Taye Diggs will host “You’re Back in the Room” (working title), a new eight-episode one-hour hypnotic comedy game show featuring award-winning hypnotist Keith Barry, who stars in the original U.K. show, as resident hypnotist.
“The second I saw this show I knew I needed to be a part of it. It’s the most unique blend of comedy and competition I’ve seen in years,” said Diggs. “I’m also quite excited as this is a program I can watch and laugh at with my six-year-old son.”
Based on the smash-hit U.K. format of the same name, “You’re Back in the Room” (wt) features physical comedy and unpredictable situations, as contestants work together in teams and are challenged to complete a variety of simple, everyday tasks, from frosting a cake to blowing up balloons… after being hypnotized. With big money at stake, these contestants need to work together as a team, but their entranced state causes hysterical hurdles that unwittingly sabotage their progress.
The series will begin production in July.
Taye Diggs currently stars as “Detective Terry English” in the drama series “Murder in the First,” currently in its third season. He recently concluded a multi-episode arc on Fox’s “Rosewood,” before ending his run in the title role of Broadway’s “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” historically marking the first time an African-American took on the title role.
Diggs joins the ranks of other relatively new black male game show hosts – ABC is reviving “The $100,000 Pyramid” game show for a 10-episode primetime run this summer, with Michael Strahan hosting; Cedric the Entertainer (“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”), succeeded by Terry Crews; Wayne Brady (“Let’s Make a Deal”); Steve Harvey (“Family Feud” and more); Alfonso Ribeiro (“Catch 21,” “Spell-Mageddon”); Anthony Anderson (“To Tell the Truth”); Common (“Framework”); Donald Faison (“WINSANITY”); and there others I can’t think of at the moment.
Keith Barry is the world’s leading TV hypnotist, mentalist and “brain hacker.” He has toured for many years showcasing his skills across the globe and has starred in over 40 international TV shows, his most recent being the U.K. version of “You’re Back in the Room.” His TED talk has been in the Top 20 TED Talks since 2008 and it currently has over 10 million views on the TED Talks website and over 30 million views in total. Barry is the Chief Magic and Mentalist Consultant on the upcoming feature film “Now You See Me: The Second Act,” slated to premiere in June.
“You’re Back In The Room,” produced by Tuesday’s Child, debuted in the U.K. as the No. 1 new unscripted entertainment series in 2015, ending its first season as a Top 10 series overall. The series is currently airing its second season and the format has been produced in France, The Netherlands and Australia and optioned internationally in multiple territories, including Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal and Spain.
“You’re Back in the Room” (wt) is executive-produced by Tuesday’s Child in association with BBC Worldwide Productions. Karen Smith and Joe Sungkur serve as executive producers.
Source: Shadow & Act
