CBS turning Candy Crush into a game show

CBS has greenlit Candy Crush, a game show inspired by King’s phenomenally successful franchise of match-three puzzle games, the network announced today.

The hourlong show will pit teams of two people against each other, as the duos look to “use their wits and physical agility [...] on enormous, interactive game boards featuring next generation technology,” according to a news release.

Candy Crush’s format is unsurprising, considering that its executive producer is Matt Kunitz, who served in the same role on shows such as Fear Factor and Wipeout. CBS said it will announce the show’s host later — a crucial role, considering how important Alec Baldwin is to the appeal of ABC’s revival of Match Game.

“The Candy Crush franchise lends itself perfectly to the kind of larger-than-life, physical game shows that I love to produce and CBS is the perfect home for it,” said Kunitz. “As a Candy Crush Saga player myself, I am excited to amp up the action and visuals in our huge Candy Crush Arena.” Here’s hoping the show is more Double Dare and less Wipeout.

The millions of people who have played the Candy Crush games will have something to do while they watch the show: Glenn Geller, president of CBS Entertainment, said that Candy Crush viewers will be able to “play along at home.” CBS is working with Lionsgate Television, Pulse Creative and King — the Activision-owned studio behind Candy Crush — on the game show and what Kevin Beggs, chairman of the Lionsgate Television Group, described as its “second-screen potential.”

Candy Crush Saga, which was released in late 2012, remains one of the 10 highest-grossing mobile games in the U.S. As of September, the game maintained an average of 18 billion game rounds played per month worldwide.