A World Game Show Is Coming from NBC, but How Will the Show Actually Work?

The journey of Wordle from an indie game to one of the biggest games in the world deserves to be studied, and that journey is not over yet. NBC has announced that Savannah Guthrie will be hosting a new game show based on the popular mobile game, which naturally led many to wonder exactly what that might mean.

As it currently works, Wordle might not make for a very interesting game show, but here's what we know about how the game might evolve for TV.

We don't know much about how Wordle might translate to TV, but we do know that it will be produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio with late-night TV host Jimmy Fallon via his Electric Hot Dog company. Details in the official press release about the game show were vague, saying that contestants would be asked to solve five-letter word puzzles in a battle of "smarts, speed, and fun."

Savannah is reportedly an avid Wordle fan and will also be involved in adapting the game for TV. During a broadcast announcing the news on Today on May 11, both Jimmy and Savannah said that they had been involved with developing the concept for some time.

"We just found out in February that we got picked up, and we were supposed to shoot in March," she said.

"I just want to say a quick thank you to NBC, and to Jimmy and his production company, and The New York Times, and the studio, Universal. When everything happened with me and my family, they just stopped everything and said, 'We'll wait for you,'" she explained. Savannah was referring to her extended absence from NBC, which coincided with the news that her mother had been kidnapped.

Production on the show is expected to begin later in the year, with casting now underway. For his part, Jimmy said that he's thrilled about the opportunity to bring the game to TV screens.

"I feel very honored to be working with Savannah Guthrie on this show," Fallon said in a statement. "Savannah has that rare combination of intelligence, charm, and warmth that makes everyone feel instantly welcome. And she obviously knows how to host a show."

What's less clear from the announcement is what the final version of the game might look like. Wordle is a game that asks users to guess a five-letter word, giving them six tries and hints about whether a letter is in the right place, or in the word at all.

Crucially, though, Wordle is a game that most players succeed in finishing most of the time. The challenge is in doing so efficiently.

TV game shows tend to have a higher failure rate than that, so it remains to be seen what this new version of the show might look like. Given the number of people who have played the game, though, it's fair to say that there will be a lot of interest in being on this new show.