Game shows in America have a new face. No longer just a boys club of white guys in suits, it's comedy great Jane Lynch making lesbian jokes on "Hollywood Game Night" 's holiday special.
As the host, Lynch introduces party games to two teams, sometimes throwing political correctness to the curb.
Standing in front of half-nude photos of Heidi Klum, Rebecca Romijn, Kate Upton, Tyra Banks and Brooklyn Decker, all gorgeous cover girls on Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues, Lynch comments: "Can I just say that as a feminist, I am appalled by these images. And as a lesbian, I am de—light—ed."
Cheryl Hines (from left), Rachel Bilson and Andy RoddickPhoto: Trae Patton/NBC
That's the kind of barbed humor Lynch used to turn the NBC reality show into a hit last summer.
"I am one of a very few select elite women to host a game show," Lynch tells The Post. "There's me, Meredith Vieira and that other woman who kept screaming, 'You are the weakest link.' "
The holiday special is a reward for good ratings. And good ratings always attracts good guests, including Brooklyn Decker and her husband Andy Roddick (on opposite teams), Gavin DeGraw, Rachel Bilson, Cheryl Hines and comedy great Ray Romano, whose cutthroat side came out big-time during the games. "Ray was really competitive," agrees Lynch. "But all comics are competitive; it's a good healthy competition."
Two teams of celebrities and one lucky civilian play a series of party games based on the format created by Sean Hayes during Hollywood party nights at his home. The civilian on the team has a chance to walk away with up to $25,000. Some of the games were holdovers from last summer, but one, called Movie Mash-up is new. In the game, the posters of two famous movies are combined into one. Contestants have to then link the names into one log line for instance: "Empire Strikes Back To The Future."
Speaking of mash-ups, the Lynch and Hayes combination has been a powerful draw to other celebrities like Jason Alexander, Jason Sudeikis, and Rose Byrne. "I was star- struck by her," says Lynch, who admits she's a big fan of Byrne's work on "Damages."
"I credit Jane and Sean for the tone of what you can expect," says executive producer Michael Agbabian. "Other celebrities have a lot of faith in them."
Celebrities appear as a way for them to promote new projects without having to face the press. "They have a choice," Lynch says. "They can either come on the show, have fun and promote their project, or they can do a contrived interview."
Ray Romano (from left), Brooklyn Decker, Gavin DeGraw and a contestant pose on set.Photo: Trae Patton/NBC
That Lynch even got the gig was a fluke. The producers had never even considered a woman until Hayes went to Lynch's house for dinner — the two are close friends — and was suddenly struck with the idea that she would be a great game show host. "We hadn't even thought of a woman because other than Meredith Vieira, there has not been a successful female game show host," Agbabian says. "I've got to give it to Sean. He really engineered a challenging task, to get Jane to an NBC show when she is still on Fox. There were a lot of hurdles. It is a rarity to have someone starring on shows on two broadcast networks."
But then Lynch is a rarity in youth-obsessed Hollywood. She became a household name in her 50s. It is as if the 53-year-old has lived her career backward.
"Five years ago, I was guest-starring on any series that would hire me," she says. "I was doing voice-overs and wondering where my next job would come from. This is quite a turnaround."
As an actress who has spent the past few years perfectly playing the nasty cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on "Glee," Lynch took big risks this year across media platforms. She played the orphanage housemother Miss Hannigan in the Broadway revival of "Annie." She wowed Tony Awards audiences with her song "Little Girls." And just recently she got another big job, co-hosting NBC's New Year's Eve countdown in Times Square, with Carson Daly.
Today, her worlds are colliding as she drives in rush-hour traffic from the "Glee" set in Hollywood to a meeting about the New Year's Eve show at NBC's West Coast home in Burbank.
Season 2 of "Hollywood Game Night" officially starts on January 20, and some of the celebrities who have already wowed Lynch are Michael Chiklis, Angie Harmon and Michael Weatherly.
"I love having parties," she says, calling from her car. Ironically, Lynch is not a big game player. "I am not one of those people who say, 'Lets play cards or charades,' and I don't play video games," she says. "But I love creating a space for people to have a good time."
And then she laughs, revealing a touch of Sue Sylvester. "And I love being in charge."
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