The Box, a new six-part gameshow on ITV1 and ITVX, has left viewers and contestants alike in a state of confusion, with its chaotic format featuring topless karaoke from John Bercow and pointless challenges that offer no prize. Hosted by Gary Lineker, the show follows 10 celebrities as they are locked in yellow shipping containers, then forced to "work together" on tasks like fitting hexagons into holes and completing egg and spoon races, all without help or clear instructions.
A format that defies explanation
The show opens with captions declaring "10 BOXES," "10 CONTESTANTS," and "NO HELP," setting the tone for a series that seems to revel in its own absurdity. Contestants include broadcaster Ranvir Singh, former House of Commons speaker John Bercow, and reality star Joey Essex, who pounds on the walls of his box like "a distressed navvy trapped in an overflowing portable toilet."
The celebrities have no idea where they are or what they are supposed to be doing, as Lineker notes while peering through binoculars. Tiny cameras capture their reactions, with Singh gulping "I don't like surprises," and Bercow confessing "I'm in a state of unparalleled uncertainty." The boxes themselves serve little purpose beyond briefly concealing contestants, a task that could easily be achieved with a blindfold, according to the review.
Chaos without purpose
Unlike shows such as Taskmaster, where chaotic events happen for a reason, The Box presents chaos for its own sake, continuing long past the point where either the methods or the pointlessness would make sense. The second episode ends with a "genuinely harrowing sing-off" that culminates in Bercow performing Pink's So What while a tentful of holidaymakers demand he remove his shirt.
The show's format, adapted from a Norwegian original, includes challenges like finding hexagons to fit into hexagon-shaped holes and completing an egg and spoon race within a set time. Contestants are divided into teams, sent to a custom-made house, and then one is eliminated each episode. There is no prize, and the opening titles offer little assistance in understanding the show's purpose.
A sustained howl of existential confusion
The Box is described not so much as a gameshow but as "a sustained howl of existential confusion," one that scoffs at convention yet seems bewildered by the bedlam it unleashes. JLS singer JB Gill sums up the mood, gasping "The Box is absolutely unknown!" while the show features moments like content creator Danny Aarons shouting about how he "can't hear the skies" and thrashing his bowl cut from side to side.
The series, which aired on ITV1 and is now available on ITVX, has been commended to the house by the reviewer, who notes that the only certainty is that the boxes are pointless. The show's chaotic nature, exemplified by Bercow bellowing "Orderrrrrr!" while showing his nipples, ensures that viewers are left as bewildered as the contestants themselves.
