‘Shaq On This Show Was Like Shaq Shooting Free Throws.’ Fans Are Not Holding Back After ABC Cancels Lucky 13, But There’s Another Show They Hope Gets Saved

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As a die-hard game show enthusiast with decades of experience under my belt, I must admit that I found myself tuning into Lucky 13 with high hopes, given the charisma of its co-hosts Shaquille O’Neal and Gina Rodriguez. However, much like a three-point shot attempt by Shaq during his basketball days, this show fell short for me.

Shaquille O’Neal received some positive news as it was confirmed that “Inside the NBA” will air on TV schedules under ESPN in 2025, but unfortunately the same can’t be said for another of his shows – “Lucky 13”. This game show, co-hosted by Shaquille O’Neal and Gina Rodriguez on ABC, won’t be renewed for a second season. Although some TV cancellations in 2024 have sparked anger among fans, the response to “Lucky 13” was more about expressing disappointment with the show and hoping that “The Chase” would come back instead.

The show titled “Lucky 13” had a somewhat intricate structure where a solo contestant attempted to answer 13 true-or-false questions. Afterward, they could guess the number of correct answers, potentially winning up to $1 million. However, according to Deadline, the viewership dwindled after some initial weeks and the projected ad revenue didn’t meet expectations. This is unfortunate news for the former basketball player-turned-broadcaster-turned-game show host and Gina Rodriguez, but it wasn’t a shock to many viewers, as expressed in a Reddit conversation, with one commenting: “[It was] not surprising to us viewers.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected. The concept was generally sound, but the presentation felt odd. We managed to get through the initial few episodes, but somehow it failed to resonate with us, leading us to discontinue watching.

After checking out multiple episodes of “Lucky 13”, I can confidently vouch for my statement. Shaq and Gina Rodriguez are consistently delightful and entertaining to observe, in my view, however, the actual gameplay became somewhat tedious. The show repeats the same 13 true-or-false questions twice, along with the contestants’ explanations for their 50/50 decisions. Many other viewers concur that they won’t miss this game show, as they expressed in their comments: it didn’t leave a lasting impression on them.

  • Thank goodness. Shaq on this show was like Shaq throwing free throws. – DizzyLead
  • It was obnoxious and overcomplicated. I got pretty far through the interview process, but after watching the show, I’m glad I didn’t have to go to Vegas and waste my time. – WallyJade
  • Honestly good. The premise was so lame. – mattyGOAT1996
  • Great format, horrible execution. I am not surprised this show failed. –WillieRayPR
  • Watched one episode and that was enough … 👎 – Wardyman70

One sticking point for me was the fact that contestants had to predict how many they got right and then fall within a range of that number, meaning that sometimes contestants lost because they got too many questions right. Redditor wordyfard perfectly summed up the series’ cancellation using its own logic by saying:

It’s unfortunate. If they had predicted their show would last just one season, it might have been renewed for a hundred more. However, they thought it would run for three seasons, which resulted in its cancellation instead.

It appears that other game show enthusiasts might prefer different programs to air instead, and there’s a lot of excitement about the possibility that vacating the Lucky 13‘s time slot could benefit one of the top-rated game shows in existence. A comment that garnered numerous upvotes expressed this sentiment:

Not shocked I just hope they renew The Chase. It needs a longer run in the USA.

The Chase, a show where contestants face off against some of the most accomplished players from Jeopardy, including James Holzhauer, Brad Rutter, Victoria Groce, Brandon Blackwell and Buzzy Cohen, ran for three seasons on ABC. However, since its final episode in summer 2023, there hasn’t been any update on Season 4 yet.

I must apologize to Gina Rodriguez, Shaquille O’Neal, and his impressive free throw shooting skills, but if asked whether people would prefer watching “The Chase” over “Lucky 13”, my response would be affirmative.

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2024-11-26 17:08