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Game Changer (game show)

Game Changer is a comedy panel game show on Dropout created and hosted by Sam Reich. The show follows players, typically three comedians, who participate in a new game every episode, with the players usually kept unaware of the premise and rules of the game beforehand. According to Polygon, the show "combines improv comedy, puzzle solving, fierce competition, and a prankster ethos." Game Changer episodes have led to three spinoff shows on Dropout: Dirty Laundry, Make Some Noise, and Play It By Ear.

Premise

The show is based on one central theme: the players start the game knowing nothing. While some episodes may deviate from this theme, most episodes follow this format. Most episodes follow three contestants playing against each other by following prompts and tasks put out by the host of the show, Sam Reich. It also sometimes parodies other shows like Survivor and The Bachelor.

Occasionally, special guests will participate in the game. The very first episode featured the participants' significant others, and the inclusion of guests outside of the Dropout/CollegeHumor community began with the virtually filmed third season, which featured guests such as Tony Hawk, Michael Winslow, and Giancarlo Esposito. Other guests have included Jewel, Ty Mitchell, Bob the Drag Queen, Howie Mandel, Victor Yerrid, and Sarah Natochenny.

History

Game Changer was created as an original show for the streaming service Dropout, in response to internal pressure to create more inexpensive, unscripted content compared to CollegeHumor's previous output. Early in development, the show was titled What the What and based loosely on the party game "Scissors". The show was announced on August 29, 2019 and released on September 20, 2019.

After CollegeHumor was sold by IAC and restructured in 2020, the company temporarily halted production of all shows. Game Changer, which was affected by this, released their already-completed second season in January. The third season of the show was recorded via video conference to comply with lockdown restrictions in California during the COVID-19 pandemic; the show returned to being recorded in the studio for its fourth season. In 2022, Dropout produced three spin-offs based on previous episodes: Dirty Laundry, which is based on the season 3 episode "Never Have I Ever"; Make Some Noise, based on the recurring episodes of the same name; and Play it by Ear, based on the season 4 episode, "The Official Cast Recording". Originally, nine episodes were announced as being a part of the fifth season ahead of the season premiere in November 2022, with a 10th episode being a cut-for-time special. However, in March 2023, a special 4-part season finale titled Game Changer: Battle Royale was announced, with the mini-series being a sequel to Season 4's Survivor season finale. Beginning with the fifth season, behind-the-scenes videos were uploaded for each episode the week after their release.

During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, production on the sixth season of Game Changer as well as most Dropout programming shut down, as the show fell "under SAG's Electronic Media contract". In July 2023, Sam Reich stated that as Dropout is not "associated with the AMPTP, it's possible we may be able to reach an interim agreement with SAG that allows us to continue to produce content during the strike. But we'll only do that, obviously, if we get the blessing of the union and the buy-in of our performers. If not, we have enough content in the can to last us a little past the end of the year". In August 2023, Reich announced that all Dropout shows had resumed production, as it was determined that their "New Media Agreement for Non-Dramatic Programming" was actually a non-struck SAG-AFTRA contract.

Reception

Margaret Lyons, for The New York Times, wrote, "if you've watched a lot of arena comedy specials recently, and you want something at the far other end of the spectrum, or if you've had more than one discussion about whether long-form improv could ever be effective on television, watch this". Polygon's Susana Polo called the show "one of the funniest, nicest, cleverest pieces of TV you can put your eyeballs on right now".

Emmanuel Ronquillo of Collider opined that Game Changer is a blend of "all the fun of a game show, all the humor of a comedy show, and all the excitement of live improvisation" where "each new premise and set of rules are satisfyingly executed". He commented that the show pushes "beyond the traditional limitations of a game show" due to the "flexibility" of its design. He also viewed the show's contestants as "some of the most improv savvy, comically talented, and endearingly competitive players you'll see on any contest show".