The Bottom Line
Celebrity Family Feud is the classic game show we've all come to love. With the original theme music and format, along with a familiar-looking set, it's almost like a step back in time. Our host is weatherman Al Roker, who fits easily into his new role. There are some minor format changes from the original to make the show fit into its hour-long time slot. Two celebrity families face off first, followed by another pair. The winners of each round play against each other to decide which one will continue on. If 200 points or more are earned in the Fast Money round, a donation of $50,000 is made to charity.
Pros
- The theme, set, and format are the TV equivalent of comfort food, providing instant nostalgia.
- There are no teasers, no fake drama, and the game moves along at a very reasonable pace.
- All prize money is donated to charity.
- A good cross-section of celebrities are involved, from Joan Rivers to Larry the Cable Guy.
Cons
- It would be nice to see all of the charities involved win some money, not just the top two.
- The scoring is skewed at single/single/triple values, making the first two questions irrelevant.
- The way the audience is seated is distracting and makes the studio seem very small.
Description
- Celebrities and their real-life families, or television families, play the now-familiar Family Feud game for charity.
- Two celebrity teams face off in a three-question game. The first team to reach 300 points moves on.
- A second pair of celebrity teams plays the game as above.
- The winners of the first two rounds then play each other, in the same type of round with the same scoring.
- The winner of this third round moves on to the Fast Money round.
- Two people from the team are chosen and must give answers, one at a time, to the same five survey questions.
- If the combined score from both team members is 200 points or more, they win $50,000 for the charity of their choice.
- The runner-up team also wins $10,000 for their charity.
Guide Review - 'Celebrity Family Feud' is Solid Entertainment
Family Feud has become a game show staple. Originally hosted by the incomparable Richard Dawson, the Feud has evolved with a series of hosts, sets, theme music, and atmospheres. Celebrity versions have been done before, with stars from television, music, and film competing against each other.
This newest incarnation of the game has lots of familiar elements, and a wide range of celebrities involved. From Wayne Newton to Kim Kardashian, there are stars to suit almost every fan.
Host Al Roker is a good fit for the show. He has lots of energy and appears to be genuinely enjoying himself. He's a little too enthusiastic at times, but better that than the other extreme. He chats easily with the contestants, adds humor, and keeps the show moving at a reasonable pace. There is no manufactured drama here, and the entire hour is packed with actual gaming.
Celebrity Family Feud is a fun game with a proven format, that pays tribute to the original version of the show. A few tweaks could make the game even better, most notably the scoring in the first three rounds. Points are distributed at triple the value for the third question, so whoever wins this round will be moving on. A slight change to these values would make all the difference, and make the game a little more competitive.
Some of the questions and resulting answers are a little risqué. For example, Ice T kicked off the series with a bleeped out answer to the survey question, "Name something that is slippery and hard to hold on to." But Family Feud has always had a few questions and answers such as this one, and in prime time it's almost to be expected.
Overall, it's an hour of game show fare that entertains and provides a few laughs. Feud is still one of the best games ever to play along with at home, and this six-episode run of Celebrity Family Feud is a nice addition to the franchise.
