New Wordle game show to be presented by Today host Savannah Guthrie

A NEW PRIME-TIME game show based on word game Wordle has been greenlit by NBC.

Wordle launched in 2021 and fast acquired legions of fans. It was bought by the New York Times in 2022.

The game sees players given five opportunities to guess a five-letter word, with correct letters in correct spaces marked green, correct letters in wrong spaces marked yellow, and wrong letters marked red.

The New York Times said of the format: “The show builds on how people already experience the game — solving together, sharing results and comparing strategies — and brings that dynamic to life in a new, shared format.

“The series will feature teams of players competing to solve five-letter word puzzles in a high-energy, collaborative environment, translating the core elements of Wordle into a new kind of viewing experience.”

The show is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio (UTAS) in partnership with Jimmy Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog and The New York Times.

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It will be presented by NBC News’ Today co-host Savannah Guthrie.

In a video announcing the show, Fallon and Guthrie exclaimed: “We’re bringing Wordle to TV!”

Guthrie, who has held her position as co-anchor on the news show since 2012, came to global recognition earlier this year when her mother Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her Arizona home in February. 

An investigation into her disappearance remains ongoing.

Yesterday, which was Mother’s Day in the US, Guthrie shared an emotional tribute to her 84-year-old mother and vowed not to give up hope for her safe return.

“When everything happened with me and my family, they [NBC] just stopped everything and said ‘we’ll wait for you’,” Guthrie told Fallon, thanking him and the network for holding out for her to take the role.

“Everyone was like, we can’t do the show without Savannah Guthrie. You are fantastic. You’re so good. You’re funny,” Fallon said.

Filming will begin this summer. A date for when the show is to air has yet to be announced.

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