What’s On TV Tonight: ABC’s ‘Card Sharks’ with Host Joel McHale

It’s almost summer and ABC is giving everyone a jumpstart with a block of fun shows, including “Card Sharks” with host Joel McHale. 

The show, a reboot fro the classic 1970s promises “The road to glory and riches begins with two players facing off in a head-to-head elimination race where the winning player claims a $10,000 cash prize and a chance to turn that amount into a life-changing payday. The anticipation builds as the winning contestant risks their prize on predicting seven final cards. The player leaves the game with whatever amount of money they have in their bank after their prediction, and results are revealed on the flip of their seventh and final card.”

McHale didn’t study previous “Card Sharks” hosts Jim Perry, Bob Eubanks, Pat Bullard when preparing for the show, he wanted to do things his own way. 

“I think [the producers] wanted it to be its own thing,” McHale told reporters at a summer press junket. “I think [they] producers were just worried if I could do it or not. So, I don’t say, “Hey, you won $200 grand.” And they’re, “No, they didn’t yet. There’s one more step and then they get it,” so, they let me tell a thousand jokes. I made the tapings go on long, because I told so many jokes. We’ll see how many of them make it on air.”

All kidding aside, McHale’s humor keeps the show loose. 

“This one, they nicely brought in a loose feel to it,” McHale said. “Even though the game is very engaging. It’s such a simple game, but when somebody gets an eight, and there’s $250,000 on the line … This one woman was like, “I’m either going to buy a house, or I’m going to be a barista tomorrow.”