LIONSGATE’S DEBMAR-MERCURY CLEARS GAME SHOW NETWORK’S LEAH REMINI-HOSTED PEOPLE PUZZLER IN MORE THAN 90% OF U.S STARTING MONDAY, SEPT. 11
Pop Culture Game Show based on Iconic PEOPLE Crosswords will debut on Top Market Stations belonging to FOX, CBS, Nexstar, Scripps, Hearst, Gray, Sinclair & Others, with FOX’S WWOR New York slotting It at 6 p.m. Weeknights
Los Angeles and New York, Aug. 22, 2023 – Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury has cleared Game Show Network’s PEOPLE PUZZLER, hosted by actress, best-selling author, producer and television personality Leah Remini, in more than 90% of the country starting Sept. 11.
The pop culture game show based on iconic PEOPLE crosswords will debut on top market stations belonging to FOX, CBS, Nexstar, Scripps, Hearst, Gray, Sinclair and others, with FOX’s WWOR New York slotting it at 6 p.m. weeknights.
The format, comprised of 325 episodes from the first three seasons of PEOPLE PUZZLER, has performed strongly on Game Show Network and is one of its top-rated original series.
Debmar-Mercury Co-Presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein commented, “This hit game on GSN makes it a proven performer with over 300 episodes. Having generated strong household ratings and adult 25-54 demos, and offering viewers a fan favorite with Leah as host, PEOPLE PUZZLER has deservedly earned its place on stations’ fall schedules.”
PEOPLE PUZZLER is produced by Game Show Enterprises, Start Entertainment and PEOPLE, a Dotdash Meredith brand, the largest publisher in the country. The game show combines pop culture with fun facts.
Based on the iconic crossword puzzles in PEOPLE, the country’s No. 1 multiplatform magazine brand with an audience footprint of 127 million, PEOPLE PUZZLER pits three contestants in a three-round battle requiring them to put their pop culture knowledge to the test. The contestant with the most points then moves into the “Fast Puzzle Bonus Round,” gaining the opportunity to win a cash prize.
Remini, a two-time Emmy Award® winner and Daytime Emmy nominee for Outstanding Game Show Host, is most recognized for her portrayal as Carrie Heffernan on the long-running CBS comedy The King of Queens. She also created, produced and hosted the critically acclaimed documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, and most recently appeared as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance. She is an executive producer of PEOPLE PUZZLER, a production of Game Show Enterprises, with executive producer Rane Laymance, along with Scott St. John and Neal Konstantini for Start Entertainment and Rachel Feinberg for Dotdash Meredith.
About Debmar-Mercury:
Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury distributes the Fremantle-produced game show hit Family Feud, hosted by Steve Harvey, and produces and distributes Sherri, the top-rated new, nationally syndicated daily talk show hosted by actress, comedian, best-selling author and TV personality Sherri Shepherd. Debmar-Mercury is distributing Game Show Network’s PEOPLE PUZZLER, hosted by actress, best-selling author, producer and television personality Leah Remini, to broadcast stations for fall 2023, as well as ABC’s No. 1 sitcom from Werner Entertainment, The Conners, to domestic broadcast stations starting in fall 2024. The Company also distributes the 10/90 sitcoms it pioneered including Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and spinoff Meet the Browns, Revolution/CubeVision’s Are We There Yet? (starring Ice Cube), and the Debmar-Mercury/Lionsgate Television comedy Anger Management (starring Charlie Sheen).
Debmar-Mercury is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), encompassing world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium global subscription platform. The Company brings a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world.
About GSN:
GSN includes Game Show Network LLC (“Game Show Network”), the leader in game show entertainment across multimedia, which presents original and classic game programming and competitive entertainment via its cable network, GameShowNetwork.com website and Game Show Enterprises Studios, the production arm of the network and studio that develops and produces hundreds of hours of original episodes, including PEOPLE PUZZLER and MASTER MINDS among others, making Game Show Network the premiere destination for fun, family-friendly programming. Game Show Network is distributed throughout the U.S., Caribbean and Canada by all major cable operators, satellite providers and telcos. Additionally, GSN encompasses getTV, Sony Movies, Sony Cine and the distribution of FAST channels such as Game Show Central, CINEVAULT Westerns, CINEVAULT 80s, CINEVAULT Murder & Mayhem and CINEVAULT Classics. GSN is owned Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
For Debmar-Mercury:
Jim Benson, The Lippin Group, [email protected]
For Game Show Network:
Alison Lazar, Game Show Network, [email protected]