Then again, the above argument of not taking something intended for kids and market it for adults could've been argued when Double Dare expanded to become Family Double Dare (let alone, returned as Double Dare 2000); yet, that concept worked out fine.
The difference is on the family versions, kids were still playing the game and the show was still more or less intended for kids. With parents playing the game with their kids, the appeal grew. Kids would never turn down an opportunity to get their parents messy.
2000 still had some issues, though. It was an attempt to bring the show to a new age that just didn’t connect.
When you take a game that worked with kids, and the kids aren’t the main focus, the appeal suffers. After
Double Dare initially took off, they tried doing adult versions. For obvious reasons, the pilots didn’t sell. Same would go with
College Mad House, which did go to series but had nowhere near the staying power that
Fun House did.
I’d like to hear more on why the pandemic was solely responsible for a game show failing.
