An Early Look at NBC’s Minute To Win It

In the press kit for their new game show, Minute To Win It, NBC wisely included relevant items from the show: Oreos, M&Ms, golf balls, playing cards, etc. All of these items are part of the various challenges the contestants undertake in hopes of winning that elusive million dollar prize. But after the Oreos have been eaten and the golf balls are in the water hazard, what’s left? A hot mess, that’s what.

Guy Fieri hosts Minute To Win It / Chris Haston/NBC

Bless Guy Fieri’s heart, he is a likable host and does his best with the incredibly cheesy dialogue he’s given, but he’s also an example of what’s wrong with the show. It’s a mish-mash of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, Deal Or No Deal, Stupid Human Tricks, and James Bond. The tone lurches from serious to suspenseful to tongue-in-cheek to trying-too-hard-to-be-clever. There are three different voices – Guy as the host, the British woman who explains the challenges and counts down to the beginning of each game, and the male announcer. It’s all very distracting.

The challenges are fun, though, and although the actress contestant in the episode we were sent was a lot to take in the beginning (she’s certainly energetic), as she gets deeper into the game you begin to root for her. The challenges are surprisingly suspenseful and inspire the viewer to attempt them at home. Fortunately NBC anticipated this and posted instructions on their website for potential contestants to practice on their own.

With an engaging host and fun competitions, Minute To Win It has the potential to be a hit. However, the show needs to find a cohesive theme and a unique voice to truly stand out from the pack instead of feeling like it was made by someone with ADD.

Minute To Win It premieres Sunday, March 14 at 7/6c on NBC.