In a modern take on classic competitive shows, comedian Romesh Ranganathan presents a gameshow where online personalities undertake ridiculous tasks. The entire production appears to have been assembled with minimal resources, giving it an almost experimental feel that might leave viewers feeling their age.

This week, I experienced a peculiar sense of aging while watching a new gameshow on Prime Video. The program features ten well-known online personalities, none of whom were familiar to me. In my observation, the names of YouTubers often resemble outdated online aliases, such as ‘Fruit-Nut,’ ‘Palzone,’ or ‘Kevin the Rotator.’ This new competition, titled ‘Would You Rather,’ includes participants like King Kenny, Bambino Becky, Stephen Tries, Elz the Witch, and Chunkz, among others I did not record as I felt overwhelmed.

The show’s complete title, “Would You Rather: Decide to Survive” (available on Prime Video from June 26th), suggests a more intense, survivalist theme than what is actually presented. I had anticipated a format akin to “SAS: Who Dares Wins,” with participants scaling gym ropes, enduring challenging interrogations, or even experiencing sickness from drinking untreated water. While it is indeed a physical elimination contest hosted by Romesh Ranganathan, the challenges are far from the extreme scenarios I envisioned.

The show pits two teams against each other in absurd challenges that are inspired by a common conversational game: “Would you rather X or Y?”

English Translation:

Would You Rather: Romesh Ranganathan’s Gameshow is So Low-Effort It’s Almost Avant-Garde

In a modern twist on classic competitive television, comedian Romesh Ranganathan presents a gameshow where online personalities undertake ludicrous tasks. The entire production appears to have been cobbled together with minimal resources, giving it an almost avant-garde feel that might make viewers feel their age.

I felt a hundred years old this week, watching a new gameshow on Prime Video featuring ten famous online stars, none of whom I recognized. To me, YouTubers always have names that sound like MSN Messenger handles, things like Fruit-Nut and Palzone and Kevin the Rotator. Anyway, lining up to compete in ‘Would You Rather’ are King Kenny, Bambino Becky, Stephen Tries, Elz the Witch, and Chunkz, along with some others I didn’t write down because I had to lie down.

The show’s full name is ‘Would You Rather: Decide to Survive’ (Prime Video, from June 26th), which is misleadingly hardcore. I assumed it would be an offshoot of ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins.’ I expected scaffolders shimmying down gym ropes, enhanced interrogation, and people getting dysentery after drinking from rivers. And, well, it is a mostly physical elimination contest, hosted by Romesh Ranganathan. Two teams face off, but in ludicrous challenges inspired by a staple of leisurely conversation: ‘Would you rather X or Y?’