Hollywood Squares with Drew Barrymore coming in 2025

[BrandonFG]

I’d put Drew up in Rose Marie’s square not Lynde’s, but maybe that’s just me.

For kicks, who are some names that might do well in the center square or a corner? I’d say Craig Ferguson has the chops. Was Nick Cannon good on Hip-Hop Squares? He’d have broad appeal.

For corner squares, it's been a few @fter Midnight guests who would do well IMO, not to mention Taylor Tomlinson. Thomas Lennon and Lisa Ann Walter come to mind, Weird Al, Wayne Brady, Drew Carey are a few others. I dunno if enough water has passed under the bridge, but maybe Whoopi in the center square?

[MSTieScott]

The sane network

Ok, I think CBS has earned that title. So, which network earns the opposite title?

Whichever cable news network runs opposite your personal political views.

I dunno if enough water has passed under the bridge, but maybe Whoopi in the center square?

Interesting as a thought exercise, although there's obviously no chance of it happening here, what with Whoopi holding court on an ABC show.

Which makes me wonder how much star power will be on display. Does CBS view this as a cross-promotional opportunity? If daytime star Drew Barrymore is in the center square, I'm guessing the lead actors from CBS's prime time lineup won't want to be put in a corner. Can CBS convince Drew Carey and/or Wayne Brady to do Hollywood Squares? (Drew Carey recently did After Midnight, so maybe?)

Other than Alec Baldwin, ABC's Match Game didn't boast A-list celebrities, so if the emphasis is on the comedy, then stacking the grid with lesser-known but very funny people would be the way to go. I'm sure CBS also doesn't want this to turn into "larger Funny You Should Ask."

[TLEberle]

I will point out that Bob would have been just fifty I think when he started, and Drew I think in his forties. I'm just more annoyed by the "paging Mr. X" posts when it's just been announced. I'm quite happy to let the news come as it does. They'll do what they'll do. I think it's tricky to do Squares in a show by show basis because unless you go to town on the edit machine it's going to be tricky to play it as a race to three, you're losing either the jokes or the game play.

I think Craig would be marvelous at center, though you stand a good chance of him outshining the other eight.

[TimK2003]

The sane network

Ok, I think CBS has earned that title. So, which network earns the opposite title?

/Please don't edit the original post.  That was funny.

I'd say Fox.  I know they've cranked out the most primetime shows over the years, but I believe they started the crazes of excessive pregnant pause before reveals, and generous spoiler scenes going into commercials.

[JasonA1]

I think it's tricky to do Squares in a show by show basis because unless you go to town on the edit machine it's going to be tricky to play it as a race to three, you're losing either the jokes or the game play.

In a different discussion, I realized that showing the natural match to a wild card on Concentration never bumped me, because I grew up with the Trebek version. Similarly, playing Hollywood Squares to time has never bothered me, perhaps because my first exposures to it were all syndicated episodes that played that way. I think the last year of H2 was pretty fun, but it had more to do with the show settling into a different groove a'la Match Game in the '79-'82 syndie run. Moving to a best-of-3 match was part of the recipe, of course, but I don't think that lit a fire under everything else.

TL;DR, I think how they decide to score the Hollywood Squares gameplay should be lower on the priority list.

-Jason

[BrandonFG]

I'd say Fox.....I believe they started the crazes of excessive pregnant pause before reveals, and spoiler scenes going into commercials.

IIRC the pregnant pauses was NBC starting with Deal or No Deal, although I also remember them interrupting the big moment with a cut to commercial on Fear Factor. I believe you're right about Fox's spoiler scenes and the "You won't believe what happened next!" teases.

And to answer rebel's question, I vote NBC.

[TLEberle]

I think it's tricky to do Squares in a show by show basis because unless you go to town on the edit machine it's going to be tricky to play it as a race to three, you're losing either the jokes or the game play.

In a different discussion, I realized that showing the natural match to a wild card on Concentration never bumped me, because I grew up with the Trebek version.

Same, and I get what you mean.

Similarly, playing Hollywood Squares to time has never bothered me, perhaps because my first exposures to it were all syndicated episodes that played that way. I think the last year of H2 was pretty fun, but it had more to do with the show settling into a different groove a'la Match Game in the '79-'82 syndie run. Moving to a best-of-3 match was part of the recipe, of course, but I don't think that lit a fire under everything else.

TL;DR, I think how they decide to score the Hollywood Squares gameplay should be lower on the priority list.

Sure, I also get why each square was worth cash in the more recent versions to the point that it outshadowed actually winning the individual rounds. My point is always to warn against ignoring game play too much. For as paper-thin as the game was, Match Game offered up to $20,000 towards the end and the contestants deserve the best chance they can have to get to the end.

/nobody is watching After Midnight for the points; the jokes are the framework, not the other way around.

[Neumms]

Idea for game play: Win a game, play for a car. There are three on stage: one everyday TPIR level, one $40,000-ish, one TPIR “dream car” level. Four stars have keys/remote keys/printed cards for the cheapest, three for the intermediate, two for the highest. “Pick a car and pick a star.” I’d hope they could fit three games in an hour. 

More ideas for stars: If James Corden is still in town, he might make a good square. Jeff Ross, or does he only work blue? Dan Levy is everywhere else so maybe here. JB Smoove did Baldwin Match Game and seems good with a one-liner.

I think I’d rather see Barrymore in the hosting chair than the center square, and not just if they announced her as “the mistress of the Hollywood Squares.”

[BrandonFG]

Jeff Ross had a show on Comedy Central about a decade ago called “The Burn” where he basically ranted for half an hour. I’m sure they could bleep out anything too raunchy, and at 10 pm I imagine he wouldn’t be the only one who gets a little R-rated.

I could see him playing the Penn Jillette resident smartass.

[Allstar87]

Jeff Ross, or does he only work blue?

He became a semi-regular on Funny You Should Ask a couple years ago, and since then he's notched quite a few game show appearances under his belt. He could very easily do Squares...and I definitely hope he does!

[SamJ93]

He may be a bit too famous for such a gig nowadays, but I've always wanted to see Bill Burr as a panelist on either HS or MG.