NBC reviving Weakest Link, with Jane Lynch set as host
Today, NBC confirmed that they are ordering a new, 13-episode revival of the classic Weakest Link game show. The original was a sensation in Britain and, at least for a short time, was very much popular stateside. The real selling point was the presence of Anne Robinson, who would ridicule contestants who screwed up the game and was rather merciless upon their eliminations. It would take a very particular person to make a revival work — enter Jane Lynch, who is set to host and executive-produce the new version. Given what she did as Sue Sylvester on Glee, this is a gig that makes a whole lot of sense.
The announcement of the new series hints that there are some “modern twists” being made to the format, and that is somewhat worrisome just because the original was almost perfect when it comes to its format. There was a great emphasis on trivia, but also a great strategic component since so much of the game was about knowing when to bank money (based on the number of consecutive right questions answered by the contestants) and then also when to eliminate your competition. You want to keep smart people around to build up the prize money, but you don’t want to compete against them in the end. It was almost Survivor meets Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in a way.
In a statement, here is some of what Lynch had to say about taking on the job:
“I’ve been a longtime fan of this game-changing quiz show since it first debuted … Each time the phrase ‘You are the Weakest Link. Goodbye.’ passes my lips, it will be with great reverence and delight.”
We hope that there are some regular editions featuring normal players, but we wouldn’t mind there being a few celebrity editions as well. The Star Trek episode from so many years ago remains a delight.
What do you want to see when it comes to a Weakest Link revival?
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