MATTEL’S “PICTIONARY” GAME SHOW HOSTED BY JERRY O’CONNELL TO BROADCAST ON FOX TELEVISION STATIONS FALL 2022 

Program Originally Ran as a Limited Summer Series on Select FOX TV Stations in July 2021 and has Been Officially Greenlit as a Syndicated Series 

NEW YORK – Mattel’s Pictionary® game will broadcast on the FOX Television Stations as a first run syndicated series in the Fall of 2022, announced Frank Cicha, EVP of Programming for FOX Television Stations (FTS). Hosted by Jerry O’Connell, the thirty-minute show, produced by FOX First Run along with Bill’s Market and Television Production and distributed by CBS Media Ventures (CMV), will broadcast across all of the FOX-owned stations, including WNYW FOX 5 in New York and KTTV FOX 11 in Los Angeles.   

In making the announcement, Cicha stated, “Our partnership with CBS Media Ventures produced an entertaining program worthy of a national launch, but more importantly, we needed to bring Jerry O’Connell back to teach me the game because I still stink at it.” 

“After a successful summer run on FOX stations, we’re excited to continue our relationship with FOX and roll out ‘Pictionary’ to the rest of the country,” said Jonathan Bingaman, EVP sales, CMV. “Game shows have been delivering impressive ratings and growth regardless of daypart, so this is a great opportunity for stations to add another well-known franchise to their lineups.”

Jerry O’Connell will return as host of “Pictionary,” based on the game of quick sketches and hilarious guesses from Mattel. The broadcast version of the game will follow the rules of at-home play. Two teams of three will consist of two players led by a celebrity captain. One player from the team will draw images that depict a word or phrase found on a card chosen at random, in an effort to have their fellow teammates guess the correct word or phrase on the card. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to an exotic destination.    

O’Connell added, “I grew up playing Pictionary and now my kids are growing up playing Pictionary. All these tension-filled years of yelling, 'What is that supposed to be' and 'Draw faster, Grandma,' have culminated in this moment. Sharpen those pencils. Daytime just got a little more exciting.” 

Beginning his career at age 11 co-starring as Vern Tessio in “Stand by Me,”Jerry O’Connell later received critical acclaim for his role as quarterback Frank Cushman in “Jerry Maguire.” He is currently a co-host of CBS’s daytime show “The Talk.” Recently, the actor starred as the lead in WGN’s “Carter” and in “The Death of Superman” alongside his wife, Rebecca Romijn. O’Connell’s additional film credits include “Scream 2,” “Can’t Hardly Wait,” the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced comedy “Kangaroo Jack,” and “Piranha 3-D.” In addition to his film work, O’Connell was recently seen on multiple hit television series including “Scream Queens,” “Mistresses” and “Billions.” In the summer of 2019, O’Connell hosted “Jerry O,” a daytime talk show that aired on the FOX Television Stations. O’Connell costarred alongside David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood in “A Soldier’s Play,” which had a successful run for Roundabout Theater Company and is currently nominated for seven Tony’s. O’Connell is represented by ICM Partners, 3 Arts, and Steve Burkow from Ziffren Brittenham, LLP.   

The program will be executive produced by David Hurwitz and Noah Bonnett. Fred Soulie, SVP & GM of Mattel Television and Phil Breman, VP Live-Action serve as Co-Executive Producers for Mattel.   

Launched in 1985, Pictionary quickly grew to become the ultimate party game for kids and adults alike. Mattel reinvented the classic game with a digital component in 2019 with Pictionary Air which won Toy of the Year in the Games category. Pictionary is available in more than 30 languages in almost 40 countries.   

Trademarks and copyrights in and to Pictionary® are owned by Pictionary Incorporated, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.   

About FOX Television Stations   

FOX Television Stations owns and operates 29 full power broadcast television stations in the U.S. These include stations located in nine of the top ten largest designated market areas (DMAs), and duopolies in 11 DMAs, including the three largest DMAs (New York, Los Angeles and Chicago). Of these stations, 17 are affiliated with the FOX Network. In addition to distributing sports, entertainment and syndicated content, our television stations collectively produces more than 1,000 hours of local news every week. These stations leverage viewer, distributor and advertiser demand for the FOX Network’s national content.     

About CBS Media Ventures  

CBS Media Ventures is the preeminent company in television syndication. CMV produces or distributes popular, critically acclaimed hits including “Dr. Phil,” “Judge Judy,” “Entertainment Tonight,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy!,” “Inside Edition,” “Rachael Ray” and “The Drew Barrymore Show.” The division also handles national barter advertising sales for Debmar-Mercury's and Fox's first-run syndicated programming, and operates Dabl, a multiplatform, advertiser-supported lifestyle network (www.dabl.com). CMV is part of CBS Entertainment Group and a division of ViacomCBS.

About Mattel   

Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain, and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends®, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Monster High® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music, and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Visit us online at mattel.com.

About FOX First Run 

Fox First Run is the distributor of "Dish Nation," "Divorce Court," "25 Words or Less,” “You Bet Your Life,” “TMZ,” and “TMZ Live.” 

ABOUT Bill’s Market & Television Production 

Bill’s Market & Television Production is an independent production company focusing on live, scripted and non-scripted entertainment.  The company is helmed by Gelila and David Hurwitz who has executive produced a wide range of series from Fear Factor and Ellen’s Game of Games to You Bet Your Life with Jay Leno. 

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