Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 12, 2019)
real talk Late laughs Spin to win big Conan Fox’s ‘Spin the Wheel’ boasts $20-million prize By Kyla Brewer TV Media Spin to win big: After a few years of idling in the wings, game shows are front and center in prime time once again. Networks are fighting back against popular streaming services with the thrill of winning big money, and one new show offers players the chance to win $20 million. Dax Shepard (“Parenthood”) hosts as contestants play a game that combines trivia, strategy and luck in the hopes of winning a life-altering cash prize in “Spin the Wheel,” premiering Thurs- day, June 20, on Fox. Created by pop icon Justin Timberlake and Andrew Glassman (“The Wall”), the show features a giant, 40-foot spinning wheel with various prize amounts on its wedges. “Spin the Wheel” promises a roller-coaster ride of emotions as ordinary people are given the opportunity to become multimil- lionaires, something Shepard is excited about. “I can’t think of a better job than giving out millions of dollars to nice people,” Shepard said in an official Fox news release. “It’s my chance to finally be Willy Wonka.” Playing the game may be lots of fun, but winning the top prize won’t be easy. Contestants have to answer trivia questions to add increasing amounts of cash to the wheel’s wedges. It’s all about strategy as players have a say in where the prizes are placed on the wheel. However, if they answer questions incorrectly, wedges that could bring their winnings down to zero are placed on the wheel. During the game, contestants are given the op- portunity to walk away with the winnings they have or risk it all on another spin of the wheel. With more than $20 million on the line in each episode, the stakes are high. Don’t miss the ex- citement as Shepard hosts “Spin the Wheel,” premiering Thursday, June 20, on Fox. Have a ball: Whether you’re pitching, dunking or putting, some of the best games start with 20 | Screentime a ball. In one of prime time’s most exciting game shows, the bounce of a ball could mean the differ- ence between walking away with a fortune or nothing at all. Teams of two answer ques- tions in the hopes of winning cash in the season premiere of “The Wall,” airing Thursday, June 20, on NBC. Hosted by Chris Hardwick (“Talking Dead”), the show features a massive four- story-high wall that’s used to determine potential winnings. The Wall is constructed with a pegboard and 15 slots marked with various prize amounts along the bottom. The values range from $1 to $1 million and can change throughout the game. If a contestant answers a question correctly, a green ball is dropped from the top of the wall, and whatever prize amount it lands on is added to the player’s bank. However, if the answer is incor- rect, a red ball is dropped, and the resulting prize amount is subtracted from the bank. During the first round of play, the teams work together, but in rounds 2 and 3, they’re separated and one contestant is isolated backstage. The other contestant remains onstage and they have to play the rest of the game without any communication, testing their faith in each other. At the end of the game, the isolated player is presented with a con- tract to sign. A signature results in a guaranteed payout, but if the player rips up the contract, the team wins its final bank total. While “The Wall’s” top poten- tial prize is $12,374,994, the first two seasons of the show have only awarded four teams more than $1 million, with the high- est prize to date $1,415,098. Find out how this season’s contestants fare when “The Wall” returns Thursday, June 20, on NBC. Dance dance revolution: If there’s a hot-ticket item in prime time these days, it’s dance shows. From ballroom to breakdance, viewers just can’t seem to get enough, and one of the June 12, 2019 | East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald most popular dance series in recent history is back with two new judges. Host Cat Deeley welcomes talented dancers between the ages of 18 and 30 to audition in the new season of “So You Think You Can Dance,” which returned Monday, June 3, on Fox, and con- tinues to air Mondays through- out the summer. The dancers pour their hearts onto the stage as they showcase their talents in a variety of styles. Open to dancers with all sorts of training, the show features contemporary, tap, hip hop, ballroom and more. While many dancers shine in their particular style, they’ll have to prove their versatility throughout the season as they’re asked to perform dif- ferent kinds of dances. After the dancers perform each piece, the judges weigh in with their thoughts, offering both praise and critiques. Former pro- fessional dancer Nigel Lythgoe, who co-created the show with Simon Fuller (“American Idol”), returns once again. Boisterous former ballroom champ Mary Murphy has also returned, having served as a judge in several previ- ous seasons. New judges Dominic “D-Trix” Sandoval and Laurieann Gibson join Murphy and Lythgoe at the judges table for Season 16. Fans of the show may recognize Sandoval as a former Season 3 contestant, while Gibson has worked as a choreographer for the popular show. Fox was so anxious to get its hit dance series up and running that the network moved the premiere up at the last minute. Although it had been originally scheduled for Monday, June 10, Fox brought the show back on Monday, June 3, much to the delight of impatient fans. Don’t miss a new episode of “So You Think You Can Dance,” airing Monday, June 17, on Fox. Dax Shepard hosts “Spin the Wheel” A billionaire, Robert F. Smith, gave the commencement address to the graduating class of Morehouse College and he pledged to pay off all their student loans. Since this Morehouse speech, Smith has received offers to speak at 8,000 other universities. Bernie Sanders said he will crash Walmart’s annual shareholders meeting in protest. This could be risky because the last time Bernie got close to a Walmart, they made him a greeter. The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon I saw that the rapper Future got his five- year-old son a Rolex for his birthday. When Future’s son saw the watch, he was like, “I would’ve preferred 2 Chainz.” guys were like, “It was actually a huge relief.” We have a big guest tonight, Kevin Hart is here! So technically he’s not a “big” guest, but still — we have a great show! Last night was the final episode ever of “Game of Thrones.” The show is officially over! Meanwhile, Netflix is like, “We’re back, baby!” I saw that the Backstreet Boys just released a 20th anniversary version of “I Want It That Way.” But since they’re 20 years older, instead of “I Want It That Way,” the song is now called, “Look, Just Give It to Me However You Have It, I’ve Got Kids in the Car and We’re Late for School.” This week, a federal judge ruled that despite what Trump says, Congress is allowed to investigate a sitting president. Then Trump was like “OK, but what if I’m in a hammock?” I heard that Michelangelo’s first-ever piece of artwork was discovered, and it was drawn when he was just 12. Even crazier, it was found on his parents’ refrigerator. I saw that Beto O’Rourke has fallen from third place to eighth. Now Beto’s asking experts how to get back up to third. Meanwhile, Bill de Blasio’s asking Beto how to get up to eighth. Last night was the second episode of “The Bachelorette,” and I saw that the men competed in a beauty pageant. When asked what it’s like to be judged by their looks instead of their brains, the Today is the first day of Fleet Week! That’s right, almost 3,000 service members are in New York City, while the rest of the armed forces are trying to separate Trump and Nancy Pelosi. There are rumors that Donald Trump Jr. wants to run for mayor of New York City. Even Bill de Blasio was like, “Yeah, you’ll be mayor as soon as I’m president.” The Late Late Show With James Corden Watching “Game of Thrones” is kind of like running a marathon. Even if you chose not to take part, you’re still forced to listen to people at work talk about it forever. It is kind of sad that “Game of Thrones” is over. People everywhere are just now realizing that most of their friendships were based entirely on sharing a single HBO password. A university student in South Africa was arrested recently after impersonating a KFC food inspector and, this is true, scamming them into giving him free food every day for a year. The most shocking part of this story is that this guy ate KFC every day for a year and lived to tell the tale. A group of veterinarians in Canada have lobbied to broaden marijuana laws to authorize the use of medical cannabis for pets. How much higher do we need dogs to be? Are we worried that dogs aren’t already high enough? They already love frisbee, they think squirrels are fascinating, they do almost anything for a barbecue potato chip.
