Behind the Scenes of the Reboot with Drew Barrymore, Nate Burleson (Exclusive)

On the set of the latest revival of the classic game show Hollywood Squaresas we sat in on CBS Television City in LA last August, someone shared a joke so raunchy that center square Drew Barrymorewho executive produced, put his hands over his mouth in shock, and hosted Nate Burleson was speechless. The culprit was a comedian Drew Careythere are hosts The price is right.

We won’t share his one-liners that are about as likely as a streak to hit the air, but the studio audience was in hysterics. And let’s face it, Squares (which originally aired from 1966 to 1980, with previous reboots from 1986-1989 and 1998-2004) has always been fierce. The zingers are perfect foils for the format, based on the healthy game of “Tic-Tac-Toe”. Here it is played on a 3×3 board with nine dice, each occupied by a celebrity. Burleson asks them questions and contestants rate the stars’ answers for accuracy in finding squares. (See the celebrities scheduled to appear right here.)

“I think we’re going to push the envelope here, which I like. I am a cheeky, irreverent, rebellious person. I always have been too. I want the damn goodness. I want people to be happy. I want them to be safe and protected and fought for. But I’m not a good shoe,” Barrymore told us with the same warmth and enthusiasm she displays on her loudspeaker, The Drew Barrymore Show. She got cozy on a sofa with Burleson backstage in the celebrity lounge, a fancy green room with a full bar, buffet and a massive TV where the stars on deck can watch footage. As we spoke, celebrities including the EGOT-winning legend Rita Moreno seeped in.

“You’re not above going to the edge and testing the dangerous side,” said a smiling Burleson, who co-hosts CBS Morning and NFL today. He steps into former shoes Squares emcees Peter Marshall, John Davidson and Tom Bergeron. Burleson shared that Bergeron sent “a very sweet message” of congratulations. “There’s this sense of pressure that you feel as a host. When I walk on stage and say my big hello to Drew, there’s this invisible bridge that I create in my mind that I know I can walk over and give her a hug anytime. So if the show goes off the rails, I’ll find Drew.”

Sonja Flemming/CBS

But Burleson knows that going off the rails is something people expect from the beloved classic. “It cuts across generations,” the former NFL wide receiver explained. “You sit at home, you see celebs and stars and people that you’ve admired for years, make jokes, go right up to the edge and make you laugh until your stomach hurts. At the same time, you’re yelling at the screen because the contestants don’t know the answer, or you’re mad that they went up instead of down on their tic-tac-toe strategy. It gives you that chance to have all those feelings.”

Some of the biggest laughs come from the all-important square in the middle, which has been occupied by legends like the king of doubles Paul Lynde in the 60s and comedian Joan Rivers in the 80s. Barrymore infuses it with her own goofy spirit. “I’ve run around a few times,” she shared. “Then others start running around. Sometimes you want to try to give someone a kiss. Sometimes I pull out a hair extension. You never know what it will be. It kind of starts a thread for others.”

Barrymore first came up with the idea for the reboot Squares four years ago on Zoom during the coronavirus pandemic. Seeing everyone in little boxes reminded her of the series she watched in childhood. “This show is personal to me because it made me so happy when I was a kid. I sought it out. All through growing up, Paul Lynde and Whoopi (Goldberg), and the style of the show and the jokes, they keep coming back . The show has a very timeless feel to it. It was something I felt would be good in the world to go to a party and see people win.”

Sonja Flemming/CBS

Squares is still the kind of thing Barrymore would watch on her day off. The actress revealed that when she gets some downtime, “I have to recharge my batteries. Obviously, (I spend) a lot of time with the kids. I’m a single lady with four cats and I like to be alone with my cats. (I asked my therapist): ‘If I have a day off and I just lie on the couch and watch TV and eat, is that a waste of a day?’ And he said, ‘Maybe you just need to hear the word ‘permission.’

And then you could sense the “invisible bridge” between them when Burleson riffed, “Yeah, or a movie you’ve seen a thousand times. You want something familiar.” Barrymore nodded and said, “Flirty and cozy, just like this show! There’s this connection that we have with the spirit of those who have hosted, been center stage or stars of the show. Their spirit is in the studio. You go in with it same, you feel it. We’re here to pay tribute to those who have come before us and take this show into the future. And I really enjoy when Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog takes me down.”

Hollywood Squares will premiere on Thursday 16 January on CBS and move to Wednesdays from 29 January.

Hollywood SquaresSeries premiere, Thursday, January 16, 8/7c, CBS