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Wordle TV on NBC
NBC has ordered a television adaptation of The New York Times’ Wordle puzzle game, to be hosted by Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie and debut in 2027.
“Half-hour episodes will be filmed in Manchester, England, beginning in June”
Guthrie announced the project on Monday’s broadcast of Today, saying, "We've been developing Wordle as a game show for the past two-and-a-half years with The New York Times, and it's official — we are making Wordle Game Show with our host, Savannah Guthrie!"
Jimmy Fallon joined Guthrie to reveal the news and said, "We need you, bud. You're so good, and it’s so fun."
The show is set to be produced by Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog company and Universal Television Alternative Studio, with the Times also acting as a production partner, and it will film in Manchester, England.
NBC said the Wordle show will challenge players to solve five-letter word puzzles in a “supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun,” with contestants competing for a cash prize.
Guthrie’s return and delay
Guthrie, 54, said the Wordle project had been delayed by her leave of absence after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, vanished from her Arizona home on 1 February.
The Guardian reported that Nancy Guthrie, 84, has not been seen since, despite an intensive months-long investigation, and that authorities believe she was probably the victim of a kidnapping.
Guthrie told viewers on Monday, "We’ve been working on this for a really long time, and actually we just found out in February that we got picked up and we were supposed to shoot in March," and she said the production team stopped everything when her family situation changed.
She added, "When everything happened with me and my family, they just stopped everything and said, ‘We’ll wait for you'."
KOMO also said Guthrie returned to the program on April 6 after stepping away from Today amid the search for Nancy Guthrie.
Casting, format, and stakes
NBC said it is recruiting contestants for the first season, with the network’s casting website asking for submissions and describing the competition as teams of THREE PLAYERS competing for a chance to win a HUGE CASH PRIZE.
“We are casting teams of THREE PLAYERS to compete for a chance to win a HUGE CASH PRIZE!”
CNN reported that the Wordle show is slated to premiere sometime in 2027, and it said the production company is now recruiting contestants for the first season.
Variety said a casting call for “Wordle” has opened and that production on the show is set to begin later this year, while also noting that Guthrie took a hiatus in early February amid the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie.
The Guardian said the show will be co-produced by Jimmy Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog company and Universal Television Alternative Studio, and it described the gameplay as finding a five-letter word in six or fewer guesses.
In the same announcement, Fallon framed the project as a prime-time extension of the Wordle phenomenon, saying, "I feel very honored to be working with Savannah Guthrie on this show."
