Minute to Win It (NBC)

MINUTE TO WIN IT is a game show hosted by Guy Fieri that challenges contestants to complete 10 deceivingly simple tasks with ordinary household items, each in under a minute. Each successful attempt moves the player up a ladder of increasing cash prizes toward a possible grand prize of a million dollars. Typical challenges include emptying a box of facial tissues by removing them one by one, rolling marbles to topple an upright pencil, and stacking golf balls on top of each other. 

Rarely do game shows span the age divide well enough to entertain all family members across the board, but that’s the very challenge that Minute to Win It manages to overcome with its squeaky-clean content and easily replicated competitions, which families are sure to want to try themselves. (Lucky for us, the show’s website has directions for more than 60 of the challenges.) These contestants aren’t Ivy League scholars or extreme thrill seekers; they’re average people attempting to master mundane tasks with tools like plastic cups, balloons, and a roll of toilet paper.

The challenges test the players’ focus, rattle their nerves, and, oh yeah, make them look ridiculous along the way. All things considered, that’s good for buckets of laughs, but it also relates to some social issues (when laughing at someone's expense turns to bullying, for instance) that families can discuss afterward.

TV Rating: TV-PG
Network: NBC
Cast: Guy Fieri
Genre: Game Shows
Where to watch: NBC