Bad Friends Game Show: This Is How You Build Something

If you read my piece on Netflix is a Joke Fest, you already know how I feel about Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino live. The Bad Game Show is the natural next chapter of what they are building, and five episodes in, it is clear they had no intention of waiting for anyone to give them permission to make it.

The show was created by Andrew Santino and Nick Kreiss, the same Nick Kreiss who worked on Punk'd and The Eric André Show. The showrunner is Ray Schmieg, also from The Eric André Show and Ziwe. These are not amateurs figuring it out as they go. This is a team that knows exactly what they are doing, choosing to do it outside of a network on purpose. Ten episodes, filmed in Bobby's mom's actual basement, distributed through YouTube and Spotify Video every Wednesday at 9am PST. Revenue comes from brand partnerships, not a network deal. No one is telling them what to do, who to book, or how long the games should last.

The format barely exists. The points do not really matter. The rules are, in their own words, loosey goosey. And somehow that is exactly the point.

The Guests Are the Show

Five episodes in and the guest combinations alone are worth talking about. Episode one had Bert Kreischer versus Eric Andre, which set the tone immediately — chaotic, unpredictable, and exactly what you would expect from those two in a room together. Episode two brought Ralph Barbosa and Felipe Esparza in to order pizza, which sounds simple and somehow became its own thing entirely. The most unexpected pairing so far has been episode three, Gene Simmons versus Oliver Tree.

I would love to know the backstory on how Gene Simmons got booked on this show, because he looked like he had absolutely no idea what he was in for. Oliver Tree showed up dressed as Gene Simmons in full KISS makeup, which was either the most prepared or most unhinged thing a guest has ever done on the show depending on how you look at it. Everyone was unprepared. For someone in music, getting paired with Gene Simmons is probably a big deal. The fact that Oliver carried himself so comfortably and openly throughout the whole episode made it even more interesting to watch. He was naturally funny, brought something unique to every situation, and left you wanting more of him in every frame.

Bobby and Andrew went back and edited in a short tribute to Oliver at the beginning of the episode after his passing, explaining the backstory behind what he was wearing. It was a small thing that said everything about how they felt about him. Oliver Tree was a joy to watch, and getting to see him one more time, even posthumously, was something worth being grateful for.

Episode four with Robby Hoffman, who most people know from Hacks, brought a banter energy that made the whole thing feel genuinely fun rather than just chaotic. Episode five turned up the temperature with Yung Gravy and his girlfriend Ari Kytsya, featuring games that absolutely went off the rails in the best possible way. Five episodes in and no two have felt the same, which is the whole point.

This is also a genuinely great show to watch with other people. If you are already a fan of Bobby and Andrew, watching this with friends who know the Bad Friends universe adds a whole other layer to it. The chaos lands differently when everyone in the room is already invested in the hosts.

What the Show Is Actually About

The games are not really the point. They all involve blindfolds or finding something around the room and none of them have stood out as particularly inventive yet. But that is not a criticism so much as an observation about what the show actually is. It is not a game show in the traditional sense. It is a vehicle for authentic, unscripted interactions between people who would otherwise never be in the same room together.

Bobby and Andrew are surprisingly matched in energy here, which is different from how they operate on Bad Friends where their distinct voices create the dynamic. On The Bad Game Show they are both running at the same high-energy, ultra-positive frequency and their chemistry holds up regardless. They are not performing for cameras the way they would on network television. They are just being themselves while loosely attempting to facilitate very small games in a basement. The production quality is exactly what you would expect from podcast professionals who know that good video and clean audio are non-negotiable, and everything else can sort itself out.

That is the whole argument for what they are building. You do not need a network. You do not need a traditional format. You do not need financing and distribution in the old sense of the word. You need a good idea, the right people, and the willingness to make the thing. Bobby and Andrew built an audience through Bad Friends for years, and now they are using that audience as the foundation for something new. The show goes straight to YouTube and Spotify. The money comes from brand partnerships. No one is in the way.

If you want to make something, make it. Build it and they will come, if it is worth seeing. The Bad Game Show is worth seeing.

Watch it every Wednesday at 9am PST on the Bad Friends YouTube channel and Spotify Video.