Wanna Bet
on ABC
By Ally Matteodo
Airing at 9:00 p.m. ET, ABC’s
game show Wanna Bet wins the title of Best TV Show of the Week.
Hosted by Englishmen Ant and Dec, the show features a quartet of celebrity
panelists which varies in makeup from week to week. Each panelist is given
$25,000 to wager. Contestants enter the stage and claim they will be able to
complete a seemingly formidable or unusual task. The celebrity panelists then
wager some or all of their $25,000 on whether the individual will be able to
complete the task or not.
On the August 4th
episode the celebrity panel was composed of former Dancing with the Stars
winner and 98 Degrees member Drew Lachey, comedian Melissa Peterman, NFL player
Jerry Rice, and comedian and actor Ron Sheridan. During the competition, one
contestant announced she could identify the brand name of a pair of shoes
blindfolded just by wearing them. She correctly identified 4 out of 5 pairs of
shoes. In the next scenario, a young boy attempted (and failed) to keep ten
spoons on his face for five seconds. Finally, a group of four girls called
“Valet Babes” were challenged to remove Ant and Dec’s car from a sea of others
in less than two and a half minutes. Amazingly, they succeeded with 16 seconds
to spare. In the end celebrity Melissa Peterman won the most money, which was
donated to charity of her choice, a child abuse center called “First Witness.”
This show is light-hearted,
happy-go-lucky fare. The two hosts are amusing British goofballs who are quick
to smile. The successful panelist’s winnings go to their favorite charity,
which is another positive aspect of the show. Wealthy celebrities are not
receiving more riches, they are giving back and putting the money to good use.
The contestant’s tasks are entertaining to watch. The panelists also have a
good-natured rapport with each other that adds to the general tone of the show.
The program’s format and rules are simple, and its content is bereft of foul
language, violence, or sex. In a sea of programs that contain all too many of
these things, it is a welcome bastion of wholesome family fun.
Best TV Show
of the Week
The Parents
Television Council -
www.parentstv.org
New to the PTC?
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