"Hollywood Squares" (1998) TV series 1998-2004

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Chris Darley

Writers:

Dave Boone (head writer) (2002-2004)
Andrea Hartt (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | unknown

Release Date:

14 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Game-Show

Plot:

Contestants guess the correctness of celebrities' answers in order to win spaces in a tic-tac-toe game.

Plot Keywords:

Celebrity | Tic Tac Toe | Non Fiction

Awards:

3 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Tom Bergeron	...	Host (803 episodes, 1998-2004)
Shadoe Stevens	...	Announcer / ... (584 episodes, 1998-2003)
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Center Square / ... (569 episodes, 1998-2002)
Bruce Vilanch	...	Regular / ... (362 episodes, 1998-2003)

Also Known As:

"H²" (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
"H2: Hollywood Squares" (USA) (fifth season title)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

CBS Television City - 7800 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Sony Pictures Television

Trivia:

On 12 December 2002, Peter Marshall, the original "Master of the Hollywood Squares" took over the hosting duties for a day, with regular host Tom Bergeron in the center square, the first time he has hosted Hollywood Squares in over 20 years.

Quotes:

Tom Bergeron: First, he was Prince. Then, he was The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. After that, he was simply The Artist. What is he known as now?
Simon Cowell: The Artist Who Formerly Sold Records.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: If I'm Dyin' I'm Lyin' (#2.9)" (2000)

An improvement

Henry Winkler and Michael Levitt made some nice changes to the Hollywood Squares. It's hard to compare it with the popular Peter Marshall version, but this version is more entertaining than the version's run by Whoopi Goldberg or Orion (1986-89).

Thumbs up:

Tom Bergeron as host. Whoopi Goldberg made the perfect call for Bergeron to take the reigns. His amicable and occasionally sarcastic style blends well with the straight man that one needs to be as a Squares host. He should be around for more shows to come.

The new end game. Facts about stars climaxing with a one-in-x chance to win a car/trip/cash jackpot. It moves well and stays entertaining to the end.

The question writing. It's a nice mix of pop culture, truly ridiculous facts (that might be false), and historical references. In the end, it's all about the questions.

Audience input. The producers actually ask for it. Granted, some of the recorded calls are used as amusement more than advice, but at least these are producers that listen.

Nice array of celebrities. The center square has had a decent mix of leading entertainers, such as Alec Baldwin, Ted Danson, Reba McIntyre and even Gloria Estefan. The remaining eight squares are filled with entertainers from all different facets and age groups. It's an eclectic mix where contemporary actors mixed in with comedy legends such as Rich Little, David Brenner, and Buddy Hackett. This edition is not afraid to honor squares of the past, and even granted Peter Marshall a December week as center square (hosting one show).

Thumbs down:

Audience direction. Does the audience need to applaud EVERY SINGLE TIME a contestant calls upon a star? This is over the top, and slows down the game.

Teena Marie (yes, the 1980's one-hit wonder) on theme song vocals. The music itself is quite good, but her vocals are a little screechy and annoying.

Ellen DeGeneres as center square. Mixing up the center square from week to week is a decent idea, but Ellen chooses to slow down the game by trying too hard to be funny. H2 would be wise to edit out her comments (quips?) and go straight to her answer.

H2 is guaranteed to run though 2003-04, but it's uncertain if the show will be shelved after that.