDS improved its time period by more than +16% (P2+), delivering nearly 500K nightly viewers, and SWITCH improved its time period by more than +20% (P2+), delivering more than 450K nightly viewers.
MASTER MINDS – Weeknights at 6:00 PM
Returning for its fifth season, MASTER MINDS is hosted by Brooke Burns. Burns began her career with breakout roles in “Ally McBeal,” “Baywatch,” and “Melrose Place.” In 2002, she made her game show hosting debut on NBC’s “Dog Eat Dog,” and went on to host ABC’s “You Deserve It” with Chris Harrison. From 2013-2015 Burns served as host of Game Show Network’s Emmy®-nominated and wildly popular UK-adapted trivia show, “The Chase,” where she was also nominated for an Emmy® as outstanding game show host.
Adding to the cast this season is new Master Mind Monica Thieu (Jeopardy! College Championship). And returning are two of last season’s winners who were among the first to win the grand prize, earning the title of Master Minds and joining the team for future episodes! Will Season 5 see even more contestants earn this coveted title?
ABOUT MASTER MINDS
Three contestants square off against three trivia Master Minds in multiple rounds of intense trivia competition. The lowest scoring player on each side is eliminated until the top competitor and top Master Mind are left standing and now must face off, head-to-head, in the Ultimate Trivia Challenge. If the contestant can get more questions correct than the Master Mind, they will win $10,000 and come back to challenge the Masters again. If they win two games in a row, they join the ranks of the Master Minds and will appear in future episodes.
MASTER MINDS is produced by Game Show Enterprises Studios for Game Show Network. Ed Egan is executive producer.
SWITCH – Weeknights at 7:00 PM
Returning for its second season, SWITCH is hosted by Jeff Hephner. Recognized for his roles in ‘For All Man Kind’, ‘Power Book II: Ghost’, and the Dick Wolf ‘Chicago’ franchise, Hephner can be seen next in the Christopher Nolan epic ‘Oppenheimer’ and the limited series ‘Erik’ from Netflix.
ABOUT SWITCH
Five players begin the game by taking positions behind large numbers from 1 to 5. After a trivia question is asked, players with correct answers move towards the number 1 spot, and players with incorrect answers move towards the number 5 spot. The goal of the game is to finish the third round of questions in the number 1 position, thus winning the game and earning the right to play the bonus round for $10,000.
SWITCH is based on a hit show in Belgium from DIGA Studios (“Hot Ones: The Game Show”) that is also being produced as local versions in Germany and the Netherlands and is in development in both France and Mexico. Based on a format developed by Panenka and licensed by Lineup Industries B.V., executive producers for DIGA Studios are Tony DiSanto and Nick Rigg. Rich Sirop also serves as executive producer.
CURRENTLY AIRING:
Game Show Network debuted two new shows in the first half of 2023: SPLIT SECOND, hosted by John Michael Higgins, premiered in April, and HEY YAHOO!, hosted by Tom Cavanagh, premiered in June.
This spring, SPLIT SECOND improved its time period by nearly +50% (P2+), delivering nearly 450K nightly viewers, while newly premiered, HEY YAHOO! is improving its time period by +4% (W25-54), and seeing strong quarter hour retention.
SPLIT SECOND – Weeknights at 7:30 PM
SPLIT SECOND premiered in April 2023 and is hosted by John Michael Higgins. This is Higgins’ second show for Game Show Network, having previously hosted over 500 episodes of AMERICA SAYS. Outside of Game Show Network, Higgins is recognized for his roles in Christopher Guest movies like ‘Best in Show’ and ‘A Mighty Wind’, the ‘Pitch Perfect’ franchise. and most recently the reboot of ‘Saved By The Bell’.
ABOUT SPLIT SECOND
Based on a format from game show legend Monty Hall, SPLIT SECOND asks three contestants to decide in a split second which of three general interest trivia questions they can answer. The first player to buzz in gets the first pick, and the last player is left to answer whatever is left, which is often the most difficult. The player with the fastest response time and the highest success rate answering questions over the first three rounds advances to the bonus game where their ability to answer a rapid-fire series of questions could win them $10,000.
SPLIT SECOND is produced by Game Show Enterprises Studios with Michael Binkow as executive producer. Nancy Glass, Marcus Lemonis, and Sharon Hall also serve as executive producers for Marcus/Glass Productions. John Michael Higgins serves as host and executive producer.
HEY YAHOO! – Weeknights at 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM
HEY YAHOO!, which premiered in June 2023, is an all-new survey-based show, made in partnership with search engine Yahoo. It is hosted by actor and director Tom Cavanagh, who is recognized by many from ‘Ed’, ‘Scrubs’, and ‘Blue Bloods, and was seen most recently as the long-running villain on The CW’s ‘The Flash’. He also recently completed the film “Corrective Measures” alongside Michael Rooker and Bruce Willis and is currently producing the upcoming musical “MoviePass!”
ABOUT HEY YAHOO!
Two teams of three players each compete to guess what millions of people are searching for on HEY YAHOO!. Contestants are given the first half of a search, and then have to fill-in-the-blank based on what they think America is searching for. For each correct answer, the dollar value of that answer is added to the team’s bank. At the end of three rounds of play, the team with the most money wins and will go on to the bonus round for a chance to add an extra $10,000 to their winnings.
HEY YAHOO! is produced by Game Show Enterprises Studios for Game Show Network with Rane Laymance serving as executive producer and Brian Provost as executive producer for Yahoo. Al Hassas of Sweet Lemons, LLC and Dean Tempest of Big Potato Limited also serve as executive producers.
