Neil Patrick Harris hosts a game show that combines elements of other similar programs, from ‘Jeopardy!’ to ‘Family Feud’.
The producers must have known that the gameplay of What's in the Box? was inherently boring, because they’ve saturated the show with so many reality TV elements that it’s ridiculous. We see the teams giving talking-head interviews reacting to what’s happening, and there are cameras on the contestants’ podiums so they can show the teams’ reactions while another team is playing with a box. Plus, there’s the idea that “alliances” can be formed through some of the wild cards, while other wild cards can make certain teams “targets.”
Stars: Neil Patrick Harris
It’s all very annoying. The game itself has some strategy, such as the idea that if you play a word to try and unlock a box and it turns out to be a trap, you have to earn more chances with another “unscramble these words” question. But most of the strategy involves stealing boxes or giving control of a box to another team, which could end up winning the contents of that box.
The box reveals are interesting, often containing a celebrity representing an experience prize, rather than a material prize like a car. We found it interesting that the value of the prizes, whether experience or material, isn’t highlighted. This is probably because the goal is to have as many boxes as possible for the Superbox round, and not the value of the prizes in those boxes, but it’s a bit disconcerting for game show fans like us.
Like most modern game shows, the producers favor contestants who are comfortable being loud and talkative, and they keep their microphones open the entire time. This also gives the show more of a reality TV feel than a game show feel, but it can get irritating after a while. The first two episodes tended to be a bit slow for several reasons: the producers seemed to only highlight half of the eight teams, and since only a few boxes had been opened, there weren’t any real opportunities for stealing, which we suspect will make the show more interesting in later episodes.
Neil Patrick Harris is perfectly suited to his role as game show host: he's in control of the game, encourages the contestants, and jokes with them when they say or do something funny. At times he comes across as a little too serious; hopefully, his witty and genuine sarcasm will come to the forefront more as the competition heats up.
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