HQ Trivia rapidly rose to popularity following its 2017 release. The game show app was developed by Intermedia Labs for iOs and Android, and featured several game show hosts that hosted daily live games. Groups or solo players could win or split prize money. The game was eventually even featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Voice, the Today Show, and several other popular television programs.
The platform hosted several celebrity guests, including actor Danny Devito.
Happy birthday @DannyDeVito! Who remembers this game? pic.twitter.com/yzXuKLEj3d
— HQ Trivia (@hqtrivia) November 17, 2022
The live shows would stream at the same times daily, and participants would all play at the same time. There was also a live comment section that did not filter out hate comments, which is something that fans are hoping to find an explanation for in the documentary.
The app abruptly ceased operations in 2020 after investors cut funding in the platform, and now CNN is making a documentary about it. Scott Rogowsky, another former host, appears to be heavily involved in production. Viewers can now learn about what happened behind the scenes during the glitch heard around the world.
@scottrogowsky I asked thousands of questions hosting HQ Trivia, but there’s one question people have asked me over the past few years: “What happened?” Here’s your answer…#hq #hqtrivia #gameshow #hbomax
The documentary is set to take a look at the business side of why the app abruptly folded. Gorowsky also announced the documentary on Twitter, where fans were excited to learn the truth about the untimely death of the popular show.
ADVERTISEMENT
I'm so watching this
— Ian Powers (@IanPowers) February 4, 2023
Excitement grew surrounding the documentary, but this quickly switched to speculation when Sara Pribis, another former host, took to TikTok to share that she was not even asked to be a part of the documentary. Several popular TikTok creators commented on the video, insinuating possible workplace sexism in how Pribis was treated as a host versus Rogowsky.
@sarahpribis #duet with @scottrogowsky guess I’ll have to tell my story on TikTok #hqtrivia #hq
Pribis referred to her experience ay HQ Trivia as a “toxic environment” in the comments. She went on to post part one of her “TikTokumentary” that will share her side of the story. She details the competitive and often disorganized nature of the show.
@sarahpribis Replying to @catsandlaughs part 1 #hqtrivia
Pribis could not be reached for comment at this time.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fans of the popular Trivia platform reminisced on Twitter about the simpler times in which it was popular.
It was all downhill after HQ Trivia
— Kyle B???? (@kylebrastrom) February 1, 2023
Others pointed out how games with daily formats, like Wordle, which was acquired by The New York Times, continued to grow in global popularity since the rise and fall of HQ Trivia.
Fuck wordle bring back HQ Trivia
— John Harvie (@johnharvie_) February 5, 2023
The documentary, titled Glitch, drops on CNN on March 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
