Netflix recently announced that it will be moving forward with a reality TV competition show inspired by the classic board game, Cluewhich echoes another competition series from the 2010s that you can watch over the course of a weekend. Cluewhich was turned into a cult classic film in 1985, brings the murder mystery board game to life in a fun new way.
Netflix’s Clue-based competition series is said to feature a group of players who will be living together in a sprawling mansion, tasked to solve murders week after week. The magnitude of these staged murders remains to be seen, but with Netflix typically sparing no expense on production value, the show could be a fascinatingly fun watch when it premieres in the future.
Although Netflix’s version of Clue promises to blend reality TV competition structure with the high concept of a murder mystery, the series is likely to look a bit different than the whodunnit-style mysteries produced for film and TV. Nor a reality TV competition, the new Clue show will feature strategy and roleplay, much like its 2010s spiritual predecessor, ABC’s Whodunnit?.
Netflix’s New Clue-Based Competition Is Similar To ABC’s Whodunnit?
The Show Aired For One Season In 2013
ABC’s Whodunnit?which was pitched at the time as a hybrid of Big Brother and CSIis a show that closely echoes the tones of the new Netflix Clue project. Much like the new series, Whodunnit? brought a group of players together to take on the role of detective, but left them vulnerable enough in the competition that they could quickly become the victim if they weren’t careful.
Whodunnit? used a social and psychological approach to its gameplay, asking the players to work through elaborately staged deaths and figure out who committed the murder each week. Campy and divine, Whodunnit? may have only lasted one season, but still has devoted fans who feel that it was one of the most underrated reality TV competitions of all time.
ABC’s Innovative Whodunnit? Was Far Ahead Of Its Time
It Would’ve Benefited From The Branding Of Clue
Although Whodunnit? was just one season of television, it’s still a show that resonates with viewers, especially those who love shows that are steeped in strategy. For reality TV lovers who are watching shows like The Traitors, Big Brother, and Survivor, Whodunnit? was a whole different side to the world of reality TV competition that immersed itself in the campy dramatics of the genre.
Whodunnit? took itself seriously as a show, using its cast to their full extent and ensuring that the dramatic moments of the series were well-executed. The ABC series feels tailor-made for the streaming era, which is why it didn’t necessarily fit into the landscape of 2013’s TV lineup, but seeing Whodunnit? today could spark interest for the reinvention of reality TV’s most intriguing genre.
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2013 – 2013-00-00
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Gildart Jackson
Giles the Butler
