So there's a new game show in the US that women appear on while they're in labour. Is this a joke? Apparently not.
According to a story on
Variety (which was NOT posted on April Fool's Day),
TLC has planned a themed week of programming to tie in with Mother's Day in the US, which falls on May 10 this year. Running May 3-10, 'The Mother of All Weeks' will run various shows that are relevant to the theme, including mom-focused episodes of several TV shows and an episode of 19 Kids and Counting that revolves around the birth of Jill Duggar's first child.
But perhaps the most intriguing show in the line-up is a sneak preview on May 9 of Labor Games, a quiz show that Variety says, "takes the 'Cash Cab' formula to new heights by surprising couples in a hospital delivery room with the chance to win prizes for their baby-to-be."
TLC General Manager Nancy Daniels said that producers worked with doctors and nurses at a hospital in Pomona, California, to target couples who could roll with the surprise of having a female host and a small camera crew burst into the delivery room.
Still not convinced? Neither were we, so we looked into it a little further and found a
casting call that had been put out in January, asking for pregnant families who are planning to give birth in Pomona between mid February and the end of April. It says, "The questions are all baby related and generally pretty easy. You could win a lifetime supply of diapers, cleaning services, baby stuff PLUS the grand prize is a monetary contribution towards your baby's college fund." Not bad prizes at all.
If selected, the mother is apparently upgraded to a larger delivery room, where the shoot takes about 45 minutes. According to Nancy, "The biggest issue for Labor Games is going to be tone." Hmmm, we can think of bigger issues. While we're not entirely sure about the nature of the show, it's not really THAT surprising (if it's real, of course), given the plethora of absurd reality shows that air on TV. If nothing else, it certainly got us talking.
