Review: "Don't" Know

ABC's newest game show Don't wrapped up its eight episode first season on Thursday, as it becomes the first Summer Fun & Games show to finish for the season. 

The show was commissioned why back in early 2019 and was taped at the Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta. The shows sees a group of contestants play a series of games (in which they need to avoid or "don't do" something) with the potential to win up to $100,000. There is no bonus game and grand prize final game. It's just five games each worth up to $20,000 with the chance at some small bonuses along the way.

The show started strong in the ratings, but then faltered towards the end. In the end, it averaged an 0.59 with just over three million viewers. Will that be good enough? It's hard to say. ABC has renewed Match Game over the years with similar ratings. However, Don't already was left 'in the can' for quite sometime and even now, it got a home in the summer because Pyramid and Card Sharks seasons were not ready. It' doesn't sound like ABC had a ton of confidence in it, but given the landscape of television today, it's very possible ABC brings it back for a second chance. 

For me, the show was just okay. The games were weird and wacky, the contestants were quite dumb and ditsy at times, and the whole background story surrounding the "Don't Push Button" got old very quickly. It was also filled with quite a bit of fluff and filler, which I am never a fan of either. It's got potential but there really is no excitement to the show and you don't really compelled to root for the contestants either. 

I would pretty much give it a "toss up" for renewal at this point, considering the downturn in ratings. It really could go either way. 

ABC's other Thursday games are in repeats for the next two weeks as the National Conventions are at 9pm Central the next two weeks. Holey Moley only has two episodes left and To Tell the Truth has at least two more, but maybe more. These will likely finish in early September before ABC shuffles around the schedule.