This summer has seen a little bit of a revival in some classic television game shows, and VH1 is hoping there is room for one more. The network, owned by MTV, is bringing back Hollywood Squares, with a bit of a hip-hop twist.
The show, titled Hip Hop Squares, will have Ice Cube as an executive director. Crafted in the style of Hollywood Squares, in which contestants call on celebrities to answer trivia questions and must choose whether they agree or disagree with the answer as they attempt to get a tic-tac-toe, will focus on pop culture topics with stars from the world of hip-hop seated in each square.
The original Hollywood Squares ran on television from 1966 through 1981 and has had various incarnations revived for moderate runs multiple times since. Giving it an updated style tailored for VH1’s target audience sounds fun and already has 20 episodes on order. Ice Cube jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it.
“Hip Hop Squares is going to be fun and spontaneous; unlike typical game shows, viewers should never know what’s going to happen next,” Ice Cube said. “When VH1 asked us to join the producing team, we jumped aboard as we have had success with VH1, and we love their team, excitement and commitment to the show.”
This summer has seen ABC revive classic game shows like Match Game and The $100,000 Pyramid. Hollywood Squares prospered in the same era as these two game show hits, so VH1 is hoping the love for the nostalgia is still there when the show debuts on its network this fall.
