Cristela Alonzo Set to Host ‘Legends of the Hidden Temple’ Reboot
Though the game show only aired for two years, CW has announced that they are producing a reboot of Nickelodeon’s 1990s-era Legends of the Hidden Temple and they’ve nabbed Mexican-American comedian Cristela Alonzo to take the helm as the show’s host
Photo: Instagram/@Cristela Alonzo/
Though the game show only aired for two years, CW has announced that they are producing a reboot of Nickelodeon’s 1990s-era Legends of the Hidden Temple and they’ve nabbed Mexican-American comedian Cristela Alonzo to take the helm as the show’s host. The new series is set to premiere this coming Fall and will be a reimagining of the original show which saw teams compete in a series of zany elimination challenges for the chance to search for “treasure” in a purpose built “hidden temple.” It’s ’90s nostalgia that we’re thrilled to see come back and though it was short-lived it continues to hold a place in the hearts of many millennials. Cristela, 42, is the first Latina to create, produce, write, and star in her own US primetime comedy (Cristela) and she also has a stand-up special on Netflix, Cristela Alonzo: Lower Classy. She released her memoir, Music to My Years: A Mixtape Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up, in 2019.
“Having grown up on 90s pop culture and actually being a fan of the original Legends of the Hidden Temple, I am thrilled to be hosting the new updated version of the show,” the multi-hyphenate Cristela said in an official statement, according to Deadline. “The biggest challenge for me on this show will be trying to simultaneously host it and contain my geeked-out excitement at the same time.”
The rebooted series, which is scheduled to premiere on October 10 at 8p.m., will feature adult competitors–likely people who actually watched the original show when they were kids themselves–rather than the teens and tweens that participated in the ’90s. With presumably a bigger budget, CW is also upping the ante with bigger, more intense challenges and obstacles that take place in a “mysterious jungle” instead of a studio set. However, the reboot will still include many of the original’s mainstays like, “the Olmec,” which was the giant talking Mayan head, the “Moat Crossings,” “The Steps of Knowledge,” the “Temple Run,” and the game show’s original team names, according to Variety.
Though Cristela was short-lived, Cristela went on to do episodic work on a number of TV series including most recently in His Dark Materials and The Upshaws, as well as voice work in several movies including Cars 3. With TV and film experience under her belt, it would seem hosting a game show is the one thing left to add to her impressive resume. We can’t wait to check it out!
