Let’s file this under “Things That Made Me Check the Calendar Twice”: The 1% TV Show is back on the air, but it’s not quite how I remembered it.
Originally, I swear this show aired on Amazon and was hosted by the incomparable Patton Oswalt—a man who deserves his own streaming platform purely to house his voiceover brilliance. If you’re a real one, you already know his narration on The Goldbergs was peak cozy chaos. And his bit roles in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Iconic. Honestly, I’d watch Patton read IRS memos and still rate it five stars.
But here we are in Summer 2025, and The 1% has resurfaced… on Fox?
Same name. Same format. But now it’s Joel McHale with the mic. No shade—Joel’s great. I still quote The Soup like it’s a sacred text, and his current run on Animal Control is genuinely entertaining. He even popped up on The Rookie and I didn’t hate it. So yes, I’m giving him a pass. But it’s still jarring, like when your favorite pizza joint changes owners and suddenly the sauce tastes… slightly Republican.
Is This a Summer Fling or the Real Deal?
It’s unclear whether this Fox reboot is a full commitment or just a “summer situationship.” Either way, I’m here for it. We’re knee-deep in show hole season, and The 1% TV Show fills a niche I didn’t know I missed: game shows that pretend to test intelligence but mostly expose overconfidence.
The format is simple: a series of multiple-choice questions that get harder as they go—designed to find the one person who answers what only 1% of the population got right. It’s trivia for the humblebrag generation.
Can You Beat the 1%?
I try to play along, and I always think, “This time will be different.”
It’s not.
Every single time, I get tripped up somewhere around the 30% question and watch my imaginary prize money dissolve like my optimism during a Netflix scroll session.
Still, it’s weirdly addictive. Unlike some quiz shows that feel like background noise, The 1% demands your full attention—and then mocks you for thinking you were smarter than you are.
Final Answer?
Yes, I’m watching. Yes, I miss Patton Oswalt. And yes, Joel McHale is doing fine. But mostly, I’m just thrilled to have a new summer show that isn’t another true crime docuseries or a reality dating show featuring people with suspiciously vague job titles.
If The 1% TV Show keeps this energy going all season, it might just claw its way out of “replacement-level summer filler” into “weekly appointment viewing.” (Until I get booted at 30% again.)
📺 The 1% airs on Fox. Bring snacks, and maybe a pencil. You’re gonna want to prove something to yourself.
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