Wordle, the web-based word game that took the world by storm back in late 2021, is officially getting its own TV show.
The series is produced by Universal, and will be in partnership with The New York Times and Jimmy Fallon’s prodution company Electric Hot Dog. According to The New York Times, the fast-paced game show will be filmed in Manchester, England, and hosted by Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie.
“I feel very honored to be working with Savannah Guthrie on this show,” said Fallon in a statement. “Savannah has that rare combination of intelligence, charm, and warmth that makes everyone feel instantly welcome. And she obviously knows how to host a show. I am SUPER PROUD and HAPPY, and I think we developed a SOLID GAMER for PRIME-time.”
The new game show will have a fresh format, but one that still challenges players to solve five-letter word puzzles. Players will team up and go head-to-head in a “Wordle” arena, solving challenges and battling one another all in order to win a cash prize. The exact value of that cash prize has not yet been revealed.
Back in October 2021, it seemed everyone was talking about Wordle. Developed by Josh Wardle, a software engineer from Wales, the game had players from around the world test their mettle in a word game that allowed six attempts to guess a five-letter word. If a player got the letter right, it would light up green. If the letter was correct but in the wrong position, it would be highlighted in yellow. If the letter was straight-up wrong, then it would remain grey. With a new puzzle released daily, there was always a fresh word for players around the globe to discuss.
As Wordle’s popularity soared, the game was bought by The New York Times on January 22 2022 for an “undisclosed price in the low-seven figures.”
Wordle remains a cultural phenomenon to this very day, so it’s no surprise The New York Times is eager to bring the word game away from its Games app, and onto the silver screen.
The casting for the first season of the game show is currently open, with production set to begin later this year. If you fancy yourself as an expert Wordle player and wouldn’t mind heading to Europe to prove it, it seems like an opportunity not to pass up on.
The Wordle TV series is slated to premiere in 2027 on NBC.
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