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ABC is not letting its “Summer Fun and Games” end anytime soon.
The network has renewed all six of its retro game shows for new seasons in 2020. The rookies Press Your Luck and Card Sharks will return for their second seasons, Celebrity Family Feud for its sixth and The $100,000 Pyramid, Match Game and To Tell the Truth for their fifth.
ABC’s Wednesday and Sunday game show blocks put up solid ratings during summer. The network finished first or second among adults 18-49 each week the Press Your Luck-Card Sharks-Match Game lineup aired, and the Sunday shows have combined to lead their night in the 18-49 demo for the majority of the summer.
For the summer as a whole, ABC finished tied for first in adults 18-49 with NBC, the first time it has finished in the top spot since 1995.
“Summer has become synonymous with ABC’s ‘Fun & Games’ brand,” Rob Mills, senior vp alternative series, specials and late night at ABC, said Wednesday in a statement. “To have these shows return is a testament to their strength, and the excitement and fun they bring each week. These are legit star-studded shows that celebrate everything we love about the spirit of competition. Thanks to them and The Bachelorette, we dominated summer and are doubling down on next year.”
Game shows and competitions have proven to be a strong blueprint for ABC in the summer. The strategy in a time when TV usage is down is to make “joinable” shows, executive vp programming strategy Andy Kubitz told The Hollywood Reporter: “If you turn [a show] on in the middle, you can still keep watching. It’s fun, it’s not too heavy.”
ABC earlier renewed the mini-golf competition Holey Moley. The network has not yet made a decision on its other summer originals, the culinary competition Family Food Fight or the scripted drama Reef Break.
The $100,000 Pyramid is produced by SMAC Entertainment in association with Sony Pictures TV. Card Sharks, Celebrity Family Feud, Match Game, Press Your Luck and To Tell the Truth all come from Fremantle.
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