Game Changer (game show)

Game Changer is a comedy panel game show on Dropout created by Sam Reich. The show follows players (typically three players, mostly comedians), participating in a new game every episode, with the players usually not understanding the premise and rules of the game beforehand. The show has been described as one that "combines improv comedy, puzzle solving, fierce competition, and a prankster ethos."[1] Three of the games played have been spun off into their own shows on Dropout.

Game Changer
Genre
Created bySam Reich
Written by
Directed by
  • Sam Reich
  • Kyle Rohrbach
Presented bySam Reich
StarringSam Reich
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes51
Production
Executive producers
  • Sam Reich
  • David Kerns
  • Adam Frucci
  • Kyle Rohrbach
  • Chloe Badner
  • Paul Robalino
Producers
  • Kyle Rohrbach
  • Justin Cyrul
Editors
  • Noah Wagner
  • Sam Geer
  • Eve Hinz
Release
Original networkDropout
Related
  • Dirty Laundry
  • Make Some Noise
  • Play it by Ear
  • Game Changer: Battle Royale

Premise

The show is based on one central theme: the players start the game knowing nothing. While some episodes may deviate from this theme, most episodes follow this format. Most episodes follow three contestants playing against each other by following prompts and tasks put out by the host of the show, Sam Reich. It also sometimes parodies other shows like Survivor and The Bachelor.[2]

Occasionally, special guests will participate in the game. The very first episode featured the participants' significant others, and the inclusion of guests outside of the Dropout/CollegeHumor community began with the virtually filmed third season, which featured guests such as Tony Hawk, Michael Winslow, and Giancarlo Esposito.[3] Later guests have included Jewel, Ty Mitchell, Bob the Drag Queen, and Howie Mandel.

History

Game Changer was created as an original show for the streaming service Dropout, in response to internal pressure to create more inexpensive, unscripted content compared to CollegeHumor's previous output. Early in development, the show was titled What the What and based loosely on the party game "Scissors".[1] The show was announced on August 29, 2019 and released on September 20, 2019.

After CollegeHumor was sold by IAC and restructured in 2020, the company temporarily halted production of all shows. Game Changer, which was affected by this, released their already-completed second season in January.[4] The third season of the show was recorded via video conference to comply with lockdown restrictions in California during the COVID-19 pandemic; the show returned to being recorded in the studio for its fourth season.[5] In 2022, Dropout produced three spin-offs based on previous episodes: Dirty Laundry, which is based on the season 3 episode "Never Have I Ever"; Make Some Noise, based on the recurring episodes of the same name; and Play it by Ear, based on the season 4 episode, "The Official Cast Recording". Originally, nine episodes were announced as being a part of the fifth season ahead of the season premiere in November 2022, with a 10th episode being a cut-for-time special. However, in March 2023, a special 4-part mini-series titled Game Changer: Battle Royale was announced, with the mini-series being a sequel to Season 4's Survivor season finale.[6] Behind-the-scenes videos were uploaded for each fifth season episode the week after their release.

During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, production on Game Changer as well as most Dropout programming shut down, as the show falls "under SAG's Electronic Media contract".[7] In July 2023, Sam Reich stated that as Dropout is not "associated with the AMPTP, it's possible we may be able to reach an interim agreement with SAG that allows us to continue to produce content during the strike. But we'll only do that, obviously, if we get the blessing of the union and the buy-in of our performers. If not, we have enough content in the can to last us a little past the end of the year".[8] In August 2023, Reich announced that all Dropout shows have resumed production as it was determined that their "New Media Agreement for Non-Dramatic Programming" was actually a non-struck SAG-AFTRA contract.[9][10]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
15September 20, 2019 (2019-09-20)October 18, 2019 (2019-10-18)
26February 25, 2020 (2020-02-25)May 8, 2020 (2020-05-08)
315September 15, 2020 (2020-09-15)April 16, 2021 (2021-04-16)
411November 1, 2021 (2021-11-01)April 4, 2022 (2022-04-04)
514November 14, 2022 (2022-11-14)May 15, 2023 (2023-05-15)

Season 1 (2019)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
11"Lie Detector"September 20, 2019 (2019-09-20)

The players must answer intimate questions while a lie detector, secretly controlled by their significant others, verifies their answers.

Contestants: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Jessica Ross, Tao Yang
22"Make Some Noise"September 27, 2019 (2019-09-27)

The players are given a series of impressions and improv prompts they must perform. This episode was later spun off into the show Make Some Noise.

Contestants: Josh Ruben, Zac Oyama, Brennan Lee Mulligan
33"Game of Prizes"October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04)

The players must wager points to guess whether several prizes being offered are actually real and potentially win them.

Contestants: Jessica Ross, Lily Du, Raphael Chestang
44"Whodunnit"October 11, 2019 (2019-10-11)

When one of the players is "murdered," the other two must interrogate members of the show's crew in order to determine the killer's identity.

Contestants: Josh Ruben, Rekha Shankar, Grant O'Brien
55"Nom Nom Nom"October 18, 2019 (2019-10-18)

To appease a giant mouth, players must feed it the correct food based on the clues provided.

Contestants: Mike Trapp, Tao Yang, Lily Du

Season 2 (2020)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
61"Round 4"February 25, 2020 (2020-02-25)

A sequel to the episode "Make Some Noise", with the same contestants picking up where the previous game left off.

Contestants: Josh Ruben, Zac Oyama, Brennan Lee Mulligan
72"Do I Hear $1?"March 6, 2020 (2020-03-06)

The players attempt to outbid each other with increasingly low amounts of points to take part in unpleasant experiences.

Contestants: Ally Beardsley, Grant O'Brien, Raphael Chestang
83"Sleeper Agents"March 27, 2020 (2020-03-27)

The players are given a list of awkward and embarrassing phrases they must say to individuals on the street to potentially "activate" them as secret agents.

Contestants: Lily Du, Katie Marovitch, Tao Yang
94"A Sponsored Episode"April 10, 2020 (2020-04-10)

The players must make successful marketing pitches for unusual items.

Contestants: Mike Trapp, Rekha Shankar, Grant O'Brien
105"The Everything Factory"April 24, 2020 (2020-04-24)

The players attempt to fulfill specific orders within a time limit as a series of items come down a conveyor belt.

Contestants: Jessica Ross, Jess Clemons, Katie Marovitch
116"Yes or No"May 8, 2020 (2020-05-08)

The players must repeatedly answer the same question, "yes or no", to determine how the game is being scored.

Contestants: Ally Beardsley, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Zac Oyama

Season 3 (2020–2021)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
121"Tell Us About Yourself"September 15, 2020 (2020-09-15)

The players must identify a mystery individual by guessing facts about them.

Contestants: Jessica Ross, Christine Medrano, Alfred Aquino
132"Sell Outs"October 5, 2020 (2020-10-05)

A sequel to the episode "A Sponsored Episode", with the players once again making sales pitches for strange items.

Contestants: Mike Trapp, Grant O'Brien, Rekha Shankar
143"ChangerCon"October 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)

The players must assemble cosplay based on specific prompts using whatever they have at their disposal.

Contestants: Carolyn Page, Lily Du, Tao Yang
154"Is This Thing On?"October 30, 2020 (2020-10-30)

Sam's audio is muted, and the players attempt to read his lips to win prizes.

Contestants: Rekha Shankar, Jessica Ross, Raphael Chestang
165"Ham It Up"November 13, 2020 (2020-11-13)

The players must act out ridiculous prompts following Sam's direction, opposite actor Giancarlo Esposito.

Contestants: Lou Wilson, Grant O'Brien, Christine Medrano
176"Never Have I Ever"November 27, 2020 (2020-11-27)

The players play a game of "never have I ever" and try to guess which of them performed each action in the past. This episode was later spun off into the show Dirty Laundry.

Contestants: Lily Du, Mike Trapp, Ryan Creamer, Jess Clemons
187"Jeopardy!"December 12, 2020 (2020-12-12)

The players play a game of Jeopardy! that is soon revealed to be a pirate-themed roleplaying game.

Contestants: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Ify Nwadiwe, Ally Beardsley
198"Secret Samta"December 26, 2020 (2020-12-26)

The players open up a series of gifts, and try to trick each other into stealing the bad ones while keeping the good ones for themselves.

Contestants: Grant O'Brien, Ally Beardsley, Lily Du
209"20/20 Vision"January 8, 2021 (2021-01-08)

The players must attempt to recall whether certain major events took place in the year 2020.

Contestants: Grant O'Brien, Katie Marovitch, Lily Du
2110"The Substitute"January 22, 2021 (2021-01-22)

The third "Make Some Noise" episode, but due to Zac's absence, actor Michael Winslow takes his place.

Contestants: Josh Ruben, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Michael Winslow
2211"Three For the Price of One"February 20, 2021 (2021-02-20)

The third "A Sponsored Episode" entry, with the players once again attempting to sell whatever is asked of them.

Contestants: Mike Trapp, Grant O'Brien, Rekha Shankar
2312"Next Slide Please"March 5, 2021 (2021-03-05)

The players must give a presentation based on an accompanying slideshow they haven't seen before.

Contestants: Mike Trapp, Rekha Shankar, Ryan Creamer
2413"Make It Fashion"March 9, 2021 (2021-03-09)

A sequel to the episode "ChangerCon", with the players attempting to create specific fashion styles with whatever they can find.

Contestants: Carolyn Page, Lily Du, Katie Marovitch
2514"Tome of Terror"April 3, 2021 (2021-04-03)

The players must tell scary stories that incorporate prompts given by Sam.

Contestants: Katie Marovitch, Jessica Ross, Raphael Chestang
2615"Secret Samta 2: The Samta Clause"April 16, 2021 (2021-04-16)

A sequel to the episode "Secret Samta", with the players again attempting to manipulate each other into taking unwanted gifts.

Contestants: Lily Du, Katie Marovitch, Raphael Chestang

Season 4 (2021–2022)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
271"Sam Says"November 1, 2021 (2021-11-01)

Players play a game of "simon says" that features increasingly tricky prompts.

Contestants: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Isabella Roland, Lou Wilson
282"Like My Coffee"November 15, 2021 (2021-11-15)

The players must come up with punchlines for innuendo-based jokes.

Contestants: Mike Trapp, Grant O'Brien, Jessica Ross
293"Noise Boys"November 20, 2021 (2021-11-20)

The fourth "Make Some Noise" episode. This was the last to be featured as part of Game Changer before being spun off into its own series the following year.

Contestants: Josh Ruben, Zac Oyama, Brennan Lee Mulligan
304"Secret Samta 3"December 13, 2021 (2021-12-13)

The third "Secret Samta" episode, with the players attempting to claim good presents and get rid of the bad ones.

Contestants: Raphael Chestang, Tao Yang, Carolyn Page
315"The Official Cast Recording"December 27, 2021 (2021-12-27)

The players must improvise a musical based on a given prompt. This episode was later spun off into the show Play It By Ear.

Contestants: Zeke Nicholson, Zach Reino, Jess McKenna, Scott Passarella
326"Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience"January 10, 2022 (2022-01-10)

The players must determine what actions they are meant to perform based on the sound of an audience reacting.

Contestants: Becca Scott, Isabella Roland, Erika Ishii
337"Don't Cry"January 24, 2022 (2022-01-24)

The players attempt to avoid crying in response to specific prompts, which is slowly revealed to be a celebration of Jess Ross due to her struggles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contestants: Luke Field, Jessica Ross, Rekha Shankar
348"Race to the Bottom"February 7, 2022 (2022-02-07)

A sequel to the episode "Do I Hear $1?", with the addition of a scab, Katie Marovitch, to prevent the players from uniting against Sam.

Contestants: Ally Beardsley, Grant O'Brien, Lily Du
359"Survivor: Part 1"February 21, 2022 (2022-02-21)

Inspired by Survivor, the players are split into teams and compete to make each other laugh to gain immunity from being eliminated.

Contestants: Ally Beardsley, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Lou Wilson, Erica Ishii, Grant O'Brien, Katie Marovitch, Raphael Chestang
3610"Survivor: Part 2"March 7, 2022 (2022-03-07)

The remaining members of the two Survivor teams are merged, and the players must compete individually to be the last one standing.

Contestants: Ally Beardsley, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Lou Wilson, Erica Ishii, Grant O'Brien, Katie Marovitch, Raphael Chestang
3711"Game Changer Season 4: Cut For Time"April 4, 2022 (2022-04-04)
A compilation of jokes and segments which were edited out of other Season 4 episodes.

Season 5 (2022–2023)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
381"Sam Says 2"November 14, 2022 (2022-11-14)

A sequel to the episode "Sam Says", with the players competing in "simon says" using increasingly bizarre prompts.

Contestants: Zac Oyama, Jacob Wysocki, Ally Beardsley
392"Karaoke Night"November 28, 2022 (2022-11-28)

The players must improvise songs based on a given prompt, with help from pianist Aaron Wilson.

Contestants: Zach Reino, Ross Bryant, Rashawn Scott
403"Like My Coffee 2"December 12, 2022 (2022-12-12)

A sequel to the episode "Like My Coffee", with the players once again creating responses to innuendo setups.

Contestants: Rekha Shankar, Grant O'Brien, Jessica Ross
414"Name a Number"December 26, 2022 (2022-12-26)

The players estimate the number of times they can perform a specific task, and must then do so in order to earn points.

Contestants: Becca Scott, Isabella Roland, Erika Ishii
425"A Game Most Changed"January 9, 2023 (2023-01-09)

The players must fulfill a series of prompts in the style of a Shakespearean play.

Contestants: Joey Bland, Ross Bryant, Blaine Swen
436"As a Cucumber"January 23, 2023 (2023-01-23)

The players must complete a series of prompts and challenges without allowing their heart rate to increase above a certain threshold.

Contestants: Katie Marovitch, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Carolyn Page
447"The Bachelor: Part 1"February 6, 2023 (2023-02-06)

Grant O'Brien is placed in a The Bachelor inspired scenario in which he must choose between ten potential suitors, eliminating them one at a time, with his fellow "contestants" acting as his counsel.

Contestants: Grant O'Brien, Ally Beardsley, Jessica Ross
458"The Bachelor: Part 2"February 20, 2023 (2023-02-20)

With half of the potential choices eliminated, Grant must make a final decision as to which suitor to select.

Contestants: Grant O'Brien, Ally Beardsley, Jessica Ross
469"Escape the Greenroom"March 6, 2023 (2023-03-06)

The players are trapped in the green room, which has been converted into an escape room, and must escape before time runs out.

Contestants: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Siobhan Thompson, Lou Wilson
Game Changer: Battle Royale
4710"Game Changer: Battle Royale Pt. 1"April 3, 2023 (2023-04-03)

A sequel to the episodes "Survivor Part 1 and 2". The players, split into teams, attempt to wear as many hats as possible for Rick Devens and search for cakes made by Is It Cake? artist Andrew Fuller disguised as everyday objects.

Contestants: Ally Beardsley, Tao Yang, Rekha Shankar, Lily Du, Adam Conover, Ify Nwadiwe, Jacob Wysocki, Vic Michaelis, Anna Garcia, Isabella Roland
4811"Game Changer: Battle Royale Pt. 2"April 17, 2023 (2023-04-17)

The teams merge and the eight remaining players create sandwiches for Claudia Sandoval and attempt to locate an immunity necklace hidden in one of several gift boxes.

Contestants: Ally Beardsley, Tao Yang, Rekha Shankar, Lily Du, Adam Conover, Ify Nwadiwe, Jacob Wysocki, Vic Michaelis, Anna Garcia, Isabella Roland
4912"Game Changer: Battle Royale Pt. 3"May 1, 2023 (2023-05-01)

The six remaining players attempt to perform the quietest ASMR possible, while the eliminated players compete in a talent show judged by Howie Mandel to rejoin the game.

Contestants: Ally Beardsley, Tao Yang, Rekha Shankar, Lily Du, Adam Conover, Ify Nwadiwe, Jacob Wysocki, Vic Michaelis, Anna Garcia, Isabella Roland
5013"Game Changer: Battle Royale Pt. 4"May 15, 2023 (2023-05-15)

The remaining players create erotic pottery for Laganja Estranja and attempt to charm Sam's mother before the final vote.

Contestants: Ally Beardsley, Tao Yang, Rekha Shankar, Lily Du, Adam Conover, Ify Nwadiwe, Jacob Wysocki, Vic Michaelis, Anna Garcia, Isabella Roland
5114"Game Changer Season 5: Cut For Time"May 29, 2023 (2023-05-29)
A compilation of jokes and segments which were edited out of other Season 5 episodes.

Reception

Margaret Lyons, for The New York Times, wrote, "if you've watched a lot of arena comedy specials recently, and you want something at the far other end of the spectrum, or if you've had more than one discussion about whether long-form improv could ever be effective on television, watch this".[11] Polygon's Susana Polo called the show "one of the funniest, nicest, cleverest pieces of TV you can put your eyeballs on right now".[1]

Emmanuel Ronquillo of Collider opined that Game Changer is a blend of "all the fun of a game show, all the humor of a comedy show, and all the excitement of live improvisation" where "each new premise and set of rules are satisfyingly executed".[12] He commented that the show pushes "beyond the traditional limitations of a game show" due to the "flexibility" of its design.[12] He also viewed the show's contestants as "some of the most improv savvy, comically talented, and endearingly competitive players you'll see on any contest show".[12]

References

  1. Polo, Susana (March 15, 2023). "Puzzle, performance, or prank? TV's best game show isn't a game show at all". Polygon. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  2. Volk, Pete; Millman, Zosha; Staff, Polygon (2023-02-21). "The best TV of 2023 so far". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  3. Jacobs, Mira (2020-11-14). "The Mandalorian's Giancarlo Esposito Gives the ABCs a Villainous Twist". CBR. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  4. Wright, Megh (2020-01-08). "Almost Everyone at CollegeHumor Has Lost Their Jobs". Vulture. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  5. "Dirty Laundry on Twitter". Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  6. Polo, Susana (20 March 2023). "Watch the trailer for Game Changer's surprise four-episode season finale". MSN. Polygon. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  7. "What Does the SAG-AFTRA Strike Mean for Actual Play Shows?". Gizmodo. July 15, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  8. Reich, Sam [@samreich] (July 15, 2023). "Dropout production is right now on hold. Because we aren't associated with the AMPTP, it's possible we may be able to reach an interim agreement with SAG that allows us to continue to produce content during the strike. [THREAD]" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  9. Reich, Sam [@samreich] (August 8, 2023). "Dropout is back in production. 🫡 Details below. 👇 [Thread]" (Tweet). Retrieved August 8, 2023 via Twitter.
  10. Carter, Justin (August 8, 2023). "Streaming Platform Dropout Is Resuming Production". Gizmodo. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  11. Lyons, Margaret (September 21, 2023). "How Much Watching Time Do You Have This Weekend?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  12. Ronquillo, Emmanuel (2023-03-30). "This Underrated Game Show Changes the Rules With Every New Episode". Collider. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
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