After finding success with sitcoms and court shows, Byron Allen tried his hand at making a game show. It debuted in syndication on September 11, 2017. What's it like? Well, funny you should ask...
The game involves two contestants and six celebrity panelists. In round 1, a question is asked to one of the panelists, who gives what they believe is the right answer (after they deliver a hilarious zinger, of course!). The contestant must guess whether the celebrity was right or wrong; correctly guessing won them $100. The process is repeated with the other contestant and another celebrity, continuing until all six celebrities have been asked a question.
Round 2 is exactly the same, but each question is worth $200. Round 3...is exactly the same, but for $300 a pop. The one in the lead when time is called* keeps their money and moves on to the bonus round for a shot at $5,000.
This show provides examples of:
- The Announcer: John Cramer, who does most of Byron Allen's shows.
- Bonus Round: Consists of three questions. The first question has three possible answers, the second has four, and the third, six. (Granted, the last answer is always a zinger.) Getting all three right wins $5,000, getting a wrong answer at any point ends the round, and the contestant wins nothing extra.
- Catchphrase: "The show where every question has a funny answer!"
- Early-Installment Weirdness: During the first week the questions and scoreboards were in a different font, and there was no "time's up" bell; the third round was played in full each time. The first three episodes also lacked regular panelist Jon Lovitz, who appears in every other episode in the lower-left chair.
- Game Show Host: Jon Kelley, who previously hosted the final season of The Mole.
- Non-Standard Game Over: While it's framed under the guise of "time running out", if one player has an insurmountable lead at the end of round 3's fifth question, the game ends right then and there. Unfortunately, this wrinkle has screwed a few contestants out of the chance to win an extra $300; it stopped at least one from achieving a perfect $1,800.
- Opening Narration: "Today, on Funny You Should Ask! (Each celebrity is introduced.) And here's our host...Jon Kelley!"
- Unwinnable by Design: The show is infamous for almost never having a winner in the bonus round, mainly because the last question has five possible choices (plus the joke) and is usually about some incredibly obscure piece of trivia. About one contestant in 10 or 12 shows actually pulls it off.
