TV game shows - New TV Game Shows

There's a new crop of game shows coming that hinge on whether contestants are bluffing. And those programs could make air sooner rather than later, if Hollywood writers continue to strike.

Filming has wrapped on ABC's Wanna Bet?, a game show based on a German format, in which celebrities wager on stunt-performing contestants. Also in production is Duel, based on a French format, in which players gamble for prizes, using the bluff as part of their strategy. On CBS' Do You Trust Me?, strangers team up for money, wagering on how much each can depend on the other. On Fox's Moment of Truth, premiering Jan. 23 (and based on a Colombian format), contestants answer questions about their own lives, strapping themselves to lie detectors in a quest for cash. NBC's Amnesia also delves into players' personal lives.

Steve Sternberg, Magna Global's executive vp of audience analysis, said any bluffing trend in game shows may signal broadcasters' attempts to find the next Deal or No Deal. "The networks are always looking to put a new spin on what's working," he said.

The show with perhaps the newest—and unlikeliest—spin is Fox's Moment of Truth. Five years ago, the network tried and failed with extreme game show The Chamber, while ABC had similar results with The Chair.

But with stories about torture and interrogation continuing to make headlines, some advertisers said viewers still may not want to embrace such dark show concepts. "We weren't ready as a culture to embrace it then, and I don't think we're ready now," said Laura Caraccioli-Davis, executive vp at Starcom Entertainment.

What viewers are ready for, everyone seems to agree, are family-friendly game shows. Shows that aren't too risqué. Shows, Sternberg said, that "adults can watch with kids in the room."

And that's just what NBC hopes it has with Amnesia. Craig Plestis, the network's executive vp of alternative programming, compared the eight-episode series to the classic This Is Your Life, "but with stakes to it," he said, adding that Amnesia was much more lighthearted than Fox's Moment of Truth.

Of course, the two networks have battled over formats before, the most recent time occurring after NBC announced The Singing Bee and Fox followed with Don't Forget the Lyrics. But Plestis said this time around it's no contest. "They're completely different formats," he said of Amnesia and Truth. "So I don't see this as a race."

Here's a quick overview of what's on the way...

ABC

• Duel (week-long event, Dec. 17-23, 8 ET/PT). Quiz show in which contestants win by bluffing.
• Dance Wars: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (Jan. 7, Mondays at 8 ET/PT). Dancing With the Stars' choreographers field their own teams in this live dance-off, which bridges the gap before DWTS returns in March. Drew Lachey hosts.
• Oprah's Big Give: Winfrey bestows cash on needy families.
• Here Come the Newlyweds: A six-episode comedic game pitting couples in marital tests.
• Wanna Bet?: Celebrities wager (for charity) on whether contestants can perform outrageous stunts.
• Also: New seasons of Wife Swap and Supernanny, expanded episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home and possibly more Funniest Videos.

CBS

• Big Brother: A first-time spring season of the summer staple will likely begin in February or March.
• Million-Dollar Password: A high-stakes version of the game-show classic, hosted by Regis Philbin.
• Do You Trust Me? Tucker Carlson hosts a quiz show in which strangers bet on their mutual confidence in each other.
• Also: Additional cycles of Survivor and The Amazing Race, and a new season of Drew Carey game show Power of 10.

Fox

• The Moment of Truth (Jan. 23, Wednesdays at 9 ET/PT). Game show in which contestants are strapped to a lie detector and asked highly personal questions.
• Also: American Idol (Jan. 15), Hell's Kitchen (Apr. 1), Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, and Don't Forget the Lyrics!.

NBC

• Celebrity Apprentice: Stars compete for Donald Trump's approval as hot-dog vendors and in other unlikely occupations.
• American Gladiators: The 1990s series is revived, with stuntmen competing against amateurs in physical competitions. Hulk Hogan, Laila Ali host.
• Amnesia: Dennis Miller hosts this quiz show that asks contestants to recall key moments of their lives.
• My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad Families compete in stunt challenges.
• Clash of the Choirs Celebrities establish amateur singing groups, which compete live in yet another Idol variation.
• Also: New season of 1 vs. 100, and Deal or No Deal continues.

CW

• Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants (Dec. 12, Wednesdays at 8 ET/PT). Mother-daughter teams compete for a beauty pageant title while shacking up in bunk beds in a Hollywood mansion.
• Farmer Wants a Wife: A dating series in which a yokel selects a city beauty.