Georgia has now become a hot spot for game shows

Georgia is losing the battle for big-budget films to other countries and states, but it has found a consolation prize: game shows.

- Rodney Ho, Tribune News Service

Deborah Norville

At least seven game shows have shot here in the past year including “Family Feud,” “25 Words or Less,” “Flip Side” and the Fox prime-time program “The If Club.” Game show budgets are a pittance compared to, say, “The Avengers,” but they provide locals a chance to not only win a few bucks, but show up on TV. As broadcast networks seek cheap original programming amid shrinking viewers and ad revenue, game shows remain a cost-effective avenue to produce oodles of content in a short period of time.

“Game shows are both fun and efficient to create,” said David Bulhack, an executive producer of the new game show “Scrambled Up.” “We are seeing the benefit of coming down to Georgia.” But even game shows require creative teamwork to launch in 2025. “Scrambled Up” needed four companies to get off the ground: Keller/Noll for the game show concept, Bulhack’s Big Fish Entertainment for distribution, Atlanta-based Crazy Legs Productions to pin down Electric Owl Studios to shoot the show and former Disney chief Michael Eisner’s Tornante Company for upfront investment cash.