Kevin Bacon is now the rare quadruple threat: He can sing, he can dance, he can act, he can… host. Yes, Bacon is returning to television, this time as a quiz show host (at least “in some international English-speaking markets,” per Variety).
Plenty of stars–of varying degrees of fame–have hosted a game show on the side (Alec Baldwin, Jamie Foxx, and Jane Lynch, to name a few of the more recent examples). It just seems like a surprising move for Bacon, if you’ll forgive the game show snobbery.
That said, he’s setting himself up for success by teaming with Claudia Rosencrantz and Adrian Woolfe, who created the juggernaut Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Their new program, Lucky 13, “is billed as a 60-minute high-stakes general knowledge rolling quiz format, which has the simplicity of Millionaire, and is designed for broadcast in primetime or access prime,” according to Variety.
In a statement, the actor says, “I played the game and I was hooked. It’s not only about how much you know, but it’s also about how much you think you know. It’s addictive fun!” Well, okay!
“We’re delighted to partner with Kevin on the creation of Lucky 13, a quiz show full of suspense and drama,” says Woolfe. “It’s hard to believe that it’s 24 years since we launched Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. It feels like the right time for quiz to enjoy its time in the spotlight once again. Whilst I would not wish to make a direct comparison between the two formats, there’s an engaging simplicity and magnetic tension to Lucky 13 that I hope will keep viewers hooked and on the edge of their seats. It’s perfect for adaptation across markets and languages and we can’t wait to launch Lucky 13 around the world.”
Bacon will executive produce the show alongside David Schiff, as well as Woolfe and Rosencrantz through their unscripted label Studio 1. According to Variety, Studio 1 is “currently in discussions with broadcast networks in the U.K., U.S., Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Australia and Asia.” Let the games begin, we guess.