What Is 'Raid the Cage'? CBS's New Gameshow Is Part Trivia, Part Physical Agility
Published Jan. 4 2024, 11:40 a.m. ET
To be successful on CBS's Raid the Cage, you need to think quick and be quick on your feet.
The action-packed game show involves a trivia portion and a test of speed as contestants are sent into a cage filled with cool prizes that they must try and grab before the doors close.
After premiering on Oct. 13, 2023, the series quickly garnered a cult-like following of viewers hooting and hollering about contestants’ fumbles and wins on X. Keep reading for everything we know about Raid the Cage, starting with the show's two celebrity hosts.
'Raid the Cage' is hosted by Damon Wayans and Jeannie Mai Jenkins.
Raid the Cage is hosted by Damon Wayans and Jeannie Mai Jenkins, two seasoned TV pros. Damon, an actor and comedian, is known for his roles in movies like Blankman, Mo’ Money, and Major Payne. After a short stint on Saturday Night Live in the ‘80s, Damon went on to star in the sitcom My Wife and Kids and the action comedy series Lethal Weapon.
'Raid the Cage' hosts Damon Wayans Jr. and Jeannie Mai during the “Show Me the Matri-Money” episode
Jeannie is a TV personality and host, and stylist. She began her career as a makeup artist, snagging celebrity clients like Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys early on, before working on shows MTV's TRL and KCL-Los Angeles. She's been tapped as a fashion correspondent for numerous shows including Style Network’s How Do I Look and The Biggest Loser. Jeannie also hosted the daytime talk show The Real.
How does 'Raid the Cage' work?
In each episode of Raid the Cage, two teams of two face off to grab prizes from the cage before their time runs out and the doors close. While one teammate is in the cage, the other is answering trivia questions where every correct answer earns their partner more time to grab stuff form the cage. Prizes range from luxury handbags to vacations and even new cars.
After the two teams go head-to-head for three rounds, the duo with the highest dollar value in prizes is declared winner and gets to keep all of their hard-earned prizes. The winning team also gets to participate in one more round dubbed "Beat the Cage" where they get a shot at even bigger cage prizes.
Raid the Cage airs on Wednesdays on CBS at 9 p.m. EST. It is also available to stream on Paramount Plus.