Netflix had a lot of great shows already in 2022. The likes of the criminal mini-series Inventing Anna, the criminally competent chiller Archive 81, and the teen rom-com Heartstopper were some of the highlights of the real-life series. That doesn’t even mention returning series like Bridgerton Season 2 and the highly anticipated first half of Stranger Things Season 4 later this month.
However, my favorite Netflix show of the year (so far) is none of those. In fact, it’s the kind of show that the streaming service has historically failed to deliver: game shows. To my surprise, the best thing I watched on Netflix in 2022 was actually Bullsh*t Gameshow.
I’m no stranger to enjoying the odd test program in the daytime, but usually better as background noise while doing something stray, however Bullsh*t the Gameshow managed to keep me fully engaged right from the start. It’s a gorgeous frivolous show to watch and revitalize the worn formula to produce something truly special.
Test show for people who know nothing
Like all good game shows, Bullsh*t’s core concept is easy to understand. Contestants take to the stage to answer multiple-choice trivia questions. If they get the correct answer, they move on to the next question. Each correct answer is worth an increasingly larger amount of money until the last question gives the contestant a chance to win a million dollars.
I just described basically who wants to be a millionaire, but the thing that Bullsh*t gets interesting is when the rider doesn’t know the answer. Instead of just taking a lucky stab at the correct answer, or counting on a lifeline, at Bullsh*t, the contestant must try to convince a panel of three judges that they know what they’re talking about. If they can successfully fool a committee member, they will move on to the next question even if the answer they gave is completely wrong.
Over the course of the show’s first 10 episodes, this setting leads to some hilarious nonsense as contestants lie through their teeth in an attempt to deceive the judges. These range from someone claiming they know a special Swiss New Year tradition because they saw it on an episode of The Amazing Race, to one consistent section speaking fluent French, but mispronouncing the language’s most common word: oui.
The show really gets so many miles of remarkably ridiculous ways that contestants confidently try to explain why they know the answer to the obscure trivia. Playing at home is also a lot of fun, and I quickly found myself hooked on the chance to test my ability to smell nonsense—not to brag, but I’m pretty good at spotting lies.
To get a show about bullshit*t, it’s very useful
While Bullsh*t has a fun premise that elevates it above a simple game, what really got me watching it was how good the entire show was. Of course, the irony was not lost on me displaying an expletive in his title.
The show is presented by Howie Mandel, and he does an excellent job of keeping the tone light. In addition, he has great banter with almost all the contestants. Moreover, the featured players themselves are always very likable. In fact, there’s a guy so brilliant at the end of the series that got me in stitches that I wanted Netflix to give him his own talk show!
Furthermore, even though the jury tasked with sniffing out fantasy from the facts is technically vying with the contestant in the hot seat, there is still a wonderful sense of camaraderie between all of them.
When someone successfully escapes a nonsense answer, the committee does not indulge but instead congratulates them on moving forward. To my delight, Bullsh*t doesn’t feel lively even if it’s all about trash talk.
Evidence of Netflix’s greatest strength
I’ve argued before that Netflix’s biggest strength is its diversity. That’s why I haven’t canceled the streaming service despite my disappointment with recent conversations about Netflix ads and password crackdowns before the end of the year.
Bullsh*t the Gameshow is another great example of that power. What other streaming service offers such a diverse library that covers almost every genre of music? Sure, Netflix has a lot of misleading original content, but it also has an arsenal of hits that will appeal to just about every taste.
So if you’re looking for what to watch this weekend, or just need a bit of light to entertain the whole family for a few hours, let me highly recommend Bullsh*t the Gameshow. And you have my word that I’m telling the truth about it.
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