Divided (American game show)

Production

A sneak preview of the series aired on November 26, 2016. Mike Richards, executive producer of The Price Is Right and Let's Make a Deal and former host of GSN's The Pyramid, was chosen to host the show. The series officially premiered January 19, 2017, an hour before the season four premiere of GSN's Idiotest. GSN's Executive Vice President of Programming, Amy Introcaso-Davis, said of the premiere date: "Divided is informed by the fractured social landscape, which in turn, reflects the political divide in this country....launching Divided so close to the inauguration, much like a question in the show, was hotly debated!

Ultimately we agreed it was a good time to show that although people have many disagreements, it is to everyone's benefit to unite." On March 14, 2017, GSN renewed Divided for a second season, with a two-episode premiere on August 15, 2017. On March 30, 2017, a special edition aired with three contestants instead of the usual four, resembling the format of the original British series; during this episode, no mid-game elimination was held, and another $15,000 question was added in the third round.

After a hiatus midway through Season 2, on April 3, 2018, new episodes were moved to a 3:30 AM EST death slot. Reruns remained in early time slots for an additional four years until the show was removed entirely from the GSN schedule in October 2022. On-demand episodes are now found exclusively on streaming service Pluto TV.

Reception

Critics saw the show as a product of its era. Nellie Andreeva from Deadline Hollywood observed that the premiere arrived as the country was still reeling from a divisive presidential race, a point not lost on GSN executives. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times agreed, suggesting the program, which highlights contestants' stubbornness and hostility, seemed born from the nation's recent fractious period and fit the current mood perfectly. A preview episode in November drew 275,000 viewers and a 0.07 rating among adults 18-49. The official premiere saw a notable jump, with the 9:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. EST episodes earning 421,000 and 451,000 viewers, respectively. The show reached its peak on February 23, 2017, with 500,000 viewers and a 0.13 rating in the key demographic.