ABC’s new game show Lucky 13 will test contestants' trivia knowledge in a series of true or false questions. The series is hosted by NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal and Not Dead Yet star Gina Rodriguez.
Each episode, two lucky contestants will be individually called up on stage to answer 13 unrelated true or false questions. Afterwards, the contestant will have to choose a range of how many they believe they got right. The ranges include 1-3 ($5,000), 4-6 ($15,000), 7-9 ($25,000), 10-12 ($100,000), and 13 ($1 million). To get the money, the player must accurately lock in their correct answer range. If they are above or below that range, they will go home with nothing. However, players also get to choose a lucky number in their range. If the player gets exactly that number correct, they will walk away with twice the amount of money offered by the range they are in. Essentially, the player is waging on themselves in addition to trying to answer the most questions correctly.
In the first episode of the series, viewers will get to watch a dentist from Chicago and a language arts teacher from Seattle test their knowledge and their self awareness in hopes of winning the $1 million jackpot. The 42 minute episode contained a multitude of questions varying in subject, including pop culture, geography, fun facts, history and more. The game show will throw twists and offers at the contestants as they aim to walk out with the most amount of money possible.
I had the opportunity to watch the first episode early. Wasting no time, a contestant is pulled on stage within the first few minutes of the episode. With a very simple set of rules, the game is very easy to follow, and, more importantly, participate in. I found myself arguing with the contests when they answered questions I thought were wrong, making me feel like I was playing along with them. The game is also, mostly, no nonsense. While there are twists and shake ups, nothing within the game's structure attempts to sabotage or undermine the contestants ability to win. With a high risk betting component to the show, finding out the correct answers to the questions will have you on the edge of your seat. I can’t overlook the charismatic hosts. Rodriguez and O’Neal are an incredibly sweet and supportive duo, consistently rooting for the contestants to win. The series is a compelling, yet casual watch for the whole family, and I highly recommend Lucky 13 to any game show fan.
Lucky 13 premieres on Thursday July 18th at 9PM EDT on ABC and will stream the next day on Hulu.