Late Night Liars: A Whole New Comedy Game Show Experience

photo: gsn

Game Show Network (GSN) will be debuting the new comedy game show Late Night Liars on June 10, but hang on to your hats, because this is not one for the kids despite the presence of a panel of puppets, courtesy of Henson Alternative, a label of The Jim Henson Company.

Quite the opposite, this show is described as “saucy puppets + wicked humor + late night sensibility” in the GSN Press Release.

In the show, hosted by Larry Miller (10 Things I Hate About You, Pretty
Woman, The Princess Diaries I & II) two contestants face of against a panel of four “celebrity” puppets, who tell racy stories which may or may not be true. The contestant that can determine fact from fiction leaves with cash and prizes, but necessarily their dignity. If the format sounds familiar, think To Tell the Truth crossed with Match Game, paneled by characters from Avenue Q.

The panel itself contains characters that are familiar from both past and present real life personalities, at least from the descriptions. Shelley Oceans, a has-been insult comic, immediately brings to mind Brett Summers of Match Game fame. William A. Mummy is immediately recognizable as nobody other than the great Charles Nelson Reilly. Cashmere Ramanda, “a world-famous celebutante and tabloid target,” could easily be matched with several famous (infamous?) young women today, as could Sir Sebastian Simian the egotistical British billionaire.

The format has been tried before, with real people instead of puppets, but will it work now? Clearly puppets can get away with saying things that people can’t, sometimes a lot more. Will this be enough to make the show a success for GSN? What do you think?

Late Night Liars premiers on GSN on June 10th at 11pm ET/PT.

Bob P, Jr. Reporter
bob@thetwocentscorp.com