"Identity" is one of a slew of new game shows to hit television in recent months. After a brief, one-week run in December, NBC brought back the show in March, airing at 8 p.m. Fridays.
Hosted by the charismatic Penn Jillette (of the comedy-magic duo Penn and Teller), "Identity" is a show that deals with first impressions.
Contestants are faced with 12 people and a list of 12 possible identities. The game is simple: The contestant must match each person with his or her correct identity. For each identity that is correctly matched, the contestant wins increasing amounts of money, with an ultimate prize of $500,000.
Like any game show, the contestant is given some help with "lifelines" like "Mistaken Identity" (one free wrong guess), "Tridentity" (all but three strangers are counted out, leaving the contestant a one-in-three chance of guessing correctly), and "Ask the Experts" (the contestant can get the opinion of three experts, such as a detective who "reads" people for a living).
Each stranger looks the part of his or her actual identity, but the game becomes tricky when an identity may suit two or even three people. According to the game show's official Web site, identities range "anywhere from a profession to a shoe size."
"Identity" is a unique and quite entertaining game show. As it gains popularity, celebrities have begun to appear ("American Idol" contestants, professional athletes, even a security guy from "Jerry Springer").
I highly recommend watching at least one episode of "Identity." The show often keeps you on the edge of your seat, especially when Jillette points to a stranger and dramatically says, "Is . . . that . . . your . . . identity?"
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