dq. NBC SHOCKER: ‘Today’ Star Lands New Show Produced by Jimmy Fallon — Network Insiders Call It the Boldest Move in Years!
“Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie has a new hosting opportunity lined up with NBC. A source familiar with the project told the Los Angeles Times that the network is developing a game show based on the popular New York Times word game Wordle.
Currently, the show is untitled, and only a pilot episode with Guthrie as host has been ordered. If NBC approves of the pilot, the network will proceed with the full series.
Late-night host Jimmy Fallon and his production company, Electric Hot Dog, are reportedly behind the Wordle-themed game show. In addition to hosting “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Fallon, a former “Saturday Night Live” cast member, has been the visionary behind the popular NBC game shows “That’s My Jam” and “On Brand.” He is also a producer of NBC’s version of the classic game show “Password.”
Fallon has previously vocalized his enthusiasm for the word game, playing it on air in a 2022 segment of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
In the game, players have six chances to guess a random five-letter word. After each guess is submitted, the letters are evaluated: If a letter turns gray, it is not in the word at all. If it turns yellow, the letter is in the word but not in the correct spot. And if it becomes green, the letter is both in the word and in the correct spot.
Wordle was created by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based software engineer Josh Wardle in 2021 for his partner to play during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the game quickly gained popularity online, the New York Times purchased it from Wardle for an amount in the “low-seven figures.”
It remains free to play on the New York Times website and app. Guthrie is also known to be a big fan of the game. While she is most recognized for her role on “Today,” she has experience hosting a game show, having served as a guest host on “Jeopardy!” in 2021 following the death of Alex Trebek.
