I'm not convinced anyone has ever actually finished a game of Monopoly. It's too time-consuming and stressful, and it can tear families apart. Make one bad investment decision and all of the sudden your dad is going off on a tangent about how you never were any good with money. But when your dad slips up and you dare make a comment, the board somehow ends up flying across the room and your mom is awkwardly suggesting a family movie as an alternative.
That would make for an entertaining game show but way too much liability. Instead, Monopoly Millionaires' Club is a hybrid that strips away all the maddening and boring aspects of the board game. Hosted by comedian Billy Gardell, the game show picks contestants from those who have purchased Monopoly Millionaires' Club scratch tickets. The entire audience is made up from these contestants and split up into five sections. Then a person from each section is randomly chosen to participate in games based on the board game. Their winnings are split up among their sections, meaning they're not just playing for themselves. In the final round each contestant has a chance to keep their winnings or risk it all for $1 million.
Monopoly Millionaires' Club starts national syndication this weekend and will also premiere next Tuesday on the Game Show Network.
