Will ‘AGT: Extreme’ Replace ‘Go-Big Show’ as Most Intense Talent Show?
Jeremy Freeman/TBS Reading Time: 3 minutes
The new spin-off show America’s Got Talent: Extreme might sound familiar to fans of Go-Big Show. AGT: Extreme focuses on only the most dangerous and large-scale talents, without the typical singers and dancers you might find on the traditional AGT format.
That’s the exact premise of the TBS series Go-Big Show, which is currently in its second season. The overwhelming majority of contestants on the show are stunt performers and acrobats who put their lives at risk with every performance. The similarities between the two shows have us wondering if Go-Big Show can hold its own.
‘America’s Got Talent: Extreme’ vs. ‘Go-Big Show’
AGT: Extreme premieres on NBC Monday, February 21, and will run for four weeks. Judges Simon Cowell, Travis Pastrana, and Nikki Bella will judge acts that embody the show’s “extreme” title. These acts are often upstaged by more traditional talents in the show’s original format.
The new series will be airing concurrently with Go-Big Show Season 2, which is currently in its second season. However, Go-Big Show airs Thursday nights, so the shows won’t be directly competing. The grand prize for AGT: Extreme is five times as much as Go-Big Show, at $500,000.
Where the shows seem to differ the most is in the format of the competition. Go-Big Show uses a matchup system that pits contestants against each other, rather than AGT‘s audition format, where judges send acts through to the next round independent of their competition. Go-Big Show also uses scores to decide who moves on, whereas AGT uses “yes” or “no” votes.
One similarity is that both shows are pre-recorded, so viewers at home aren’t able to vote for their favorites. On Go-Big Show, it’s completely up to the judges. On AGT: Extreme, contestants’ fates are determined by a combination of judges’ votes and votes from “superfans” — similar to the set-up of AGT: The Champions.
SEE ALSO: CHECK OUT THE MYSTERIOUS FIRST LOOK AT ‘AGT: EXTREME’ PREMIERING FEBRUARY 21
Is There Room for Two Extreme Talent Shows?
With AGT: Extreme premiering on a major network, connected to a long-running talent show format, is Go-Big Show doomed to be canceled before its third season? It drew a million viewers for its series premiere last year, but AGT attracted at least five times that number every week in 2021.
Go-Big Show also hasn’t garnered the most enthusiastic response from viewers. It currently has a score of 4.1 out of 10 on IMDb, with 36.9 percent of voters giving it one star. One negative reviewer described the show as “If AGT had no budget and took walk ins.”
AGT: Extreme has also already made headlines before its premiere for an on-set injury that sent stunt performer Jonathan Goodwin to the hospital. Viewers might tune in to see how the show addresses the accident, which led to a break in production last year.
While AGT might not necessarily steal viewers from Go-Big Show, it’s certain to attract a bigger audience. However, it’s not totally out of the question for two extreme talent shows to exist at the same time. After all, there are plenty of singing and dancing shows on competing networks. Why shouldn’t stunt performers get just as many opportunities to shine?
