Modern television viewers might think of a game show in old-fashioned terms, using famous examples like The Price is Right or Jeopardy as points of reference. The classic format of the game show still exists, along with several other versions that use modern twists or physical challenges.
HBO MAX has a variety of game shows that has some great examples of both the vintage and contemporary. Virtually every kind of modern and classic game show is currently available on this popular streaming service. Some are comic, some are serious, and all of them are entertaining.
7 Talk Show The Game Show
As the name suggests, Talk Show The Game Show combines two different formats. Writer and comedian Guy Branum hosts this show, which was developed by combining his own stand-up routine with two of the most popular types of television shows.
Branum invites celebrities on the show for some good-natured roasting, obscure, and often silly trivia, and rates their performance based on totally arbitrary criteria, such as how well they flirt or get a response from the audience.
6 Paid Off With Michael Torpey
Anyone who saw a movie called They Shoot Horses, Don't They? might get a chill from the basic premise of this show, but that's the intention of this brand of dark millennial humor. It's not cars or appliances or cruises that contestants can win but the money to pay off their student loans. It's a game show that couldn't exist just anywhere but a certain capitalist paradise.
Host Michael Torpey challenges three college grads with student loan debt with trivia questions, which is a simple premise that several game shows use. This uses comedy and fast-paced timing to make the game more fun and exciting.
5 Wipeout
Wipeout combines a few different genres. It's reality tv along with being a game show, with some of the drama being the mixed teams of players from different backgrounds and income levels. Another draw of the show is what the publicity claims to be "the world's largest obstacle course" and it is pretty impressive.
The version of the show that's currently airing on HBO MAX is a reboot of one that aired in 2008. Today the show is hosted by John Cena, Nicole Byer, and Camille Kostek, and all three rotate between commentary, exposition, and on-site reporting.
4 Billy On The Street
Call it an open concept game show that takes a minimalist approach to sets and scripts, using the "man on the street" format that's more common among news reporters than game show hosts. Billy Eichner hosts the show that's also a trivia challenge and reality TV show that occasionally features celebrity guests and always ends with a cash prize.
Most of the challenges involve trivia, but there are other fun things happening, like obstacle courses and doing impressions. The humor tends to be daring and visceral, with episode titles like "Name Three White People!" and "The Lesbian Lightning Round" and therefore it's not for work or the faint of heart.
3 About Last Night
It's an updated version of old shows like The Dating Game which featured single people looking for love, or married couples wondering what happened to it. In this case, About Last Night is about couples and the uncensored issues they deal with, and it's often dramatic and funny.
A pair of famous celebrities joins the hosts Ayesha and Stephen Curry for some adult-oriented trivia and candid questions about love and relationships. This is a fine example of HBO's time-honored "after dark" tradition, so it's not suitable for the kids and most definitely NSFW.
2 The Misery Index
This show was originally developed for TBS and is based on a real-life card game called "Sh*t Happens" so it's intended for viewers who like a dose of dark comedy with their game show. A few of the stars of The Misery Index also appear on the reality TV show Impractical Jokers and are part of the comedy troupe known as The Tenderloins, so it's as much a comedy as a game show.
Every show features two of The Tenderloins versus a regular, non-celebrity contestant, and the object of the game is to rate miserable, cringeworthy, and often embarrassing real-life situations. Every show opens with a contestant relating their own personal true tale of misery, which goes unrated, and the winners get a cash prize.
1 The Cube
Game show fans who like their physical challenges hard and fast will appreciate The Cube, which modernizes a classic format. The show is laser-focused on the prize money and the game itself, and the simple design is effective at creating that no-nonsense atmosphere.
"Big-box game shows" is actually a genre because the format has become so prevalent. Instead of trivia, however, this game challenges contestants to accomplish simple physical challenges while in the mysterious Cube, which isn't quite what it seems. The show is hosted by NBA star Dwyane Wade and is based on a popular British television show of the same name.