Production on the Fox syndicated game show You Bet Your Life has halted amid the ongoing writers strike. Series host Jay Leno, who has been seen at multiple picket lines delivering donuts, supports the move. “As a member of the Writers Guild for almost 40 years, I truly understand and stand in solidarity with my fellow union members,” Leno said in a statement. “For that reason, we are suspending production of our game show, You Bet Your Life until such time when an agreement can be reached.”
You Bet Your Life, Pictionary, 25 Words or Less, Dish Nation and Divorce Court are picked up again by Fox Television Stations through 2023-24 season.
You Bet Your Life, Fox First Run’s reboot of the game show made famous by Groucho Marx, is tweaking its format for next season, its second in national syndication. Instead of having host Jay Leno open every episode with a few minutes of standup, as he did when he hosted NBC’s The Tonight Show, Leno will spend that time mingling with the show’s contestants. Leno always chatted with the players, but the new format will expand on that time and mine it for more comedy.
You Bet Your Life, 25 Words or Less, Dish Nation and Divorce Court will run on the Fox Television Stations through the 2022-23 season.
TVNewsCheck‘s Michael Depp talks with latenight legend Jay Leno about his reboot of the classic game show You Bet Your Life this month, the pandemic’s bruising impact on young comics’ careers and if he misses manning The Tonight Show desk in these volatile times.
The former Tonight host navigates the new social standards for comedy in a game show revival.
Exclusives
The return of the classic game show hosted by Jay Leno has been sold in 190 U.S. markets to station groups including Sinclair, Nexstar, Scripps, Tegna, Meredith, Gray, Hearst, McKinnon, Standard Media, Block, Lockwood, Mission and Sun Broadcasting. It launches on Sept. 13.
Launching on the Fox Television Stations this fall, the return of the classic game show has also been sold to stations from other station groups, including Sinclair, Nexstar, Scripps, Meredith, Gray, McKinnon, Standard Media, Block and Sun Broadcasting.
Fox Television Stations says this new incarnation of the legendary game show — hosted by Jay Leno — “will preserve the show’s trademark humorous interviews and unpredictable banter with each contestant, famously originated by Groucho Marx.”
