There are some childhood games that are lodged into Gen Xers and Millennials brains. Who can forget playing Red Light, Green Light or Duck, Duck, Goose with your childhood classmates and friends? Ahhh the good old days before endless scrolling on social media and dealing with Sunday scaries. Another game that also tugs at the nostalgic heartstrings is Simon Says. It was so simple… until things got speedy and it was no longer easy. If Simon (whoever the hell he is) says to do it, then you do it. And if you don’t hear “Simon Says,” then you don’t do it. Well Netflix is taking the concept of Simon Says and turning it into a competition reality series that takes the stakes to another level.
According to Deadline, Netflix promises “this isn’t the Simon you remember from recess. In a mischievous and high-stakes twist, contestants will face a gauntlet of cunning challenges, strategic mind games, and unexpected pivots as they compete for a life-changing prize. One rule remains the same: if Simon says it, you’d better listen.”
Players will either follow orders in hopes of winning Simon’s big cash prize or they will be eliminated. The Simon Says reality competition series is set to hit Netflix sometime in 2027. Emer Harkin will be the showrunner, with executive producers listed as Julie Pizzi, Rupert Dobson, and Gayani Wanigaratne. Simon Says is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions.
Tai at Nerdist’s Thoughts on Netflix’s Simon Says series:
I know that Netflix does not care at all about a little pop culture writer’s opinion, but I have one anyway. And that opinion is that I don’t dig this idea. A part of that could be that I am not a reality show fan in general and I don’t get kicks from seeing random people compete and argue on TV. But the bigger issue is that it feels like a recycle of a zillion shows we have seen before. I may end up being wrong, but that description doesn’t give me much confidence. It feels so incredibly dystopian in a world where the collective are struggling to make financial ends meet.
Why not a cool fantasy/sci-fi/maybe even horror-tinged series where kids are playing Simon Says and they conjure up the spirit of an evil, ancient being who goes by Simon. Or maybe they are transported to an alternate reality where there’s a great and powerful Simon who starts a game that they must finish to go home. Anything more fun and creative please!
I guess we will see how Netflix’s Simon Says series goes and if it turns out to be a hit.