THR Ricky Gervais_Hargrave Ricky Gervias_1718 - H 2016
Austin HargraveRicky Gervais is returning to the small screen.
The comedian and actor is teaming with ABC and Banijay Studios North America for a game show called Five to Survive, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
ABC has handed out a series order to the hourlong unscripted entry that will see grown-up contestants answer 10 questions for a chance to win a cash prize. If the adult can’t answer a question correctly, he or she can turn to a group of five kids who have been asked the same question. A search for a host is underway. Gervais will exec produce and ask questions to the kids. An episode count is unclear.
“When Ricky presented his idea for Five to Survive, we immediately knew this was a project that needed to land here at ABC,” ABC Entertainment senior vp alternative Robert Mills said. “It has spirit, it’s fun and it will have the unforgettable comedic moniker that is Ricky Gervais.”
Gervais will exec produce alongside Banijay CEO David Goldberg and chief creative officer Caroline Baumgard.
Five to Survive marks the latest unscripted collaboration for Banijay and ABC. The pair are also working together on Jimmy Kimmel’s upcoming primetime game show Big Fan, based on a segment from his late-night talk show.
Gervais, meanwhile, created and stars in Derek and counts The Office, Extras, Life’s Too Short and The Ricky Gervais Show among his credits. He’s also the author of the popular children’s book Flanimals. Gervais is repped by WME.
The series comes as kid-focused unscripted series continues to be in high demand on broadcast following the breakout success of NBC’s Little Big Shots. ABC this week also picked up Eric Stonestreet-hosted reality competition series The Toy Box in which amateur inventors run toy designs through experts, with a shot to wind up in the finals where their products are judged by a panel of kids. For its part, NBC has sold the Little Big Shots format around the world and recently picked up a spinoff of Little Big Shots centering on the elderly. Fox, meanwhile, has found continued success with MasterChef Junior and its kid-focused So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation. And Spike is spinning off its breakout hit Lip Sync Battle as Lip Sync Battle Jr. for corporate sibling Nickelodeon.
