Stream It Or Skip It: 'Lucky 13' on ABC, a game show where contestants guess how many questions they got right (2024)

Where to Stream:

Lucky 13

  • Stream It Or Skip It: 'Lucky 13' on ABC, a game show where contestants guess how many questions they got right (1)
  • Stream It Or Skip It: 'Lucky 13' on ABC, a game show where contestants guess how many questions they got right (2)

Powered by Reelgood

More On:

game shows

  • Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Wayne Brady: The Family Remix’ On Freeform, A Reality Series About The Comedian’s Blended Family And His Decision To Come Out As Pansexual

  • Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Dress My Tour’ On Hulu, Where Kate Upton Hosts A Reality Competition Where Fashion Designers Focus On Outfitting Musicians

  • Ryan Seacrest Shares Behind-The-Scenes Footage Of His First Day On ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ Set

  • ‘Celebrity Family Feud’s ‘Golden Bachelor’ Episode Starring Gerry And Theresa Is Here: What Time, How To Watch, And More

Shaquille O’Neal and Gina Rodriguez host (and are both executive producers of) Lucky 13, a game show where a contestant on the “hot spot” is asked 13 true or false questions, but is not supposed to know all the answers. Seems strange, right? Read on to find out more.

LUCKY 13: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Scenes from Las Vegas, where the show Lucky 13 is shot.

The Gist: O’Neal and Rodriguez call one of 13 contestants sitting in a circle on stage to the “hot spot”. There, Shaq asks the 13 true-false questions, and the contestant is given the chance to reason out their answer before giving it. Then they’re given the chance to “refresh” (the term is used because it’s sponsored by Pepsi) one of their answers, or just leave them as is.

Then they need to guess how many of those questions they got right: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, or all 13. The money they are due to win if the number of answers they got right fall within that “Lucky range” increase exponentially, from $5,000 to $1 million. The contestant is to pinpoint a number within that range. If they get that number right, they get an extra $25,000.

Then Rodriguez starts to reveal which questions the contestant got right and which they got wrong, with Shaq standing with them to cheer them on. They questions are resorted and presented in an order that can create the most drama. At some point, Shaq can push a big red button and give the contestant an offer of guaranteed money — generally, half the money the range they picked is going for — to walk away. And there’s another twist: If the number of questions the contestant got right is higher than the range they guessed, they walk away with nothing.

Stream It Or Skip It: 'Lucky 13' on ABC, a game show where contestants guess how many questions they got right (3)

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The game play of Lucky 13 is not anything we’ve seen before, but the set and music remind us of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (sigh).

Our Take: The game play of Lucky 13 is pretty simple, so in order to play two games in a 42-minute runtime (without commercials), the producers have to pad things a bit. Of course, padding leads to a slow pace that can drive a viewer crazy if they’re paying attention to the show, but might not bother a viewer watching this while folding laundry or scrolling their phones.

Seriously, though, the part where Shaq and his monotone ask the contestant the true-false questions feels like it goes on for ages. Both Shaq and Rodriguez try to fill in with funny lines or asking contestants questions about their thought processes, but it still feels endless. Then, as Rodriguez reveals which ones the contestant got right and which they got wrong, there’s some tension that builds as we get closer to the chosen range, but the segment still feels too long.

Here again, the hosts fill in with funny lines. In fact, Rodriguez has some funny off-the-cuff remarks in reaction to what the contestants say that tells us that in a better format, she could be a good host. Shaq is Shaq; he’s charming despite never really speaking in anything but his signature monotone. But that monotone can be a killer for an entire hour where he’s not bouncing off Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.

It’s a format that has some intrigue, especially with the idea that if you lowball your range and have too many right answers, you lose. But the pacing is so slow that whatever tension those moments is minor at best.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: The second contestant’s game ends and Shaq and Rodriguez say good night.

Sleeper Star: The two contestants that play in the first episode are both fun to watch, even if the commentary they give before they give their answers is a little annoying.

Most Pilot-y Line: We’re not sure why there are 13 contestants sitting in a circle around the hosts. It’s not like they do a “fastest finger”-style quiz to get into the “hot spot,” like in the original Millionaire. A person is called to be the next contestant, and that’s it. Do the 13 in the circle change from episode to episode? It’s a headscratcher.

Our Call: SKIP IT. While O’Neal and Rodriguez are fine hosts, and the game play has a small amount of intrigue and tension, there’s so much filler in Lucky 13 you’ll get really bored before that tension kicks in.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.

    Tags

  • ABC
  • game shows
  • Lucky 13
  • Stream It Or Skip It
Stream It Or Skip It: 'Lucky 13' on ABC, a game show where contestants guess how many questions they got right (2024)

FAQs

What is the new Lucky 13 show? ›

From the creative who introduced the world to "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," "Lucky 13" tests contestants' knowledge with 13 true-or-false trivia questions but with a cunning twist: Just how well do they know what they know … and, just as importantly, how well do they know what they don't know?

Where is Lucky 13 filmed? ›

Nest provided production support for the shoot of the series in Las Vegas. The team worked both on the pilot, shot at dock10 in Salford and on last month's broadcast production at Worre Studios in Las Vegas, which marks the first time the facilities had been used for broadcast purposes.

How do they pick contestants for game shows? ›

Game shows often use auditions or interviews to identify potential contestants who have what they're looking for. For competitive shows, your audition may take the form of a short test or mock round of gameplay. In other cases, you may simply be asked a few questions designed to make you think on your feet.

What channel is Lucky 13 on? ›

ABC is sharing a new episode of Lucky 13 on Thursday, August 15, at 9 pm ET/PT. Lucky 13 is part of ABC's summer game show slate, joined by Press Your Luck season 6 on Thursdays, as well as Celebrity Family Feud season 10 and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 25th anniversary special episodes.

What is Lucky 13 on ABC? ›

Co-hosted by Shaquille O'Neal and Gina Rodriguez, "Lucky 13" tests contestants' knowledge with 13 true-or-false trivia questions.

Is Lucky 13 sentient? ›

The ship was old and known for failing, so when the self destruct sequence initiated it was just a glitch that it didn't explode and just so happened to explode as more of the enemy surrounded them… Nah, she was definitely sentient.

What is Lucky 13 game show? ›

In this quiz show, contestants are shown thirteen statements and they must answer if they are true or false. Then they guess how many of their answers are correct. If the number of correct answers falls within a range they select, they win. If they hit the exact number they predicted, they win even more.

What is the new game show with Gina Rodriguez? ›

'Lucky 13' starring Shaquille O'Neal and Gina Rodriguez debuts. Summer game show season is underway, and ABC is adding a new primetime series to its lineup! At nine p.m., catch the debut of “Lucky 13,” hosted by Shaquille O'Neal and Gina Rodriguez.

Where was the movie Lucky filmed in Arizona? ›

' Then in Cave Creek, Arizona, where we shot desert vistas and Saguaro and those kinds of things, in some ways there was less walking, but we did it in early morning and late afternoon. We tried to make sure no one was out in the midday heat of July in Arizona.”

Do game show contestants wear their own clothes? ›

Which clothes contestants are expected to bring to a game show. Richard revealed that on shows like Pointless, contestants bring six outfits, and none of them can have the excluded types of clothes. However, if a contestant does bring the 'wrong' type of clothing, the wardrobe department tends to have spares on-hand.

Do contestants actually win money on game shows? ›

Winning prizes on a game show is anything but free. Prizes have a monetary value. For example, let's say you win an all-expenses-paid trip to Mexico valued at $10,000. Prepare to report that $10,000 and pay taxes on it.

Do game show contestants have to pay taxes on prizes? ›

Whether it's a hefty cash prize or a dream vacation, game show winnings are considered taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This means that contestants are liable to pay federal and applicable state income taxes on the value of their winnings.

What platform is lucky on? ›

How to Watch Lucky. Right now you can watch Lucky on Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, and AMC+.

What channel is 13 lives on? ›

Watch Thirteen Lives | Prime Video.

What channel is press your luck game show on? ›

Where is thirteen movie located? ›

Plot. 13-year-old Tracy Freeland begins the seventh grade as a smart, mild-mannered honors student at a middle school in Los Angeles. Her divorced mother Melanie is a recovering alcoholic who struggles to support Tracy and her older brother Mason by working as a hairdresser.

Where was the show 13 filmed? ›

Thirteen (TV series)
Thirteen
Executive producerElizabeth Kilgarriff
ProducerHugh Warren
Production locationsBristol, England
Running time60 minutes
15 more rows

Where is Lucky Bay located? ›

Lucky Bay is a bay located at 33°59′40″S 122°13′57″E on the south coast of Western Australia, in the Cape Le Grand National Park. Located southeast of Esperance, the bay is a tourist spot known for its bright white sands and turquoise-coloured waters.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Dong Thiel

Last Updated:

Views: 5703

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (79 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dong Thiel

Birthday: 2001-07-14

Address: 2865 Kasha Unions, West Corrinne, AK 05708-1071

Phone: +3512198379449

Job: Design Planner

Hobby: Graffiti, Foreign language learning, Gambling, Metalworking, Rowing, Sculling, Sewing

Introduction: My name is Dong Thiel, I am a brainy, happy, tasty, lively, splendid, talented, cooperative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.