'Awake: The Million Dollar Game': Release date, trailer, host and everything you need to know about Netflix's new game show

The show will be hosted by James Davis and will feature contestants who have been forced to go without rest for 24 hours as they try to complete a series of challenges

What if you were forced to go without sleep for 24 hours and then take part in a series of mental and physical challenges? As insomniacs, students and serial binge-watchers would agree, this is not a good idea even at the best of times. But what if the prize was a million dollars? This is the premise of Netflix’s brand new game show 'Awake: The Million Dollar Game', coming on the heels of the streaming platform's success with reruns of 'Jeopardy' and the introduction of their original game show 'Flinch'. Here’s everything you need to know about the show:



 

Release Date

A still from the show (Instagram)

Details have been scarce about the new show with Netflix keeping production tightly under wraps. Reports in January 2019 revealed that the show was set to be launched this year. A placeholder page on the Netflix website has announced that the studio game show would arrive on June 14.

Premise

Each episode of the show will feature contestants who are forced to go 24 hours without rest before being subjected to grueling mental and physical tasks which promise to be as difficult as they are ridiculous. At the end of the episode, the last man (or woman) standing gets to go home with a million dollar jackpot. And with a prize like that at stake, there is bound to be no end of contestants ready to rise to the challenge. The Game Show Network's 'Cram' (2003), which ran for two seasons, is the only notable earlier game show to be built around sleep-deprivation as a premise, although many have tried and failed. 

Host

James Davis attends the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis at Hollywood Palladium on July 14, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)

The game will be hosted by actor, writer, and stand-up comic James Davis. He is best known for his show 'Hood Adjacent with James Davis' on Comedy Central. He has previously performed at multiple comedy and rap shows including big names like Drake, J. Cole and Big Sean.

Trailer



 


Netflix has released a trailer for the first season of 'Awake'. The short preview showcases some of the most trying tasks that contestants will go through on the show’s shiny studio stage while struggling to keep their eyes open and on the ball (or egg as the task may be). There are bound to be some exciting successes and hilarious fails once 'The Million Dollar Game' arrives on screens.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Ellen Pompeo returns as ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Season 23 brings another emergency to Grey Sloan Memorial.
2026-10-15T18:15:35.000Z
Samuel L. Jackson and Sylvester Stallone reunite in the first teaser for Paramount+’s 'Frisco King.'
2026-10-15T16:46:54.000Z
Sylvester Stallone returns as Dwight Manfredi in 'Tulsa King' Season 4, where rival gangs threaten to change his criminal empire.
2026-10-15T16:18:54.000Z
‘Tulsa King’ takes viewers beyond its namesake city as Dwight Manfredi’s empire grows across seasons. Here's a look at the real-life locations.
2026-10-15T16:02:35.000Z
Hal’s final move at the G7 raises questions about his loyalties as Kate confronts Grace, but keeps the viewers waiting for more.
2026-10-15T15:39:21.000Z
Season 6 of ‘Abbott Elementary’ premiered on October 7, and new guest stars are set to appear in upcoming episodes
2026-10-15T09:31:47.000Z
Linda Cardellini's ‘Crystal Lake’ Episode 1 pays tribute to a real snake killed during ‘Friday the 13th’ filming
2026-10-15T07:17:19.000Z
The adult animated series follows a celebrity escape artist who is pulled back into a war between Apokolips and New Genesis
2026-10-15T07:03:30.000Z
‘Chicago Fire’ Season 15 Episode 2 puts Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Kelly Severide's marriage to the test after the latter's promotion
2026-10-15T05:26:51.000Z
‘VisionQuest’ introduces a young pickpocket from London whose past traces back to Westview and ties into ‘Agatha All Along’
2026-10-15T05:12:19.000Z