Game Changer

Obviously by my rating, I'm a fan. But the entire Dropout streaming service is built on the personalities of their cast (and guests (who are usually personal friends of the cast)). If you like character-based gags and "wacky hijinks", this might be for you.

However, there's a learning curve. You must figure out who your favorite recurring cast members are. One appearance in one episode of something doesn't give a great impression.

As far as this show in particular is concerned, there are really great episodes and then there are episodes I probably won't watch again. But the premise is intriguing enough that I want to keep watching and see if my favorite cast members show up.

Yes, the game show is "scripted" to some extent in that there's always some gimmick that the crew is making sure goes as planned, but contestants are always kept in the dark. And as for the host, this is his passion project. Sam is also the CEO of the company and was insistent that he host this show.

Now that's what I call, "Damn good television!"

This show's concept is absolutely brilliant: simultaneously it's own animal and a laboratory with near perfect conditions to workshop other gameshow ideas. But that would mean nothing if the host and contestants didn't provide engaging follow through with charm, cheek, and wit. Luckily, everyone has that, not only in spades, but all the other suits as well. They act like they're not playing with a full deck, but they know exactly what they're doing, and by that, I mean they lean into not knowing what they're doing. It's incredibly refreshing.

Sam Reich (native to Cambridge, Massachusetts) is a genius. He's this whimsical wizard that is a hybrid between a well-dressed teddy bear (probably a descendant of much more posh Winnie the Pooh) and a mad scientist close to perfecting chewing gum that explodes in the mouths of unsuspecting children.

The Dropout writers/usual suspects are also a hoot to watch swing on the pendulum of winning generous gifts from their glorious benefactor and perform Diet Fear Factor tasks, with a twist of lemon.

The show is inconceivably preposterous: warm and well meaning with its gifts, diabolical and fiendish with its punishments, but always tempestuous and hysterical.

Turn on your TV and tune into Dropout, you won't regret it.

The very concept of the show means that there is no shortage of creativity and new ideas in every episode. The comedy is brilliant. Late night shows wish they had people this funny and ideas this hilarious.

You will also gain an appreciation for the different people and their unique personalities, you gain an even deeper appreciation for much of the comedy. The more episodes you watch, the more familiar you become with the eccentric cast. I've shown some episodes to dozens of friends and almost all of them end up completely hooked and begging to watch more episodes.

Sam Reisch is a brilliant host, with a laugh that encourages you to laugh along with him. Not every episode's concept is a winner, but the show as a whole is an absolute game changer for game shows.

While the Zoom episodes are okay (they did the best they could), it's the studio episodes that make this show great. Game Changer is often hilarious, sometimes heartwarming, at times has genius-level twists/reveals, but is always creative and new.

Some favourite episodes: S1 E2, S2 E6, S4 E1, S4 E5, S4 E7, S5 E4, S5 E5, S5 E9, S6 E5, S6 E7, S7 E4, S7 E6, S7 E7.

As long as they keep making them, I'll be here here the whole time.

One other reviewer here has expressed annoyance at the first episode of season 3. While it's true it is not the most creative or fun episode, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of viewers will know REDACTED.

Just started binging this, and there are some genuinely really funny episodes. Not generally a huge fan of improv comedy but it's sort of constrained enough that it all sort of fits and is funny.

My biggest issue is that most (or all) of the contestants and the host are ex-collegehumour employees who all clearly know each other fairly well. That's not an issue in and of itself, but when entire episodes are heavily reliant on in-jokes and knowing about the lives of these people ahead of time, they just aren't engaging or funny.

I've legitimately never heard of any contestant so far, and I'm paused on the first episode of season 3. The 'game' of season 3? Guess who the mystery person is. Not a celebrity, not a well known person that the viewer has a chance of knowing. Just some random person who made youtube skits for 10 year olds a while ago.

Who is that for? It's a bunch of in-jokes and details about people who nobody knows. It's like listening to a podcast by a bunch of random strangers talking about what they did in their week, why would anyone care?

So there are some seriously great episodes, but there are definitely some that can either be skipped with literally no loss or can be turned off halfway when it becomes "guess which food that one guy we know likes!"