Person, Place or Thing

Person, Place or Thing is an American game show where three players compete to win cash and prizes by identifying people, places and things. Players gain more information about the subjects by asking questions and receiving clues. The series was hosted by Melissa Peterman, and premiered nationally on September 11, 2023. The show is based on the parlor game twenty questions.

Gameplay
Three contestants, one usually a returning champion, compete for the most points after three rounds.

Rounds one and two
In round one, contestants are given a person, a place and a thing to identify. Each contestant asks a yes-or-no question to host Melissa Peterman to get more information on the subject. After each contestant asks a question, Peterman gives a clue to help identify the subject. Contestants wishing to answer may ring in. A correct answer earns the player 100 points, while an incorrect response means they may not ask a question in the next series of yes-or-no questions. Play continues until the subject is identified, or three clues have been unsuccessfully responded to. Round two plays similarly, except each correct answer is worth 200 points, and each contestant gets to choose if the subject is a person, place or thing.

Speed round
The Speed round is timed at 90 seconds. Clues for a person, place, or thing are given quickly by Peterman. Contestants wishing to answer may ring in. A correct answer earns the player 500 points, while an incorrect response means they may not respond until the next subject is revealed. Once a subject is correctly identified, all three players miss, or four clues are unsuccessfully exhausted, a new subject is revealed. Whoever has the most points once time expires is the champion and advances to the bonus round. The losing contestants receive a sponsored consolation gift. A tie results in a sudden death playoff.

Bonus round
In the bonus round, the champion is tasked with identifying a person, place and thing in 60 seconds. The contestant may ask Peterman yes-or-no questions, or elect to reveal one of three clues. The contestant may identify the subjects in any order, and may use the clues in any quantity they would like. Identifying all three subjects before time expires earns the champion $5,000. Suppose the contestant does not win the bonus round, but identifies at least one subject correctly. In that case, they receive a lesser prize. A champion continues to compete until they are defeated. The champion is also playing for an at-home "Super Fan" of the show. If the champion wins the $5,000 cash prize, the "Super Fan" receives $500.

Production and broadcast history
Person, Place or Thing began as a COVID-19 pandemic-era online game show based on the parlor game twenty questions hosted by sports reporter Beto Duran. Created by Jeff Proctor and produced by ProAngle Media, the game focused on sports-related subjects and was played virtually by other figures in the sports community. Episodes were live streamed daily from April 8, 2020 to May 27, 2020. Proctor partnered with Paul Franklin, a former television executive, to develop the show for a wider audience. Franklin knew Melissa Peterman from his time selling repeats of the sitcom Reba, a show on which Peterman co-starred, at 20th Television. After seeing her as a celebrity guest on other game shows, Franklin reached out to Peterman and persuaded her to be part of the show's development, eventually culminating in a pilot presentation.

Fox First Run picked up Person, Place or Thing for a four-week test run in August 2022. 20 episodes were produced and aired on Fox Television Stations. In June 2023, Fox announced that the show had been sold in national syndication. The 180-episode first season, comprising 160 episodes and the 20 test episodes, premiered on September 11, 2023. In April 2024, Fox First Run announced that Person, Place or Thing was renewed for a second season to premiere in fall 2024.

In addition to its first-run syndication outlets, episodes of Person, Place or Thing may be viewed on the show's official YouTube channel and Tubi. Game Show Network began airing episodes on October 2, 2023.