NBC is debuting a Wordle game show, with Savannah Guthrie serving as host

Wordle, the game originally designed as a gift for the creator’s partner, has been a national obsession for years. Now it’s becoming a television game show. NBC has greenlit a new series centered around the game, which will run in prime time. Today anchor (and self-confessed Wordle megafan) Savannah Guthrie will host. The show will be executive produced by Jimmy Fallon and The New York Times, which owns Wordle. The show is scheduled to premiere in 2027 and casting is underway. If you’re interested in being a contestant on the show, you can apply at wordle.castingcrane.com. (The game will be played in teams of three, so you’ll need to find a couple of buddies or family members to join you.) Note you’ll be asked to include your Wordle stats to show your proficiency at the game. “Wordle is one of the most successful and culturally resonant games of the past decade,” said Sharon Vuong, executive vice president of unscripted programming at NBC in a statement. “This series is a natural extension of NBC’s legacy in the game show space, and . . . we’re excited to bring a smart, joyful and distinctly NBC take to this global phenomenon.” The format of the show will challenge players to solve five-letter word puzzles, much like the daily game, but with an added element of speed. A long time coming The New York Times has been developing Wordle as a game show for several years. Once the paper began working with Fallon, things began to gel, said Caitlin Roper, executive editorial director of film and tv at the Times. “We wanted to honor the specific thrill of Wordle, the way people play and share their scores with each other, but also make something new for TV,” she said. Wordle was created by Josh Wardle in 2021 as a game he and his partner could play together during the pandemic. He later released it on his website and it quickly went viral. The New York Times bought it in January of 2022 for an undisclosed amount in the “low seve