Online Blackjack Game Makes Move to TV

SANTA MONICA, July 7: On July 21, GSN will premiere Catch
21, a new game show from Merrill Heatter
that is based on a popular online blackjack game.

The 40-episode series, created by Heatter—of Hollywood
Squares fame—and executive produced
by Scott Sternberg, blends pop trivia with the classic card game 21. Host
Alfonso Ribiero, best known for his run on the 90s sitcom hit Fresh
Prince of Bel-Air, will quiz three
contestants at a time as they compete to build a hand closest to 21. With every
card they are dealt, contestants gain the power to make their competition’s
hand worse by passing their cards. After three elimination rounds, the last
player standing will take on the house for a chance to win up to $25,000 in the
final round. The day’s winner draws from a card deck and gets three concurrent
chances to build 21.

Catch 21 is the
latest example of a cross-platform collaboration for GSN. The online
game—created by WorldWinner, owned by Liberty Media Corporation, a
partner with Sony Pictures Entertainment in GSN—challenges players to
speed through a deck of cards to make as many 21s as possible within the time
limit. It is one of the most popular games on the GSN website.

Jamie Roberts, the senior VP of programming for GSN, said: “Merrill Heatter is a legend and he
and Scott Sternberg Productions have done an amazing job bringing this classic card
game to life in a fun way that engages the audience. Alfonso really embraced his first role as a game
show host and his enthusiasm and personality shine through to the contestants,
audience and viewers alike.”

In the run-up to the show’s launch, GSN will broadcast a
30-minute behind-the-scenes special called The Making of a Game Show: Catch
21 on July 19.

—By Jackie Stewart