The board game Lotería becomes a million dollar deal on the game show “Lotería Loca” hosted by Jaime Camil.

The Lottery, the Mexican version of bingo, is a classic that fascinates young and old: on its cards or tables appear characters like the ballerina, the moon and the mermaid, who are “sung” (announced) with rhyming riddles. The cards are filled square by square with a bean or a small stone, and the one who completely completes their shape wins. Camil believed he could reach a new level and began dreaming of a game-based program for about three years.

Until he met producer Jeff Apploff, known for other game shows like “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” and “Mental Samurai,” which also wanted to do something lottery-inspired. In its dynamic and exciting version, currently airing on CBS, they have updated numbers and the contestants choose which square to reveal from their sheet, they first face another player and then they are left alone to complete a larger sheet. If they manage to overcome the various tests and challenges of the competition, they can win up to one million dollars. The game is a mixture of probability, ingenuity and a lot of luck.

In addition, it is the first game show with a Latin and intercultural theme broadcast in prime time on American open television.

“It’s a show designed for the general public in the United States,” Camil said in a recent interview. The Mexican presenter wanted elements of Latin culture “to be shown in a respectful and non-caricatural manner”.

The artistic design of the decor is inspired by traditional Mexican villages. They also updated and created their own images for the sheets, which gave them greater flexibility to create versions inspired by, for example, sports like soccer and American football.

Contestants lose their lives when they choose a painting and a skull appears. They can withdraw with the accumulated money, but it is very tempting to withdraw a little more.

“It all depends on the candidate because he or she has all the power in the program,” said Camil, who is also the executive producer of the show. “We give some lifelines to applicants because we don’t want them to walk away with nothing.”

There is a live orchestra led by famous percussionist Sheila E. who suffers and is moved during each episode.

“He’s a rock legend,” Camil said. “Her musical talent is from another world, but other than that she’s charming. I got sick during recording and he was suddenly sending me messages about how are you feeling, how is your throat?

Camil has been a presenter at the Latin Grammys, the Billboard Latin Music Awards and other galas such as the GLAAD and Television Critics Association awards, among others.

“I love being a host, I feel very comfortable being a host, but being a game show host is a totally different animal,” he said. “I really wanted to connect with the contestants, to feel their joy if they won or their sadness if they lost… If a variety show, a game show, and a late-night talk show had a baby, that would be our show. .”