Wait ... those challenges look very familiar.
If you are a frequent watcher of NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, you know a celebrity guest will often times be involved in a game segment on each episode.
On the Monday, June 18 episode, this was once again the case when Academy Award-winning actor and 30 Seconds To Mars frontman Jared Leto played a new game called "30 Seconds To..." against Jimmy.
However, you'll come to realize that the game has a clear resemblance to the game show Minute To Win It.
Here's how "30 Seconds To..." is played. Jimmy and Jared are competitors in three challenges, each of which only lasts 30 seconds. Whoever completes more challenges wins.
The first challenge involved Jimmy and Jared having to move one Oreo cookie from their forehead and into their mouth using only their facial muscles. The second challenge had the two removing all the tissues from a standard tissue box using only one hand. The final challenge forced Fallon and Leto to throw CDs into a half of a watermelon with the person landing the most CD's in their watermelon at the end of 30 seconds being declared the winner.
To the average viewer, these three challenges might be viewed as standard party games or even Tonight Show challenges created for this Jared Leto inspired game segment.
Game show fans were probably quick to point out that these are definitely not original challenges The Tonight Show staff created. They are actually the "Face The Cookie," "Hanky Panky," and "Splitter" challenges featured on the relatively recent game show Minute To Win It.
Minute To Win It is basically the 21st-century version of the classic stunt show Beat The Clock. It involved mostly teams of two and individuals competing in ten seemingly easy games. Each game lasted 60 seconds and was created using household items such as eggs, ping pong balls and pencils. Completing all ten challenges without losing all three lives netted the contestants $1,000,000.
The show aired in America for two seasons on NBC, the same network The Tonight Show airs on, from 2010 to 2011 with celebrity chef Guy Fieri as host. GSN revived the series for two seasons from 2013 to 2014 with Olympic speed skater Apollo Ohno as host.
Minute To Win It is, hands down, one of the best game shows this decade had to offer. Throughout it's run, millions of Americans couldn't resist the temptation of practicing these 60-second games at home using everyday items laying around the house.
Soon, the show began airing in many countries around the globe, creating a worldwide phenomenon.
Titling the game "30 Seconds To..." was clever since Jared Leto of 30 Seconds To Mars is playing. However, calling the game segment Minute To Win It would allow it to be used again on future episodes with different celebrities playing.
The Tonight Show has recreated television game shows for their game segments in the past, including Password, Pyramid and Name That Tune. Since that is the case, calling a game segment Minute To Win It and using the challenges from the real game show would fit in with one of their game segment themes. "30 Seconds To..." really only makes sense when Jared Leto is playing.
The other issue is if The Tonight Show is going to use Minute To Win It challenges as the main component of a differently titled game, even on the same network, Fallon should at least say that all of the challenges being played are originally from Minute To Win It.
The Tonight Show has some of the most creative writers and producers in the business. They could have concocted three simple yet funny original challenges to use instead of taking from another show without giving it credit. Without giving Minute To Win It credit, it almost feels like The Tonight Show was trying to commit a game show robbery and hope that viewers wouldn't realize that they actually took challenges from a different show.
The games on The Tonight Show are fun, and "30 Seconds To..." was no exception. But it would have been even better if they'd given credit where it was due.
What do you think? Should Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show have given a nod to Minute to Win It? Did you notice the challenges were the same? Tell us below!