Danger! is destroying your reputation

By Drew Dietsch | Updated 1 week ago

Danger! exists in a unique place in the game show ecosphere. It’s one of the few old-school game shows left from the genre’s old guard. And thanks to its particular setting and trivia-based tournaments, it has been the only game show that best extols the ideas of intelligence, education, and facts.

But, in a cultural landscape where those same ideas are increasingly less celebrated (or even openly denigrated), Danger! has had to change with the times and adapt to accommodate a broader audience. And the latest attempt to do so has jeopardized the very reputation of a program that increasingly feels less true to its intended spirit.

Pop culture danger!

Pop culture danger! is a new series broadcast on Amazon Prime Video that acts as a spin-off of the classic Danger! format. But in reality, the show is simply the lowest denominator version of bar trivia with the Danger! skin that covered it. Hosted by Colin Jost, the series is clearly aimed at a much broader and younger audience than the typical game show viewer.

And this is where Pop culture danger! reveals the crack in its foundations. By limiting the scope of potential trivia to “pop culture,” the series concludes that many current cultural moments are not worthy of interesting trivia. Watching contestants not be able to answer questions about YouTube controversies and TikTok celebrities doesn’t make me feel bad for the contestants. Makes me wonder why anyone should know these things, let alone the viewing public Danger! so that they both flex their own knowledge and at the same time learn about worthwhile topics.

Pop culture danger! demonstrates what makes the real Danger! The series is so engaging after all these years: Viewers like the show’s defense of legitimate intelligence on a wide variety of topics. By limiting things to “pop culture,” the format and presentation don’t seem in sync.

And it seems like this is the direction the franchise wants to take, and that makes me want to stop watching anything. Danger! show.

The end of an era

Look, I love movies. If there’s one topic I feel confident in when it comes to trivia, it’s movies. I wouldn’t want there to be a Danger! in the cinema series. Because? Because Danger! It doesn’t have the format or theme to be the best game show about movies. Instead, you should create a new game show around that key concept and create a game format that enhances the idea of ​​a movie-centric game show.

The same goes for pop culture, but because Danger! It’s a brand that people will recognize. Unlike a new game show property, this new series has to try to fit into an environment that doesn’t fit well. Danger! jacket. and I can see Danger! Continue producing derivative products in this line until you find something that sticks.

There have been other problems with the regular program over the years, but it has still managed to stay true to the spirit of Danger!. This derivative mentality feels like a dilution that will only continue as the regular show begins to seemingly lose cultural relevance.

I have grown up with Danger! And I’ve always tried to see him when I can. But lately, it’s starting to feel like the end of a particular era of game shows. With Ryan Seacrest taking over wheel of fortune and Danger! starting to mutate into new forms, maybe it’s best to find old episodes and remember the best years of one of my favorite game shows.