GSN has announced that they’re resurrecting their popular word game show, Lingo. They aren’t calling venerable host Chuck Woolery back into action though. The host of this version will be Bill Engvall, the comic who starred in his own comedy series on TBS that was cancelled in 2009, The Bill Engvall Show. Here are the details from a GSN press release…
GSN LAUNCHES PRODUCTION ON “LINGO,” HOSTED BY COMEDIAN BILL ENGVALL
From the Producers of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”(SANTA MONICA, Calif.) JANUARY 13, 2011 – GSN announced today that it is starting production on LINGO, a mystery-word game show. Produced by “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”‘s ZOO Productions (a division of ALL3MEDIA group), LINGO will be hosted by popular comedian Bill Engvall. Well known to audiences as the star of the TBS series “The Bill Engvall Show” and as a co-star of “Blue Collar TV,” Engvall will be joined by a co-host who has yet to be cast. Airing as a daily strip show with an initial run of 40 episodes, LINGO will premiere on GSN in June 2011.
“Bill Engvall’s humor is a great fit for our audience,” says Kelly Goode, SVP, Programming for GSN. “We look forward to his joining our first-class line-up of talent.”
“I look forward to the new challenge of hosting a game show,” says Engvall. “I have lots of experience yelling answers at a TV set, and will certainly bring that expertise to my new role as host of LINGO.”
Engvall now joins a GSN talent roster that includes Jerry Springer, Sherri Shepherd, and Carrie Ann Inaba.
Known for his talent at sharing the humor in everyday situations, Bill Engvall is one of the top comedians working today — and among the busiest. He is a multi-platinum-selling recording artist, a Grammy nominee, and has starred in and served as executive producer of the half-hour TBS sitcom, “The Bill Engvall Show.” His feature films include “Bait Shop” with Billy Ray Cyrus and “Delta Farce” with Larry the Cable Guy and D.J. Qualls. Prior to his big screen debut, Engvall was one of the stars of the sketch comedy show “Blue Collar TV” on the WB network. The ensemble cast included Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy.
LINGO is an update of a show of the same name that has been on GSN’s air since 2002, and has consistently been one of the network’s highest-rated and most durable shows. The rights to LINGO are controlled by All3Media International and licensed to ZOO Productions.
In LINGO, two teams of two contestants are given the first letter of a five-letter mystery word and five chances to identify it correctly. When a team guesses a word correctly, they earn points and a chance to win on their bingo-style Lingo card. In the final round, the team with the highest number of points earns the chance to correctly identify as many words as they can in two minutes, and another chance to achieve “Lingo” — now for even higher stakes.
Barry Poznick, John Stevens and Charles Steenveld of ZOO Productions, and J.P. Williams of Parallel Entertainment will serve as Executive Producers.
LINGO will be produced by ZOO Productions, producers of the smash hit “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” With more than 350 hours of original programming since its inception in 1994, ZOO has quickly become one of the U.S.’s premiere production companies for reality with the emphasis on comedy. Other ZOO productions include the “Celebrity Scavenger Hunt” for NBC, “Southern Fried Stings” for truTV, MTV’s “Busted,” and WE TV’s “Joan Knows Best.” Owned by London-based ALL3MEDIA, ZOO’s programming can be seen in over 150 countries worldwide.
Beverly Hills-based Parallel Entertainment has produced the Blue Collar Comedy projects, as well as a wide range of other entertainment projects, including feature films, DVD premiere films, and specials for network and cable television, including “Larry the Cable Guy’s Hula Palooza Christmas Luau,” “The Bill Engvall Show,” “Bill Engvall: Aged and Confused,” Larry the Cable Guy’s “Tailgate Party,” “Lisa Lampanelli: Long Live The Queen” and the feature motion pictures “Witless Protection,” “Delta Farce” and “Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector.”
Bill Engvall, Parallel Entertainment and Zoo Productions are represented by the law firm of Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano.
About GSN
GSN is a multimedia entertainment company that offers original and classic game programming and competitive entertainment via its 75-million subscriber television network and online game sites. GSN’s cross-platform content gives game lovers the opportunity to win cash and prizes, whether through GSN’s popular TV game shows or through GSN Digital’s free casual games, cash competitions and social games. GSN is distributed throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Canada by all major cable operators, satellite providers and telcos. GSN and its subsidiary, WorldWinner.com, Inc., are owned by DIRECTV and Sony Pictures Entertainment. For further information, visit GSN at www.gsn.com.
I am SO sick of seeing Family Feud. Also Deal or no deal. Variety? Bring back the good old ones!!!
Dear lingo. My name is Charles lingo i have a good ideal for your show Why not show a real life show of my famous family .My mother name was sallie mae Guilford and she was Jefferson Davis $generation Granddaughter. my book I wrote can be bought form Outskirtspress on line .My mother founded sallie Mae Inc and Helped Started the Wic Program.
I always thought Bill Ingvall was a clean cut person..I do not like him on this show because he says swear words just to try and be cool..and it doesn’t work.
I love the new show and the host, Bill Engvall. The new format brings a new twist to the show. The clues are sometime screwy but for some reason it helps the people playing.
Please continue the show with the new host and format, change is good!
I cannot stand the new show. They’ve dumbed it down so much that it’s lost what made it great in the first place. For me it has nothing to do with the host. Chuck was good, but he was not what made the show good. What hurts the show is the new way the game is played: The clues (argh), the host constantly reminded the players about the letter in the wrong place, etc. It’s like they decided to take a show that took some intellect (not a ton, but enough to make it fun) and make it easy enough… Read more »
I do not like the new host on Lingo. I have actually stopped watching it. I prefer chuck woolery and shandi
I like Chuck and shanny the best because of the cleanilessness of the show. However, this other meathead that is on the show is nasty, you want high ratings of the show, then i would bring back Chuck and Shanny. They are high class !
I hate the new lingo!!! We no longer watch it. 🙁
the host is very irratating and INwill no longer watch it
We have grand children (ages 7, 9, and 15), who loved to watch Lingo — and when we saw it’s different format – we were o k with it.. but now after a few days of it — we no longer can let our younger 2 grandchildren watch it, because of the sometimes raunchy words – We are not perfect grandparents, but this show airs at 3 pm — and we watch the grand kids from about 2 til 4pm … We feel the contents are inappropriate for younger children, and will not be watching… This program should not be… Read more »