To be fair, we had a feeling this kind of reaction was on the way…
News that The Chase would be replaced (only temporarily, we should add) by new show Babushka in ITV’s tea time slot didn’t go down too well the other week.
The new show, fronted by Rylan Clark-Neal, airs for the first time this week as The Chase takes its annual break. On the surface, its aim is simple enough: contestants try to win a series of cash prizes hidden in Russian dolls, with the opportunity to win as much as £10,000.
However, as many people had their first taste of Babushka on Tuesday, it swiftly became clear from the tweets of some of those that were watching it that the rules weren’t quite so easy to follow.
I have absolutely no idea what's going on😩 #babushka
— Leah Ward (@LeahW22) May 2, 2017
Not really sure what is going on at the moment. #babushka
— Marc Wilson (@marcwilson_1981) May 2, 2017
This game show is very confusing, when you think the contestants have gone out of the game, they are still in #babushka
— Christopher Wood (@ChrisJW1987) May 1, 2017
Not only that, it was also obvious that the new show had a long way to go before reaching the same level of popularity as The Chase. A long, loooong way…
Dear @ITV at what point did someone think that a show called #babushka would be a good replacement for the @ITVChase?
— Kenny Westwood. (@KennyWestwood) May 2, 2017
#babushka is awful. Not much of a quiz show when there's hardly any questions. Too much of the show is wasted on the gimmick of the dolls.
— SL (@CanadianScotguy) May 2, 2017
My face watching #babushka pic.twitter.com/gOjOOTXADB
— Vicky❄️ (@VickyyJolleyy) May 2, 2017
Saw the last five minutes of #Babushka and now want North Korea's next missile test to be successful.
— Jason (@Jaffo) May 2, 2017
As well as some viewers preferring the idea of a nuclear-scorched Earth to watching any more Babushka, plenty also pointed out that the concept behind the show was awfully familiar…
https://twitter.com/keyzgamez/status/859437736545181696
https://twitter.com/woodsymalone/status/859103131686367237
https://twitter.com/patrickjsmith9/status/859442486498009095
https://twitter.com/blueboi1987/status/859451362991583233
https://twitter.com/JCmu51c/status/859447205643640833
It’s safe to say that it’s not got off to the best of starts…