Whodunnit?

source: www.51minds.com

I never really get into summer shows. Most of the shows I watch start in the fall and I just don't watch much television in the summer months. However, I made an exception to this summer. This summer I became obsessed with the ABC show Whodunnit?

For those of you who don't know, Whodunnit? is a murder mystery reality game show. Thirteen guests were invited to the luxurious Rue Manor and placed in the care of Giles, the butler. Things begin to go awry when one of the guests is found dead later on. She was murdered by one of the other guests.

source: robhasawebsite.com

The remaining contestants, after learning that they could not leave the manor, were able to go to one of three places: the morgue, the last known whereabouts, and the crime scene. After finding the clues and learning clues from others, the contestants were taken away individually to state their cases in the library in front of a camera. The contestants had to first state their theory on how the crime was committed and who was responsible. At dinner, Giles, inserting as many puns into his speech as possible, would then read a note from the killer telling how (s)he pulled the  murder off. Cards would then be handed out to the contestants. The person who had the most accurate theory was exempt from elimination as were most of the other contestants. However, the two(or more) players with the worst theories faced the danger of being eliminated. The bottom player would be "killed off" and the cycle would start over again the next week.

source: www.ctv.ca

The game would eventually dwindle down to the last two remaining contestants. One of which is the killer and the other being the winner. The winner gets to walk away with a quarter of a million dollars and the killer goes to jail.

Giles' puns, the ridiculous deaths, and the fact that the contestants took everything really seriously (as did some of the audience who thought that the contestants were actually being killed off) greatly added the fun of the show. It was cheesy and extremely fun to watch. Even more so when watched with multiple people who are all guessing along with the show. It was flawed and most of the deaths were extreme to the point where they were improbable. I mean, one contestant even suggested that the killer had a trained monkey at one point because he had such a difficult time figuring out what happened. However, the show's flaws can be mostly overlooked because it accomplished what it set out to do and that was to be a fun summer show.

source: www.tvguide.com

Sadly, Whodunnit? ended last night but you can watch all the episodes on Hulu. There are also two companion e-books: Murder in Mystery Manor and Murder on Mystery Island which will be released on August 27th.

So, did any of you watch it and if so, what did you think? Are you hoping for a second season just as much as I am?

-Elle