In 2012, as part of a network-wide ‘Mash-Up Night’ to celebrate its 30thbirthday, the UK’s Channel 4 decided to combine some of their most popular tv shows together. While some of the results left a lot to be desired (like newsreaders giving a house a makeover), one combination stood out.
A mixture of the mid-afternoon game showCountdownand the late-night panel show8 out of 10 Cats,the aptly named8 out of 10 Cats does Countdownbecame a ratings hit. No one predicted the juxtaposition of a simple word game with wisecracking comedians would strike such a nerve with the public, but viewers ate it up. As a result, thespin-off became a fully-fledged seriesand is now even more popular than either one of its parent shows (it’s just finished its 20thseason!).
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So, with the apparent popularity of this mash-up, one must wonder: what other shows would be better mixed together? With the opportunity for some crazy and wildly entertaining results, it’s worth at least a look – here are some tv show mashups that need to happen.
Keeping Up with the KardashiansandThe Bachelorette
When they’re not busy island-hopping during a pandemic,the Kardashian familyare usually serving fiery drama in their eponymous TV show – with a conveyor belt of new confrontations, new twists, and new love interests every season, it’s no wonder viewers struggle to ‘keep up’. But, with the show set to end next year, perhaps it’s time to play around with its formula.
Indeed, if one of the Kardashian/Jenner clan are going to have a new boyfriend each season, why not turn it into a competition, a laThe Bachelorette?Have a selection of studsbattle it out to marry into this new American dynasty, with Kim or Khloe or whoever eliminating the least appealing lothario each week. There’s also almost precedence for shows like this working, with Paris Hilton looking for a new best friend in 2008’sMy New BFF– that show was cringey, but a hit, so it’s likely this one will be as well.
RuPaul’s Drag RaceandFear Factor
Anyone who’s watched even a single episode of the eternally delightfulRuPaul’s Drag Racewill understand that part of the show’s joy is how the queens are comically boisterous. Loud, extravagant, vocal – watch how they freak out after finding a single spider in the workroom:
Now, imagine how they would react if they were covered in thousands of spiders in a competition to win $50,000? That’s right:Drag Fear Factor. If RPDR has shown anything, it’s that contemporary drag queensare some of the most charismaticand easy-to-scare figures on current TV, so putting them onFear Factoris a must.
Married at First SightandGordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares
A poet once said that gettingmarried can be one of the most difficult thingsa person ever does… but running a successful restaurant seems harder. And what’s even harder than that? Running a restaurant with a person you’ve only just met but already married – double whammy!
Married at First Sightproves that audiences love to watch dysfunctional couples try to work it out, andKitchen Nightmaresproves that audiences also love to watch an angry British man yell at dysfunction. Why not cut out the middleman and force the recently married couple to open a restaurant together? Twice the dysfunction, so twice the entertainment in one show.
CatfishandQueer Eye
Catfishis all about discovering that real-life people are usually a worse version of the online persona they project to the world. They won’t be as handsome, or as well-dressed, or as successful… well, not yet. What if, once Nev discovers this less-attractive liar,he calls up the Fab Five fromQueer Eyeand they set about giving the Catfish a makeover, so they match how they look online?
Picture it – once they find the Catfish, Tan brings him shopping, Jonathon gives him a haircut, and Karamo gives him a heart-to-heart to come to terms with why they lie online.Catfishoften leaves the viewer feeling dejected at the world, butQueer Eyeleaves them feeling optimistic – combined together, the show would probably be perfect.
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