Name that name

As noted in the faux tweets, the Cox-Arquette project Celebrity Name Game taped its pilot for CBS on Friday. Hollywood Junket reported on the show's format and personnel.

As you might guess from the name of the show, the contestants have to name celebs based on clues to their identities. The idea sounds pretty simple, which is what good game show ideas should be. There are several rounds to the show, but they're just variations on the single theme. Two teams of three contestants compete. Each team includes a celeb and a couple civvies. The celeb players on the pilot were Kevin Connolly (Eric Murphy on Entourage) and Jayma Mays (Emma Pilsbury on Glee).

The set is a living room complete with book shelves, a couch, and a phony fireplace. Hey, I don't care if they play the game in a taxi with Ben Bailey. Speaking of the host, he's Craig Ferguson and Hollywood Junket thinks he does a really good job. "Extremely great" is how they put it, as opposed to non-extremely great. They quote a few of his quips, which do seem reasonably witty, as opposed to unreasonably witty.

Other notes: the show played an audience participation game between rounds, David Arquette doesn't act crazy and still seems to get along with Courteney Cox, and much of the humor derives from the celeb players twitting other celebs. We'll see if CBS picks up the pilot.