Moral of the story: If you are fortunate enough to have the chance to sell something to someone who was completely unaware and/or blindly oblivious to the fact that this very concept was a failed GSN pilot, you too can be rich beyond your wildest dreams.

No doubt it will be executed in far more of an epic style, and I suspect Harris will do a finer job that, say, Jeff Ross, but at least my experience has always taught that the core concept of any show is what sustains any audience beyond the first few minutes of curiosity sampling.  Call me cynical (or worse), but I'll be fascinated to see how radically different this is from what was just shared here at said core.

And with all that said...since it's Netflix, assuming it gets a lick of algorithmic support, it's all but teed up to be a cost-effective hit.

Boy, is the mantra of every real estate broker truer than ever...

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/neil-patrick-harris-netflix-game-show-whats-in-the-box-1236444795/

Netflix hasn't had much luck in the "shiny-floor" game show department -- "BS: The Game Show" came and went in 2022, as did "Awake: The Million Dollar Game" in 2019. There was also a British quizzer called "Cheat" that viewers ignored in 2023.

The streamer is giving it another shot with "What's in the Box," which will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.

The description ...

The format consists of giant boxes concealing “jaw-dropping” prizes. Pairs of contestants will face off in fast-paced trivia rounds, guessing what’s inside of each box. But, per Netflix, “winning a prize is just the beginning. As the game unfolds, shifting alliances and unexpected twists mean only those with sharp instincts — and a little luck — will hold onto their winnings and claim victory.”

The show will likely premiere in December and will run for six episodes.


JD

Since this is the most recent thread about "The Luckiest Man in America," I'll link this here:

Pressing One's Luck

TV/comic-book writer Mark Evanier on the movie, and PYL in general -- including the fact that Mark Evanier pitched a movie version of Michael Larson's story fairly soon after his appearance as a contestant (and Bill Carruthers had someone in mind to play Michael Larson in the movie at the time).

I was perusing Broadcasting Magazine articles when I found this curious NATPE listing from Reg Grundy Productions:

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/84-OCR/BC-1984-02-13-OCR-Page-0152.pdf#search=%22sale%20of%20the%20century%22

I'm guessing that "Battle of the Sexes" may have been an early title for Hot Streak, but does anyone have any information on what "Million Dollar Challenge" was?

Short did do some Definition in his home country.

Love the aviators.