Wordle May Come to Life as New NBC Game Show
The network is tapping “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie as the game’s first host.
NBC/Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Image
The popular word game Wordle, which exploded in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, may soon debut on network television. The Wrap reports that The New York Times game is in talks to be brought to life as a pilot on The Tonight Show, with Jimmy Fallon as a producer and Today anchor Savannah Guthrie as its host. The rules are expected to mirror those of the digital version of Wordle, with contestants having six chances to guess a random five-letter word as green and yellow tiles appear to help them solve the puzzle. Variety reported Tuesday that Fallon played the game on air once in 2022, “perhaps giving a taste of how Wordle might work in an interactive television format.” If the show goes forward, reports say it would be placed on an unscripted roster that currently includes another Fallon-produced game show, Password. The New York Times acquired Wordle in January 2022 for an undisclosed seven-figure price, reports say. The paper said this year that the once-daily game’s usage ballooned to a total of 5.3 billion plays last year.
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