Show of the week: That Awkward Game Show

A 60-minute format that can also be adapted for the international market as a half-hour, That Awkward Game Show pits parents and their adult children against each other to compete for a cash prize – all while learning shocking truths about each other. Each episode features three parent-adult-child teams of two as they attempt to figure out the embarrassing, unexpected secrets related to their teammate.

VIMN senior VP, international programme sales Caroline Beaton says: “It’s a very funny show that taps into a couple of key social trends. One is the growing tendency for oversharing thanks to social media. The other is the blurring of lines between parents and their children in terms of behaviour.

That opens interesting potential around the things parents reveal about themselves.”

The show, which is Spike’s first in-studio gameshow format, is played out in a visually dynamic set and hosted by a comedian in the US, says Beaton. “This works well because it gives it the feeling of being a hybrid – part game show, part talk show,” she adds.

Beaton has no doubt it can travel “because it’s dealing with a universal subject. Depending on the country or region we license to, we can adapt the questions to ensure there is the right degree of irreverence without it being offensive”.

Besides, she says, “buyers are interested in what Spike has to offer after the success of The Lip Sync Show. The show also comes with a good track record, having been made by the team behind brands like Hell’s Kitchen and American Ninja Warrior”.

The show: That Awkward Game Show
The producer: A. Smith & Co. Productions
The distributor:  Viacom International Media Networks
The broadcaster: Spike (US)
The concept: A show in which parents and their adult children learn surprising things about each other – and win cash