truTV develops taste for Hot Ones

US cable channel truTV has commissioned competition series Hot Ones: The Game Show, based on a successful YouTube talkshow.

Sean Evans

Host Sean Evans will ask contestants pop culture trivia questions as they eat chicken wings covered in spicy sauce in the ‘Pepperdome,’ in hopes of winning a US$25,000 prize.

The series will form part of a weekly Hot Ones hour on truTV, with each episode of the gameshow followed by an episode of YouTube talkshow First We Feast, also hosted by Evans.

First We Feast was originally made by Complex Networks and feature A-list celebrities being interviewed by Evans as they eat spicy chicken wings. The show racked up more than a billion views over 10 seasons.

Hot Ones: The Game Show is produced by DIGA Studios. Scott St John is the showrunner and executive producer, with DIGA’s Tony DiSanto, Tommy Coriale and Nick Rigg also executive producing. Michael Bloom also exec produces for Bongo Productions, while Chris Schonberger and Justin Killion do likewise for Complex Networks.

TruTV has ordered 20 episodes of the half-hour series, which will go into production shortly.