FIRST LOOK: 'Snake Oil' on Fox Presents Some Real and Some Too Good To Be True Business Ideas (EXCLUSIVE)
Published Sept. 1 2023, 12:00 p.m. ET
Fox is no stranger to reality competition shows and game shows that feature celebrities in some capacity and Snake Oil, which premieres on Sept. 27, is no different. It stars David Spade as the host and each episode features a bevy of stars from all walks of life as they play alongside contestants to help them sift through the real inventors and business owners from the "snake oil salesmen," whose products are a farce.
In the first official trailer obtained exclusively by Distractify, we learn how the series works. At its core, it's about contestants winning money. But Snake Oil is also about weeding out scammers and learning a little about trust in the process. And if you're watching at home, you can learn a thing or two as well.
What is 'Snake Oil' on Fox about?
Snake Oil gets its name from an old scam involving selling bottled snake oil as a faux treatment for various ailments. And in the show, contestants each week get to hear from people who have businesses or products to pitch, though some of them are, in fact, "snake oil salesmen," or people whose products aren't real. The job of the contestants is to figure out which products are real and which ones are totally made up.
But they aren't alone. Celebrities like Ice-T, Jay Pharoah, and Adam Divine, among many others, help contestants try and figure out which products are real before they make their final determination. If the contestants guess correctly, they stand to win quite a bit of money. If they're wrong, then they could lose it all.
Some of the products in the Snake Oil trailer include a toilet with a small sink on the back. It promises to save one gallon of water per "boom boom" made in the bathroom. Another product is a line of luggage made from "locally produced" taxidermy animals. Contestants in each episode have to choose between two products, which are both outrageous, to figure out which is the real deal and which is a scam.
David Spade is the 'Snake Oil' host.
In the official press release for Snake Oil, host David Spade, who also serves as a producer, admitted he was "flattered to host." Later, when he learned that the show was actually about, Spade was "a little less flattered to be the guy that immediately comes to mind." But for a show that is light-hearted and doesn't take itself too seriously, Spade may be the perfect choice to lead the contestants and their celebrity partners.
'Snake Oil' contestants can win a large cash prize.
In each episode of Snake Oil, contestants start at the bottom of progressive jackpot. First, they work their way up to $50,000. From there, the money continues to climb. And at the end of each episode, contestants can win as much as $220,000.
Watch Snake Oil on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST on Fox starting on Sept. 27.