The Wordle craze is coming to television — sort of.
RuPaul Charles is set to host a version of the viral word-playing game called “Lingo” for CBS.
via NYP:
“Lingo” has aired before, with the first iteration of the series released in 1987 on the GSN network. Other versions dropped in 2002 and 2011 on the channel.
The new adaption of “Lingo” will have two-person teams attempting to guess words on a grid after being given the first letter.
Wordle, which uses a similar format, was recently purchasedby the New York Times for a reported seven figures. Players have six chances to guess a five-letter word in the online puzzle game.
“We give you a letter, and you guess the rest! The word game craze is sweeping the nation, and ‘Lingo’ will deliver a fast-paced, fun and addictive show for the whole family,” Mitch Graham, senior VP of alternative programming at CBS, said in a statement.
He continued, “RuPaul’s flair and sharp wit, coupled with the ability for viewers to play along at home, make this a timely show with wide appeal that we’re excited to join our network lineup.”
RuPaul, 61, added, “We’re all ready to have fun again, and ‘Lingo’ is the answer.”
Wordle, which was created by Josh Wardle, was recently called out by fans for allegedly ripping off “Lingo.” Users took to Twitter to show the similarities between “Lingo” and Wordle.
One user replied to the newspaper’s announcement on Twitter that the Gray Lady had purchased the game: “Did @NYTimesWordplay just pay a cool million for the GSN game show ‘Lingo?’ ”
Another added, “Is wordle just like ‘Lingo?’ The black squares means none of the letters are in the word the yellow squares means this letter is in the word but the wrong place and the green squares mean that the letters are in the right place in the word Is Worldle just recycled hipster ‘LINGO?’ ”
“Just saw the ‘creator’ of that word game Wordle sold it for 7 figures to The NY Times.. But it’s the exact same game as ‘Lingo’ TV game show. How’s that work? Can someone simply rip off old game shows for app ideas? New app idea: wheel of fortune, but call it ‘prize wheel,’ ” one wondered.
This reminds us — we haven’t played Wordle today!
