People Puzzler, starring Leah Remini, will return for a second season on TV stations owned by the Fox, Sinclair, CBS Stations, Nexstar Media Group, Gray Television and E.W. Scripps broadcast groups covering more than 90% of the country, said Lionsgate-owned Debmar-Mercury on Thursday.
The show, which turns People Magazine’s crossword puzzles into a game show, is averaging more than 900,000 viewers, according to Debmar-Mercury, up 42% from the show’s September debut. People Puzzler comes to TV stations off of Game Show Network, where three seasons and 325 episodes have aired.
“The healthy ratings growth we’ve seen from People Puzzler in its first months in syndication has been nothing short of remarkable,” Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement. “Stations are hungry for proven performers and we are excited to be able to bring this winning game show back to the market next season.”
People Puzzler is produced by Game Show Enterprises Studios, Start Entertainment and People, a Dotdash Meredith brand. The game show combines pop culture with fun facts, pitting three contestants in a three-round battle that puts their pop-culture knowledge to the test. The contestant with the most points after the three rounds moves into the “Fast Puzzle Bonus Round” and gets the opportunity to win a cash prize.
Remini executive produces People Puzzler along with Rane Laymance for Game Show Enterprises Studio, as well as Scott St. John and Neal Konstantini for Start Entertainment and Rachel Feinberg for Dotdash Meredith.
