TV gameshow based on Wordle to be launched

By Jenny Garnsworthy, Press Association

A new TV gameshow based on the word game Wordle is to be launched and will be presented by US news anchor Savannah Guthrie.

Originally launched in 2021 and acquired by the New York Times in 2022, the web-based puzzle has become a cultural phenomenon, engaging millions of daily players worldwide.

NBC said the primetime gameshow will challenge players to solve five-letter word puzzles and go head-to-head in the Wordle arena, where they will play for a cash prize.

It will be produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio (UTAS), in partnership with chatshow host Jimmy Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog production company and the New York Times.

Fallon said: “I feel very honoured to be working with Savannah Guthrie on this show.

“Savannah has that rare combination of intelligence, charm and warmth that makes everyone feel instantly welcome. And she obviously knows how to host a show.”

Guthrie has returned to co-hosting the Today show on NBC News after taking two months off when her 84-year-old mother went missing from her home.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, is believed to have been taken against her will after last being seen near her home in Tucson, Arizona, on the evening of January 31.

Police have not been able to verify whether two ransom notes sent to US media are real.

Wordle was originally created and developed by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle, and was described as “one of the most successful and culturally resonant games of the past decade,” by Sharon Vuong, executive vice president of unscripted programming at NBC.

She added: “This series is a natural extension of NBC’s legacy in the gameshow space, and with the incredible Savannah at the helm and our partners at UTAS, Electric Hot Dog and the New York Times, we’re excited to bring a smart, joyful and distinctly NBC take to this global phenomenon.”

Toby Gorman, president of UTAS, said: “We’re eager, happy, giddy – all of those five-letter words and more – to bring Wordle to life for television.

“The New York Times word game has been played billions of times, and our goal is to create an equally addictive show. Savannah brings the perfect blend of warmth and wit to deliver exactly that.”

Production on the show will begin later this year before its launch in 2027.