Savannah Guthrie, host of NBC's Today show, is set to present a television game show based on the New York Times' popular word game Wordle, the newspaper announced on Monday. The show, produced by Jimmy Fallon through his Electric Hot Dog company, will begin filming in Manchester, England, in June and air on US prime time in 2027.
The 54-year-old Guthrie revealed the project on Today, noting that it had been in development for some time but was delayed due to her leave of absence following the disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie, in February. The 84-year-old has not been seen since, and authorities suspect kidnapping. Guthrie expressed gratitude to NBC, Fallon, and the production team for pausing the project to support her during this difficult time.
Wordle, created by software engineer Josh Wardle in 2021 and acquired by the New York Times in 2022, challenges players to guess a five-letter word in six attempts. The half-hour episodes will be co-produced by NBCUniversal's Universal Television Alternative Studio (Utas) and the Times, marking the first time the newspaper has co-produced a prime-time entertainment programme on a major broadcaster.
Guthrie, an avid Wordle player, said the game was a point of connection with her mother, who saw the show's pilot in December. Despite her personal grief, Guthrie described the project as a 'joyous thing' and expressed determination to move forward.
