Source: Pixabay
One of the big TV hits of 2021 was Squid Game. The dystopian drama from Korea caught the imagination of a global audience and will be back for a second series. The Netflix-produced show features a deadly game show contested by hundreds of cash-strapped players.
If you have ever wondered what a real-life Squid Game would be like, you won’t have to wait long to find out. Netflix announced a reality TV show based on the series at the Banff World Media Festival in June. It is safe to assume that the stakes won’t be as high and no one will meet a grisly end, but fans are eager to find out what it’s all about.
A Show Without Precedent
Turning a fictional game show into a real one is not something that happens every day. In fact, it is hard to think of another example. However, the opposite (a real-life game show being dramatised as a TV show) has occurred. The most obvious example of this is Quiz, the 2020 mini-series based on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
That game show was one of the most successful and marketable of all time with over 100 international versions made. It also inspired a host of other adaptations and merchandise including board games, video console games, and theme park attractions. Today, you can even play a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Slingo game, which puts players in the hot seat and offers a £1 million fixed jackpot. It is available on popular sites such as Buzz Bingo, where there’s also a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire roulette game.
It’s perhaps no surprise that Netflix is eyeing up a similar expansion model for one of their most popular original shows. In fact, Netflix is believed to have already licensed Squid Game for merchandising, so we can expect plenty of spin-offs and branded products soon.
Huge Potential
It is a big ask for the Squid Game reality show to reach the same level of fame as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, but the early signs suggest that Netflix are throwing a lot of weight behind their Squid Game project. The show will feature 456 players competing for the chance to win a $4.56 million prize – the biggest cash prize in TV history. With a huge cast and a massive prize at stake, the show could prove to be a smash hit.
What we Know So Far
The giant competition has been described by Netflix’s Brandon Riegg as an unpredictable “social experiment” full of twists and turns. The series, titled Squid Game: The Challenge, will run for 10 episodes and is already open for casting around the globe.
The announcement is great news for fans of the show and comes in the wake of Netflix renewing Squid Game for a second season. The show first aired in September 2021 and became the streaming company’s most-watched series of all time with over two billion hours streamed in the first two months after release.
With those numbers, it is no surprise that a reality version has been planned. Unofficial versions have already appeared on online platforms including YouTube. The first show will be produced in English, but other language versions are expected to follow. With so many contestants, the show faces some unique production challenges to ensure that there is sufficient footage of all the main protagonists in the editing room.
It is not clear if The Challenge will follow a similar storyline to the original show or how the prize money will be split (if at all). Filming is expected to start in the UK later