Today's Entertainment

Brainerd Dispatch • September 27 - October 3, 2020 •20 By Rachel Jones TV Media I t's Week 2 for some of ABC's most addictive game shows, and they're bringing you trivia, friendly competi- tion and the best of celebrity hosts. Not only has Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock") returned as the host of "Match Game," Steve Harvey ("The Steve Harvey Show") is also back for another round of "Celebrity Family Feud," and who can forget the classic 1980s game show "Press Your Luck," now revived with Elizabeth Banks ("Mrs. America") at the wheel? New episodes of all three game shows air this week, on Thursday, Oct. 1, and the trifecta might just help bring a little normalcy back to our lives. Game shows have been a staple of network programming for generations, and there's nothing like rooting for strangers as they try to beat the odds and win big prizes. For six seasons, "Celebrity Family Feud" has been giving audiences in- sight into the strange dynamics of ce- lebrity families — and delivering some truly great Steve Harvey reac- tions. The stand-up comedian, Emmy winner and actor-turned-author holds nothing back and is not afraid to gawk at ridiculous answers, unfor- tunately phrased responses or silly mistakes. While we're at home shout- ing at the TV and shaking our heads, Steve is onstage doing the same — just in a more entertaining way. We can expect a stellar lineup for the 2020-21 season. Celebrities in- cluding Cedric the Entertainer ("The Neighborhood") — who has ap- peared on "Celebrity Family Feud" more than a few times already — daytime host Kathie Lee Gifford ("To- day") and rappers Big Boi and 2 Chainz turn up this season, among many other guest stars. Alec Baldwin, who accepted the role of host for ABC's revival of "Match Game" in 2016, is just as charming as ever. The fifth season, which started in May 2020, follows the traditional game show format from the 1970s, as contestants do their best to match fill-in-the-blank answers with those of the celebrity panelists. So far this year, we've seen the likes of Joel McHale ("Community"), Thomas Lennon ("Reno 911!") and Amy Sedaris ("At Home With Amy Se- daris") as panelists, and audiences should expect to see many, many more. Initially, Hollywood insiders ques- tioned Baldwin's decision to take on the role of game show host, assum- ing it was a poor choice and would damage his career. But so far, it seems as if Baldwin has found a great, consistent gig that has done nothing but improve his image and hasn't hampered his ability to take on bigger, weightier projects. Plus, he seems to genuinely enjoy it. Another vintage game show that has returned to ABC after a brief pan- demic-related hiatus is "Press Your Luck." The start of Season 2 proved quite successful for host Banks, and audiences and critics alike agree that the charismatic actor does a fantastic job at playing the witty, considerate host. There are no celebrity contes- tants here; we get to watch as regu- lar people spin the Big Board and avoid the WHAMMY to win as much cash as they can. "Family Feud" is perhaps the best- known game show on this list. The classic was originally created by leg- endary producer Mark Goodson in 1976 for ABC, and since its inception, two families have gone head-to- head in each episode, attempting to guess survey results correctly for cash prizes. The show has had a number of celebrity hosts, most notably "Ho- gan's Heroes" star Richard Dawson. "Match Game" is yet another Goodson classic, and this one has been around longer than "Family Feud." The show first aired on NBC back in 1962 and has been passed around from network to network since. Though the layout has re- mained more or less the same, the current revival of the fill-in-the- blank game swings more towards the game show's CBS 1970s for- mat. Considered the baby on the list, "Press Your Luck" first aired on CBS in 1983. It only ran for three years in its first iteration. Created by Bill Ca- ruthers (who worked with Goodman on "Match Game"), it was actually a reworking of the ABC game show "Second Chance." A mix of trivia and chance games, "Press Your Luck" may not have had as much air time as the others, but it's certainly getting its deserved time in the spotlight now. Filtering through the news, poli- tics, crime shows and cartoons that can create divides among genera- tions, game shows have acted as the bridge throughout generations. They not only bridge the history of television, but they bring people of all ages together for good, clean competition. Prime-time TV may not look the same as it did decades ago, but game shows still do. You can catch new epi- sodes of "Celebrity Family Feud," "Match Game" and "Press Your Luck" when they air Thursday, Oct. 1, on ABC. Fun and games Game shows reign on Thursday nights on ABC Feature Story this week Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer in "Celebrity Family Feud"

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