Frogger is coming to Peacock as a game show, and the show has reportedly found its host. The TV version of the video game, played by humans taking the role of an animal trying desperately not to get hit by a truck or eaten by an alligator, will make humans the frogs on the streaming service.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote Thursday about the Peacock series hosted by Happy Endings star Damon Wayans, Jr., which revives the arcade classic with a new twist that will make it similar to some already-popular game shows that don’t feature video game intellectual property.
Damon Wayans Jr. will serve as host of the series, which will feature contestants playing the role of the frog in the video game and attempting a series of obstacle-filled crossings. NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt will serve as Wayans’ co-host.
Peacock’s first original competition series, Frogger will have its players dodging cars and jumping over the open maws of (presumably not real) alligators and hippos as they vie for a $100,000 prize. The series is based on the long-lived Konami video game, which has spawned more than 30 titles since its introduction in 1981 as an arcade console.
Frogger, the 1981 game developed by Komani and distributed by Sega, put players in the control of a frog navigating busy roadways and raging rivers to get to the other side. But this game show version will be a bit more like Wipeout and Holey Moley, with humans actually taking on the role of a Frogger frog on an oversized course. There are some pretty obvious similarities to shows like The Floor Is Lava here, too.
Given the inclusion of Brandt and the fact that they will presumably cover it like a real sporting event, the homages to the aforementioned game shows seem pretty clear. But we’ll have to wait and see just how much influence the actual video game has on its game show brethren, and just how many humans will get hit by trucks during filming.