Deborah Norville to Host New CBS Trivia Game Show: See Details & Premiere Date

Deborah Norville, host of CBS’ Inside Edition since 1995, is branching out from the anchor desk into the game show world with a new trivia show called The Perfect Line. Can she be the next Meredith Vieira a la Millionaire, and hit a ratings jackpot?

The big news was announced on Thursday (December 19) in a press release obtained by Variety. The outlet announced that CBS Media Ventures is moving forward with The Perfect Line, which had previously been in development, and it is being picked up by CBS stations in syndication nationwide. Season 1 will premiere in the fall of 2025.

The Perfect Line was pitched as a sister show to The Flip Side, hosted by Jaleel White, which saw CBS lean into the modern resurgence of game shows in the fall of 2024. Following that show’s successful launch, Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and CBS Media Ventures, said the distributor “found the daytime audience continues to have a huge appetite for and engagement with game shows.”

“We’re building on that success by bringing The Perfect Line to the marketplace, with a host everyone already knows and admires,” McMahon added. “Deborah is a natural hosting this show – her wit and charm resonate with audiences. We are confident The Perfect Line will be the perfect fit for stations’ lineups.”

While fans don’t have a trailer or a weekday to mark on their calendars just yet, a pilot for The Perfect Line was filmed in August. Here’s the gist:

This trivia game includes questions about from global events, pop culture, sports, science and more. In each round, contestants are given a category and then are tasked with arranging events, items or people in order. For example, a player will be given six actors and they need to arrange them by their worldwide box office gross. Winners are able to create “the perfect line” via that correct order, thus the title. However, if they don’t do so, they will be eliminated. The last person standing plays a final round for a chance at $10,000.

“I grew up watching way too many game shows and have always wanted to do one,” Norville said in the press release. “With The Perfect Line, I’ve found the right format. The show is a fast, fun, smart take on trivia and pop culture with tidbits of stuff you didn’t know – and it’s played in a way that you’ve got a chance to win even if you’re just guessing. Plus, as a journalist, I love that I get to share fun facts you’ll want to pass along to your friends.”

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Norville has a vast resume as she’s been the face of Inside Edition (and its precursor shows) for nearly 30 years. She has also as an anchor and correspondent for CBS News and she also served as a co-host of NBC’s Today and anchor of NBC’s News at Sunrise, among other self-titled news shows.

What do you think? Are you going to tune in to The Perfect Line? Let us know in the comments section below!

The Perfect Line, CBS, Fall, 2025