Eurovision takes a seat with the makers of the hit show Oh Sit!. Produced by The Gurin Company and 405 Productions, this Rose d'Or winning game show was the only US programme to have made it to the select group of final nominees.

“Back home, the network, the studio and my colleagues are thrilled at the international recognition given to us by Eurovision and Rose d’Or,” Phil Gurin, from The Gurin Company, says.  

Each episode of Oh Sit! has twelve contestants go through a series of physically challenging obstacle courses in order to claim a chair as a live band performs.  Under the watchful eyes of referees, players must endure multiple rounds of sheer endurance before one player can claim the last chair and win the cash prize. This sounds simple in theory but the set has been designed by the creators, game show professionals, stuntmen, and technical designers and has resulted in a course that requires helmets, knee pads and a real love of falling into the water. Filmed on the same stage that legendary actress Esther Williams made her movies on during the 1940s and 1950s, the watery theme continues.

405 Productions' Richard Joel first came up with the idea for an adult version of extreme musical chairs when trying to accommodate his large extended family at a small table at a social function. “With all of them constantly getting up and down, coming and going, it reminded me of the musical chairs game we all played as children. When that lightbulb went off I began envisioning an adult version that would reinvent the kids game we all know." While some people dismissed the early pitches as "just a kids’ show”, Joel and co-creator Deena Dill set about developing an adult concept. "We created a 3D animated sizzle reel to bring our vision of the format and magnitude of this extreme musical chairs game show to life.  And it worked, when we brought the sizzle reel to Phil Gurin. He instantly got it and loved it," recalls Joel.

From left to right: Deena Dill (Creator, Executive Producer), Jamie Kennedy (Host),
Phil Gurin (Creator, Executive Producer), Jessi Cruickshank (Host),
Richard Joel (Creator, Executive Producer) (Courtesy of 405 Productions)

Gurin remembers seeing immediate potential: “It’s like Top of the Pops meets a Japanese game show meets roller derby. The CW channel instantly saw what we saw and bought it just 24 hours after our first meeting.”

Acknowledging that the show’s title is cheeky, Joel and Gurin still believe that families can handle it. “It was originally called Extreme Musical Chairs, but Oh Sit! is a name we can have fun with.  Even so, the whole goal is to create something that the whole family can watch,” Gurin says.

“And who doesn’t like to see somebody fall? I do,” adds Joel. “The game appeals to people of all ages and the contestants are hilarious. By taking things that people see in everyday life, we can put a fun spin on it. Oh Sit! is musical chairs on steroids...and in water.”

When asked if either of them have tried the game themselves, Gurin laughs, “I’m not crazy enough.” However, Joel admits that he has climbed on some of the obstacles, albeit rather carefully. “I wasn’t allowed to do much more due to safety reasons and I was quite relieved about that.”

Now with the support of Warner Bros International, Gurin hopes that the show might spread globally. “We’ve put together a detailed ‘production bible’ so that it can be adapted by any country in the world.”  Both of them attribute the success of their show to storytelling. Phil explains, “Be it a dance competition, game show or musical variety, it still needs to tell a story. It’s not about trying to expose or embarrass or hurt anyone and I’m very proud of our big, fun and entertaining show.”