Jimmy Fallon is playing a significant role in transforming the globally beloved online word puzzle, Wordle, into a full-fledged television program, according to a recent report by Deadline. NBC has embarked on the early stages of this endeavor by producing a pilot episode under the guidance and creative oversight of Fallon’s own production company. Filming for this new game show is currently taking place across various locations in the United Kingdom, signaling the network’s intent to craft a high-quality international production. To lend additional familiarity and charisma to the project, NBC has enlisted Savannah Guthrie to serve as the show’s host, bringing her established on-screen presence and cheerful energy to the forthcoming adaptation.
This ambitious television experiment has its roots in an earlier moment when Wordle began its meteoric rise in popularity, quickly evolving from a niche online pastime into a global social media sensation. During that period, Jimmy Fallon dedicated an entire segment of The Tonight Show to solving a Wordle puzzle live in front of his studio audience. The segment aired shortly before The New York Times officially acquired the game from its creator, Josh Wardle, in early 2022, thereby cementing Wordle’s place in the cultural landscape as both a digital phenomenon and a mainstream entertainment curiosity. Watching Fallon tackle each letter guess on live television was both engaging and, at moments, mildly exasperating, particularly for fans who were used to making their own choices and testing their own hypotheses in private. That sense of participatory frustration—wanting to join in rather than simply observe—underscored the challenge of adapting such an inherently interactive experience for the one-way medium of television.
In light of that, many viewers, myself included, are hoping that this upcoming television version adopts a more dynamic, competitive structure rather than repeating the one-person puzzle format showcased during Fallon’s earlier broadcast. A more engaging model might resemble the format of the iconic game show Lingo, where pairs or teams race to decipher word-based challenges under time pressure in pursuit of cash rewards. The energy, speed, and collaborative tension of such gameplay could capture the brisk and exhilarating nature that makes Wordle so addictive in its digital form.
Although the project remains in its pilot stage and there is no absolute guarantee that NBC will move forward to full production or ultimately broadcast the show, the sheer magnitude of Wordle’s cultural impact suggests a strong likelihood that the public will soon see it on air. Given the puzzle’s universal appeal across demographics, its easy-to-understand mechanics, and its proven record of sparking daily conversation online, this adaptation has a legitimate chance of successfully bridging the worlds of interactive gaming and televised entertainment. Whether it becomes a breakout hit depends on execution—but given its devoted fan base and Fallon’s involvement, it seems more than plausible that the Wordle television show will soon make its official debut.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/795536/wordle-tv-game-show-jimmy-fallon-savannah-guthrie-nbc
