What a strange time to be alive: Netflix and production company A24 are reportedly turning messy co-op cooking romp Overcooked into a reality competition, and I'm not going to immediately assume it will be terrible.
Videogame adaptations don't suck now, you may have noticed, and while I'm sure there are still plenty of TV execs willing to greenlight the absolute worst pitches, just because videogames=$$$, cautious optimism no longer seems completely insane.
Deadline reports that Ghost Town Games's core team of Gemma Langford, Oli De-Vine and Phil Duncan will serve as executive producers, and that it'll be following the style of shows like Nailed It! and Floor Is Lava. While the latter is irredeemably bad, Nailed It is a favourite of mine, in large part thanks to comedian, actor and host Nicole Byer.
Byer is just the most unrelentingly cheerful and engaging host in the biz, and frankly I'd watch her present absolutely anything. And if you don't have time for this ol' TV nonsense, I highly recommend checking out her podcasts, like Why Won't You Date Me? and Newcomers.
Nailed It!, if you're not au fait, is a panacea for cynicism, pitting atrocious bakers against each other in timed baking challenges that would even get talented bakers sweating. One episode even starred our best bud, Tub Geralt, who was transformed into a variety of inedible abominations.
Wholesome and chaotic are how I would describe Nailed It!, and Byer herself, so I can't think of anyone better suited to help bring Overcooked to TV. In case you've somehow missed Overcooked and its sequel, it's a 4-player co-op cooking nightmare, where amateur chefs must put together, cook and dole out grub as they try (and often fail) to overcome a delightfully frustrating gauntlet.
It's the kind of game that can make or break your friendships, which also means it might make for some genuinely engaging TV.
