Konami’s Frogger game series is apparently getting turned into a game show, set to be streamed on NBC’s Peacock. The show’s contestants will apparently have to go through “physically demanding” obstacle courses and will be asked to “dodge treacherous traffic, leap over snapping gators and hop over hungry hippos to conquer the course.” One would hope those are simulated using foam and rubber. Otherwise, there could be some liability issues.
The show promises longer episodes than normally expected from a game show: according to a promotional email, they’ll be an hour long (currently, 13 have been ordered). To be fair, I’ve definitely played over an hour of Frogger before without even thinking about it, and as fun as the game is, it’ll probably be even more fun to watch humans try (and more importantly, fail) to overcome some of the same challenges gamers have had to over the years. Bonus points if they have to actually dress up as frogs, but perhaps that would make it too challenging.
While the show will feature American contestants, it’s being filmed in Australia, according to the sign-up form. The show also promises to pay the winner (who may be dubbed the Frogger?) a “huge cash prize,” but it doesn’t specify how much that’ll actually be. Hopefully enough to afford a lakefront lilypad.
Streaming seems like the perfect medium for a physical challenge-based game show like this, especially if it’s available on the free tier. While it’s hard to imagine many people carving out a time slot in their schedules to watch it like they’d have to with traditional television, it’s the type of thing people might look at on a weekend and say, “Oh, yeah, I’d love to watch some people fall on their faces.”
