Jeff Foxworthy Says 'American Bible Challenge' Puts 'Faith In Action' as Show Wraps Up First Season
Jeff Foxworthy, devout Christian and host of "The American Bible Challenge," said in a recent interview that the game show, which is the Game Show Network's (GSN) top rated-original series, allows Christians to put their faith into practice.
Foxworthy recently said that the reason he appreciates this game show over others is because it puts the Christian faith in action, with the winning contestants giving their monetary prize back to the community in some way.
""Everybody has a longing for something to fill that void in their life," Foxworthy told news website Zap2It.
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"So, they try all these alternatives they can find, and eventually you get to the end of the road and go, 'This isn't it.' So, I think what makes it appealing is, you're not preaching to people. Unlike any other game show, they're giving [their money] away. They're helping people in their community," Foxworthy said.
"That's what sells it to me -- if you've got a chance to let people see faith, not just hear about faith, but to see it in action, God's cool with that," Foxworthy added.
"The American Bible Challenge" is a one-hour game show in which faith-filled teams compete in their knowledge of Bible verses. The grand prize awarded to the contestants ultimately go to charity or another community cause of their choice.
Although Foxworthy has grown supportive of the show, he was initially hesitant to host the show back when he was offered the opportunity in early 2012.
"My first answer was no. I was thinking 'you can't do a game show about the Bible,'" Foxworthy said during an August taping of the show for GSN, as previously reported by The Christian Post.
"I prayed about it. I was like, 'God, is this okay to do a game show about the Bible?'" he added, saying that he finally agreed to host the show.
Foxworthy, an American television personality and comedian of "The Blue Collar Comedy Tour," previously hosted the GSN network's "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?"
"The American Bible Challenge" provided a huge boost in GSN's ratings, providing the network with 1.7 million total viewers for its Aug. 23 premiere, the highest ratings in the network's 17-year history.
The series has now wrangled in a reported 12 million total viewers. It premiered its season one finale Thursday, Oct. 18 in which contestants competed for the $100,000 grand prize, allocated to the charity of their choice.
The series has recently been renewed for a second season set to start in 2013.
