Spike has found success in the past with adapting games from late night TV for standalone series. The phenomenally popular Lip Sync Battle show came out of a segment on The Tonight Show that pitted Jimmy Fallon against his guest of the night. Now, Spike will be trying again to channel the popularity of a late night bit. The network will produce a series that combines the "Carpool Karaoke" segment from The Late Late Show with the in-car trivia game show Cash Cab to give unsuspecting participants the chance to win prizes. The show is fittingly called Caraoke Showdown.
Caraoke Showdown will be hosted by actor Craig Robinson, who will pose as a driver and pick up folks who are surprised to discover that they're contestants in a game show (like Cash Cab). Those who decide to play will participate in multiple rounds of different musical games , ranging from singing their favorite songs to finishing lyrics to songs to acting out the lyrics of songs. The cameras will be rolling the whole time as Robinson convinces riders that prizes are worth going karaoke crazy in a car.
Filming will take place in New York and Los Angeles this summer, and the series will make its grand Spike debut at some point in 2017. Craig Robinson is on board to executive produce in addition to lead the contestants in song. He really could be the perfect person to kick off the somewhat bizarre show. Robinson is recognizable enough that unwitting contestants will be able to tell that Caraoke Showdown is a legitimate production with a TV star rather than a creepy car ride on camera with a random driver. I know I'd be convinced that I was really being asked to sing for Spike if Craig Robinson were asking.
Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel will executive produce alongside Craig Robinson. Mandel has the game show experience that Caraoke Showdown might need in order to work for more than a single season. Ten episodes of a half hour each are all that have been ordered so far. If Robinson's and Mandel's combined efforts are enough to make a solid show, Spike may have another big hit.
It should be interesting to see if Robinson is able to fly under the radar in New York and L.A. for the first season of Caraoke Showdown. Most people probably won't have heard enough about the new Spike show to suspect that there might be any game show shenanigans awaiting them in a car. Hopefully he'll find plenty of people willing to belt their best for possible prizes.
We still have a while to wait before we get to see Caraoke Showdown hit the airwaves on Spike. Check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see what you'll be able to watch on the small screen in the meantime.
