‘Generation Gap’: Kelly Ripa Game Show’s Shocking Twist Costs Family $25,000 Car

Kelly Ripa on Generation Gap
ABC/Raymond Liu

You should never rely on a 5-year-old to make a life-changing decision, but that was the fun of the brutal twist on ABC‘s new game show, Generation Gap, which premiered Thursday, July 7. And it cost one family almost $25,000!

The show is inspired by the popular ‘generation gap’ segment from Jimmy Kimmel Live! which sees youngsters squaring off against older people in a friendly game of trivia. Hosted by Kelly Ripa, the newly adapted format sees teams of two, both belonging to different generations, answering questions about cultural and lifestyle changes over the ages.

It was all going well for 75-year-old Marilyn and her 14-year-old grandson Nolan on Thursday’s episode as they managed to correctly answer most of the questions. However, things took a dramatic turn at the end of the episode when Ripa introduced a bonus round called “Toddler’s Choice,” which meant the family’s youngest member got to choose the bonus prize.

There were two prizes up for grabs for 5-year-old Andrew: a brand new Kia Niro LXS worth around $25,000 or the Razor Crazy Car Shift scooter, worth just under $300. If it wasn’t already obvious to Andrew which vehicle he wanted, the producers certainly gave a helping hand to push him in a particular direction.

Generation Gap

ABC/Raymond Liu

“Drive and drift forwards and backwards, sideways and diagonally, at speeds up to 12 miles per hour in a brand new Razor Crazy Car Shift,” bellowed the announcer in an overenthusiastic manner. With this, Andrew stood up and walked over to the Razor scooter, making his choice much to the shocked reactions of his family.

“Literally my favorite game ever,” said Ripa as Marilyn and Nolan tried to come to grips with the sudden twist. However, with Kimmel as an executive producer on the show, perhaps they should have seen something like this coming.

Generation Gap, Thursdays, 9/8c, ABC