EXCLUSIVE: Fox Television Stations’ 25 Words or Less, a game show premiering September 16 in 98% of the country, will feature a Friends reunion/faceoff with Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.
The matchup, timed to the 25th anniversary of Friends, involves just two of the celebrity guests on tap for the show’s debut season. The others are: Chelsea Handler; Chris Noth; Oscar Nunez; Melissa Peterman; Rick Fox; Lea Thompson; Mary McCormack; Willie Garson; Natalie Morales; Loni Love; Penn Jillette; Alison Sweeney; Jamie Kennedy; Tisha Campbell; Dr. Drew Pinsky; Margaret Cho; Jane Lynch; Pete Holmes; Val Chmerkovsky; and WWE wrestlers Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Apollo Crews and Ali.
Meredith Vieira is the host of 25 Words. While she gained acclaim for her work in news and documentary, Vieira is best known to most viewers as the former co-host of Today and The View and solo host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Kudrow’s appearance is not a complete coincidence. She helped develop 25 Words or Less, along with producing partner Dan Bucatinsky, Mary McCormack, Michael Morris. The show runner is Michael Canter and Bruce Sterten created the 25 Words or Less board game as well as another popular game, Taboo.
Stephen Brown, EVP Programming and Development for Fox Television Stations, called the show “a great break from the depressing news of the day. It’s fast, smart, funny, and led by the best host in television, Meredith Vieira. She is the master at corralling big celebrity personalities and driving a game that’s fun to watch and play.”
While Fox Television Stations provide the foundation of 25 Words‘ distribution, the show will also air on stations owned by Sinclair, Gray, Hearst, CBS, Scripps and Tribune.
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