The wildly successful British game show The Wheel is officially coming stateside. On Monday, NBCUniversal announced that an all-new US version of The Wheel had been greenlit for a ten-episode series order on NBC. The American iteration of the series will be produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television’s Warner Horizon division and the original British creative team, Hungry McBear and Michael McIntyre, who hosts the UK version.
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A hilarious new take on the game show format, The Wheel is set to put viewers into a spin each week as celebrity guests attempt to help contestants win big. The game provides three contestants an opportunity to battle it out through general knowledge questions where the objective is to keep your spot at the center of the wheel. The contestants themselves are randomly picked from a smaller wheel underneath centerstage. Right answers keep you there, wrong answers throw you out. Only the contestant at the center of the wheel at the end of the game has a chance to take home a life-changing sum of money, so they must do their best to stay there. The contestants are not on their own. There are seven celebrity experts on the wheel, ready to help answer the questions. With a mixture of real people, larger-than-life celebrity experts, and a massive rotating wheel under the host’s command… the fun and challenges are unlimited.
The British iteration debuted in November of last year, and became the top game show for BBC Primetime since 2011.
“We knew that NBC was the perfect home for The Wheel within the first few minutes of watching the show. It’s inherent ingenuity and addictive gameplay immediately hooked us,” Jenny Groom, Executive Vice President of Unscripted Content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a statement.”We couldn’t be more thrilled to add this to our strong roster of game show formats.”
“It’s incredibly rare in this day and age for a new show to become an unqualified smash hit overnight … let alone in the biggest territory in Europe,” Mike Darnell, President of Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, added. “We are thrilled to be in business with Hungry McBear and our amazing partners at NBC, who immediately saw The Wheel‘s potential and picked it up within 24 hours of the pitch.”
“I’m thrilled The Wheel is spinning Stateside,” Michael McIntyre said. “Hosting this show is the most fun I’ve had on television. The format creates wonderful camaraderie among the celebrities, natural hilarity and genuine suspense. I can’t wait for The Wheel to roll across America.”
“We are absolutely delighted that The Wheel has been picked up by NBC,” Dan Baldwin, Managing Director of Hungry McBear, added. “We are excited to introduce American audiences to this incredible game show. Together with our partners at Warner Bros., NBC viewers can look forward to lots of big laughs, big spins and big wins!”
What do you think of The Wheel getting an American remake? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
