THE SONIC BOOMER
I have an idea for a new game show and I’m just about to call Mark Burnett of Survivor fame and pitch it to him.
My (already patented) new show will be called “You’re Out of the Will.” The premise is that real people from all walks of life (but, most particularly, the filthy rich) will gather their relatives around them and tell them that they are drawing up a brand-new last will and testament to legally replace all previous wills.
These starring benefactors will have been tested 25 ways to Sunday and proclaimed to be “of sound mind and body,” and the new wills will be legally airtight due to all the knowledge and experience the TV show’s Hollywood attorneys are able to muster (which is a lot).
Each week, the benefactor will give their relatives a different task to perform to see how much of the inheritance they will actually receive. Some of the tasks will seem as if they are testing for one thing (how much of the inheritance the contestant would be willing to give to charity) when it is really testing for another (how compassionate the contestant is as a person).
Halfway through the season, it will be revealed that the inheritance isn’t to be split at all — that, one by one, the “contestants” are all being eliminated, ultimately leaving only one inheritor winning the entire pot — the homes, the cars, the boats, the money.
And there might even be a “twist,” like maybe letting the winner choose one of the losers to share his money with — a 50/50 split. Or he may choose not to share at all.
There’s plenty of room for sponsorship with a show like this. In-N-Out Burger would be a good partner, as would Nike (“Just Do It”).
And the show would be so much fun to watch. It would be a mix of Hell’s Kitchen (drama), Survivor (personalities), Family Feud (relatives) and any number of quiz shows. Then it would take all that and throw in some real-life situations (always the “X” factor).
About 17 percent of the U.S. population is age 65 or over. And they’ve got plenty of time to watch television, too. Think how refreshing it would be to have some senior faces on a primetime TV show — seniors wielding enormous power; seniors who may have an ax to grind with one or more of their relatives. Maybe a secret lover shows up. Or a stepsibling no one knew existed. Or perhaps an advocate for the benefactor’s 97 cats.
And there’s plenty of room for a follow-up or spin-off where the ousted relatives either manage to fend for themselves or fall flat on their faces. Maybe they suck up to the chosen one. Or maybe they plot revenge. The possibilities are endless!
I, of course, am available for consultation and am 100 percent willing to move to Los Angeles.
So, it’s settled then. I’m just waiting for that call.
