'' Emogenius ''is an American
game show
A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...
that is broadcast by
Game Show Network
Game Show Network (GSN) is an American basic cable channel owned by the television network division of Sony Pictures Television. The channel's programming is primarily dedicated to game shows, including reruns of acquired game shows, along wit ...
. The series features two teams of contestants who compete as teams against each other by decoding
emoji
An emoji ( ; plural emoji or emojis; , ) is a pictogram, logogram, ideogram, or smiley embedded in text and used in electronic messages and web pages. The primary function of modern emoji is to fill in emotional cues otherwise missing from type ...
-themed messages. The main game consists of three rounds of various themes. The team that accumulates the most money in the main game wins the game, keeps their bank, and advances to a bonus round, where their winnings can be increased to up to $10,000 if they can solve five messages within the time limit (60 seconds). The series was first announced March 17, 2017, it premiered nearly three months later on June 14, 2017. It is hosted by
Hunter March, grandson of ''
The $64,000 Question
''The $64,000 Question'' is an American game show broadcast in primetime on CBS-TV from 1955 to 1958, which became embroiled in the 1950s quiz show scandals. Contestants answered general knowledge questions, earning money which doubled as the ...
'' host
Hal March
Hal March (born Harold Mendelson; April 22, 1920 – January 19, 1970) was an American comedian, actor, and television quiz show emcee.
Early career
March entered show business as a straight man in the vaudeville act the Hollywood Rioteers, b ...
.
Gameplay
Two teams of two contestants compete in the main game, which consists of three rounds. In the opening round, called “Get the Message (or Texting with the Stars on some episodes),” each team is given two questions based on fictional text message conversations, each consisting of a question being asked and a reply being a series of emojis. The team has 15 seconds to decipher what the reply means. Each team's first question is worth $100, while the second question is worth $200. If the team fails to decipher the reply, their opponents have five seconds to decipher the same message for half of the question's original value.
In the second round, called “In-App Purchase” each team is shown a category and an emoji-based clue. The opening value of the question is $300. The team may swipe upwards on their touchscreen up to two times to receive clues in assistance in solving the puzzle; however, each additional clue reduces the value by $100 (the so-called “in-app purchase” which gives the round its name). The team must solve the clues within 20 seconds to earn the remaining money. If they fail to do so, the other team has five seconds to solve for the remaining money. Each team is given two questions in this round.
The leading team goes first in the third round, called “Hit Send.” One member of each team is designated the sender, while the other is the receiver. The sender is shown a message to send, as the host announces the category, and uses the emoji on their touchscreen to communicate the message to their partner, who must decode the message. Either member of the team may pass at any time. Each message successfully communicated is worth $400. Each team has 45 seconds to communicate as many messages as possible. Whoever has more money at the end of the round is the champion, keeps their money, and plays the final round for $10,000.
If the team that was originally trailing overtakes their opponents, they are allowed to finish out their round in an effort to win additional money.
In the event of a tie at the end of this round, both teams are shown a sudden-death emoji message. Whoever buzzes in by touching their screen is given the opportunity to answer, if they are correct, they are the champions, otherwise, their opponents could guess it and if they're right, they are the champions.
Final round: Masters of Text
The Masters of Text round is played in a similar manner to the Hit Send round, one member of the team begins as the sender of emoji messages, the other as the receiver. As in the final round of the main game, the team may pass as often as needed. The team must alternate roles when the receiver successfully solves the message. Each message solved is worth $200, if the team successfully solves five messages within a minute, their winnings are increased to $10,000.
Additionally, certain episodes may be designated as "Double Text" games. In Double Text games, all normal dollar values are doubled, and the "Masters of Text" round is played for $20,000.
Production
Game Show Network
Game Show Network (GSN) is an American basic cable channel owned by the television network division of Sony Pictures Television. The channel's programming is primarily dedicated to game shows, including reruns of acquired game shows, along wit ...
(GSN) first announced ''Emogenius'' at their 2017 upfront presentation in New York on March 17, 2017.
The series premiered on June 14, 2017
with 20 of 40 taped episodes airing during its first run. The series is hosted by Internet and
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
personality
Hunter March, who is the grandson of the former host of ''
The $64,000 Question
''The $64,000 Question'' is an American game show broadcast in primetime on CBS-TV from 1955 to 1958, which became embroiled in the 1950s quiz show scandals. Contestants answered general knowledge questions, earning money which doubled as the ...
'',
Hal March
Hal March (born Harold Mendelson; April 22, 1920 – January 19, 1970) was an American comedian, actor, and television quiz show emcee.
Early career
March entered show business as a straight man in the vaudeville act the Hollywood Rioteers, b ...
.
GSN also produced an online version of the game, which can be played on the network's website. Game Show Enterprises, LLC serves as the series' production company, while executive producers include Craig Brooks and Larry Barron, both of whom serve in the same role on GSN's ''
Idiotest''.
Due to copyright logistics, GSN was forced to develop their own emoji designs for the series' usage. GSN Publicist Melissa Carr noted, "On the show, we have to develop our own set of emojis — the others are copyrighted. So they not only have to come up with our own emojis, they have to figure out a puzzle that gets you to
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...
."
The show was not greenlit for a second season.
Reception
Writing for ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'', Michael Andor Brodeur argued that while the show may feel like an advertisement for emoji, "the most satisfying part is watching self-proclaimed enthusiasts of the form stumble through their symbols once the difficulty is ever-so-slightly notched up....watching so much get lost in translation feels like a win." In terms of ratings, the series' first two episodes debuted to 336,000 and 322,000 respective viewers, with a 0.10 and 0.09 18–49 rating respectively.
References
External links
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{{Game Show Network
2010s American game shows
2017 American television series debuts
2018 American television series endings
Emoji
American English-language television shows
Game Show Network original programming