Supermarket Sweep has been one of my all-time favorite game shows. The 90’s version of it, brilliantly hosted by David Ruprecht, was something I could watch for hours as the madness that ensued while duos manically shopped through the store in an effort to win a huge cash prize was beyond thrilling. Also I love food (I’m a tasty bear) so it was also fun to see all the kinds of items they would buy.
The show, which first began back in the 60’s, had been off the air since 2003 however news of its revival originally broke in 2017. The shopping cart wheels started to move two years later when it was announced that funny lady Leslie Jones would be hosting it. We kind of knew what we were in for with the Saturday Night Live veteran given her stellar performance as guest judge on the most recent season of RuPaul’s Drag Race which she should’ve won a Primetime Emmy for.
Leslie delivers with that same energy we saw on RPDR only this time its in the middle of a big ole supermarket and not in a chair gazing at a bunch of fierce drag queens. Some may find what she brings to the table to be a bit over the top but its the kind of thing that’s needed for a show like this in order to keep the at-home audience energized throughout.
Supermarket Sweep has so far aired two episodes with each having one thing in common. They highlight several members of the LGBTQ community so wonderfully which was something that could not have been done on this kind of level in any previous iterations of the show.
The first episode included a couple with one of them being a proud trans man. It was actually his wife that revealed to Leslie and the world about his transition which, as previously stated, is something that more than likely would’ve been kept hush hush in the 90’s version.
You also meet a gorgeous gay couple in the following episode that have been together for years who clearly are still in love with each other. Either that or they are just too freaking excited to be on the show which is understandable given how much fun it really is.
What’s even better about Supermarket Sweep now is that it doesn’t veer too far from its predecessors. There’s still the “Big Sweep” where each team runs through the store and tries to get as many goodies as possible in their allotted time frame although the bonuses within this round have changed for the 2020 version. Here they can earn extra $ by doing things like finding a coffee can with the contestant’s name on it at the in-store coffee bar.
It’s a fun game to watch and another great representation of LGBTQ on TV. Supermarket Sweep airs Sunday night’s on ABC. Check your local listings.