I haven't had so much fun watching a TV show in ages! NPH is fantastic as usual, as is all the talent appearing on the show. I was very impressed with the guest stars, and also with co-host Nicole Scherzinger. To think the show is genuinely live makes it all the more impressive.
Look for trivia-type games with great prizes, heartwarming hidden camera bits (which brought back childhood memories of Art Linkletter's House Party, but for the social media era), live involvement of the at-home audience in addition to the studio audience, musical numbers with a twist, and funny, good-natured stunts and pranks. (No meanness, thank goodness!) And that was just the type of segments in the first episode, which means there are probably many other types of segments to look forward to in future shows. If it maintains this tone and stays this fun, it will be must-see live TV for this usually cynical, time-shifting TV viewer.
I am not familiar with the UK show that inspired it, but I grew up in the golden era of variety TV, where vaudeville was brought into our homes by the likes of Ed Sullivan, Carol Burnett, and Sonny and Cher. Variety petered out because vaudeville lost its relevance. This is a fitting update for the 21st Century, and I hope everyone finds it as relevant as I do!
