'70s Game Show Reboot Premieres Later This Month

By Allison Schonter

More than three decades after it last aired, the hit game show Split Second is returning to TV. Game Show Network announced Friday that its highly-anticipated Split Second reboot is set to premiere on Monday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m., with host John Michael Higgins sharing the news in a hilarious video shared to the network's socials.

The upcoming reboot follows a similar format to the show's original run and invited three contestants to compete in a trivia game. Per the show's official synopsis, "Split Second asks three contestants to decide which of three general interest trivia questions they can answer. The first player to buzz in gets the first pick, and the last player is left to answer whatever is left, which is often the most difficult. The player with the fastest response time and the highest success rate answering questions over the first three rounds advance to the bonus round where their ability to answer a rapid fire series of questions could win the $10,000." While the show is mostly a replica of the original Split Second, the bonus round is unique. BuzzerBlog reports that during this unique round, contestants have to answer a certain number of questions in 60 seconds to win $10,000.

Game Show Network's reboot is set to air more than three decades after the original Split Second ended. The game show originally debuted in 1972 and was produced by Hatos and Hall for ABC. Tom Kennedy served as host of the series, with Jack Clark serving as announcer. The original version ran until June 1975. More than a decade later, in 1986, a second version of the series aired as a co-production of Hatos-Hall and distributors Concept Equity Funding Limited and Viacom Enterprises and was produced for syndication in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The revival was hosted by Monty Hall, with Sandy Hoyt as announcer. It ran until the end of the 1986-87 season.

Speculation that a third iteration of the game show was in the works was sparked back in November when Game Show Network put out a casting call "looking for contestants who want to win $10,000!" That casting call teased that "Game Show Network is bringing back a classic game show" and said the network was looking for people who "love trivia and pop culture" and are "fast enough to beat the competition" by putting their "knowledge to the test." The clues heavily hinted at a Split Second reboot, which Game Show Network later confirmed.

For the reboot, Higgins will take on hosting duties. The actor and Emmy-nominated star is well known for his roles in films like Pitch Perfect, The Break-Up, and Best In Show. He is also well-known for his role as Chuck Pierce on Great News. The Split Second reboot kicks off on Monday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. on Game Show Network.

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