Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is taking his act to primetime this week as Robert Smigel’s roving late-night character guests on the premiere of CBS’ Hollywood Squares revival Thursday night.
Triumph will occupy the top left square in the first of two back-to-back episodes, and will also return next week for another appearance.
The new run of Hollywood Squares is hosted by TV host and former football player Nate Burleson. Drew Barrymore, who hosts the CBS Media-distributed The Drew Barrymore Show and also executive produces the game show’s revival, will serve as the show’s permanent center square.
“We can’t assume they’re going to love the show,” Triumph warns Barrymore in a new behind-the-scenes video (below). “And we also can’t assume that the CBS audience will still be alive.”
“I feel like I’m on your talk show you’re so uncomfortably close,” Triumph quips as Barrymore visits him in his square in a clip from the show.
Future episodes of Hollywood Squares will also feature some former late-night personalities, with Jay Leno, Sam Jay, Leslie Jones, Bobby Moynihan, Kevin Nealon, and Ross Matthews all set to guest this season.
Triumph has been honing his game show skills in recent years, staging multiple live shows that find the puppet hosting his own improvised panel show, “Let’s Make A Poop.” Smigel has released some of those specials on his YouTube channel. In fact, he even produced a a parody version of The Hollywood Squares during the 2020 COVID lockdown.
CBS’ revival of Hollywood Squares—which first debuted on NBC in 1966—will be the first time new episodes have aired in the US since the syndicated version hosted by Tom Bergeron ended in 2004.
Hollywood Squares premieres this Thursday, January 9, at 8 PM ET on CBS, with two back-to-back half-hour episodes. The show will air in that timeslot for two more weeks, before switching to its regular 10pm Wednesday time slot beginning January 29.
