Plus, why the revamp couldn’t come at a more meaningful time

GAME show fans are strapped in after getting their first look at the new revival of Hollywood Squares.

Drew Barrymore will host the classic game show with a coterie of A-list contestants signed on and a refreshingly old-school set design.

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Hollywood Squares host Drew Barrymore posing with contestant Gabriel IglesiasCredit: Instagram/fluffyguy

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Fans said the set looks ‘great,’ and stars include Whitney Cummins and other big namesCredit: Instagram/fluffyguy
Comedian Gabriel Iglesias posted the first look of the revamped show on Instagram on Monday.

His post was a video, but fans hit pause to catch several glimpses of Hollywood Squares’ jaw-dropping glow-up.

The comedian will be a contestant in the upcoming revamp, and showed production was underway- and looked snazzy.

One image showed Drew posing with Gabriel as she donned a slicked-back bun and haute red lip.

Another snap showed the set in full, designed like the OG version of the game show with eight cubes for the celebrities.

In the center was the famed center square ninth cube where Drew would sit while hosting.

The cubes were stacked up on one another like on the original show.

Instead of a modern design, the set was also classic-style with dark wood flooring and wood trim for each cube.

Other Instagram Stories the comic posted showed who some of the other contestants would be.

They included Tig Notaro, Kristen Schaal, Mario Cantone, Vicki Lawrence of the Carol Burnette Show, and Yvette Nicole Brown.

‘SET LOOKS GREAT’

Fans flooded X (formerly Twitter), sharing the post and their excitement about the new version of the once-booming show.

“OK, the new Hollywood Squares is really doing the panel right,” one fan wrote.

“Well I’m surprised but pleased,” wrote another, “They made a new Hollywood Squares set for this version.

“It’s not the old Hip Hop/Nashville/Celebrity Squares set again for another decade. Looks nice!”

“And a more traditional set and not that weird drop back tiered nondrop-backy have been doing for the last 10+ years on other reboots.”

“The set looks great!” wrote a third.

“And the fact that CBS airs the show??? I’m sold!!” wrote a fourth.

“I’m actually digging the wood-like flooring. Definitely a different feel from the Black Shiny Floor of the Bergeron Era,” wrote a fifth.

“I, too, am glad it’s not the recycled Hip Hop Squares/Nashville/Celebrity Squares set. It’s definitely a better change seeing them stacked in a 3 x 3 grid,” wrote one more.

NOT SO SQUARE!

CBS announced it was bringing back the beloved Hollywood Squares in May.

Hollywood Squares involves two contestants who play tic-tac-toe to win money and prizes.

The board for the game is a vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants.

The celebrities are asked trivia questions and the contestants judge the legitimacy of their answers to win the game.

The original show aired on NBC in the 1960s and ran on the network throughout the 1960s, with many more revamps after that.

Starting in January, the show will air on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET, paired with The Price is Right at Night.

In a statement in May, CBS executives said they were focused on restoring the show’s old-school style.

“We’re reimagining ‘Hollywood Squares.’ We’re going to be true to to the old school elements, but like having an anchor of somebody with that personality, those relationships, and just someone who actually is so such a diehard fan of that franchise. We’re super excited about her in the center square.”

It’s also been 20 years since Hollywood Squares ran in its original format.

The series originated on NBC, where it aired in daytime from 1966 to 1980 with host Peter Marshall.

A syndicated version was hosted by Tom Bergeron from 1998 to 2004.

A later syndicated version, hosted by John Davidson, ran from 1986 to 1989.

Paramount has tried many spinoffs in recent years, including Hip Hop Squares on MTV2 and VH1 and Nashville Squares on CMT.

BIG GAME SHOW LOSS

Meanwhile, the build-up to the new Hollywood Squares could not come at a more meaningful time.

Former host Peter Marshall died at age 98, it was announced on August 15, 2024.

His family announced that the 98-year-old died from kidney failure, as reported by his publicist, Harlan Boll.

The game show great died at his home in Encino, Los Angeles.

Speaking about his job over the 16 years, Peter revealed in an interview that he only worked once a week.

“It was the easiest job I ever had, and I never rehearsed,” Peter said in a 2010 interview for the Archive of American Television.

“I walked in, said ‘Hello stars,’ I read questions and laughed.

“And it paid very well.”

Hollywood Squares is set to premiere in January 2025, though an exact premiere date is TBA.

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Hollywood Squares premieres in January 2025Credit: Instagram/fluffyguy

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Drew Barrymore will host the revival of the beloved game showCredit: Getty

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The first glimpse of Hollywood Squares comes as the TV world mourns the loss of host Peter MarshallCredit: The Mega Agency