Craig Ferguson’s Celebrity Name Game cancelled due to low ratings
By Hector Cruz
The syndicated game show Celebrity Name Game hosted by Craig Ferguson has been cancelled after three seasons.
Celebrity Name Game will not be continuing past its current third season. The syndicated game show executive produced by David Arquette and Courtney Cox has been cancelled, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The series is hosted by Craig Ferguson, who was hired soon after leaving CBS’ The Late Late Show in late 2014.
Celebrity Name Game, based on the board game Identity Crisis, paired celebrities with contestants who were given clues in order to identify as many famous names as possible in a short amount of time to earn the chance to vie for a $20,000 final prize. The show ran on Tribune Broadcasting and Sinclair Broadcast Group networks across the U.S., airing in either daytime or late-night in select markets. While ratings were steady throughout its run, recently garnering a season-high 1.4 demo rating, they were too low to justify a fourth season.
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The game show earned Ferguson two consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards during his short time as host, including one earlier this year in the Outstanding Game Show host category. Since leaving Late Late Show due to fatigue, The Drew Carey Show actor has also hosted the History Channel show Join or Die, which was also plagued by low ratings, though its future remains uncertain for now.
“We’re incredibly proud of Celebrity Name Game and grateful to the terrific fan base that has supported the show for three seasons,” said Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of Debmar-Mercury, which co-produced the project, in a statement. “We thank everyone who has contributed to its run, including Craig Ferguson, the show’s extraordinary host who received two Daytime Emmy Awards in recognition of his talent, our amazing partners at FremantleMedia North America, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, their creative collaborators and the outstanding production team.”
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Ferguson can next be seen competing on the latest season of Lip Sync Battle on Spike. He also hosted the Red Nose Day special on NBC earlier this year, which helps raise money for kids in need across the country and the globe.