The return of the classic game show is pure fun

On January 20, 2025By Littum

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES. Pictured: Triumph, Sam Jay, Whitney Cummings, Andrew Rannells, co-host Drew … (+) Barrymore, Tyra Banks, Tiffany Haddish, Sheryl Underwood and Thomas Lennon.

Let’s face it. No one can compare to the campy and snarky Paul Lynde as the center spot Hollywood Squares. Joan Rivers couldn’t do it. Whoopi Goldberg couldn’t do it. Martin Mull couldn’t do it. Neither could anyone else who could have sat in that prestigious spot on this classic game show. So giving that credit to Drew Barrymore, who isn’t a comedian, is an immediate miscalculation in this latest revival of Hollywood Squares.

Of course, Drew Barrymore already hosts a daytime talk show for CBS Media Ventures (the syndication arm of CBS). And she is also an executive producer on Hollywood Squares. So we understand why she is the central place. But she’s just not qualified for it.

That aside, two episodes into the revival of Hollywood Squares and it was just fun.

Hosted by Nate Burleson from CBS Morning and NFL today in a flashy set complete with a modernized theme song, the interplay between the celebrities was quite entertaining. Burleson skillfully controlled the comic hijinks. And the fast pace that whizzes by every half hour leaves you hungry for more. So to wrap up back-to-back episodes Hollywood Squares in an hour-long window was the right decision for CBS.

Nate Burleson hosts the reboot of the game show “Hollywood Squares,” starring Drew Barrymore … (+) square.

Like any showcase of a list of “celebrities” (some of whom you may not consider worthy of this description), there are hits and misses. I’ll leave it up to you to decide who you liked…and didn’t. And the list of participants in these first two installments of Hollywood Squares included Julie Bowen, Tyra Banks, Tiffany Haddish, Drew Carey, Pete Holmes, Bobby Moynihan, Whitney Cummings, Thomas Lennon, Jeff Ross, Debi Mazar, Chelsea Peretti, JB Smoove, Tichina Arnold, Nicole Byer and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

Personally, I sometimes wonder if laughing gas is a prerequisite for participating in a game show like Hollywood Squares. I mean, the hysteria among this crowd was amped up to the max. But I’d rather laugh than sob. And I had a grand old time watching this latest revival of Hollywood Squares. I’ll be back next week… and beyond.

As a footnote: Kudos to the producers for honoring legendary former host Peter Marshall with a mention at the beginning of the first episode. And while I opened this review claiming that no one could match Paul Lynde as the central square, Joan Rivers had her moments!