Credit: NATRICE MILLER

Credit: NATRICE MILLER

The show’s chemistry and laughter is infectious, making viewers feel like they’re a part of the game, too. It’s a standard that has made the Round Table Game Show an instant success.

The series launched last summer, but most episodes already have hundreds of thousands of views (one episode has close to 1 million views). Comedian Kid Fury praised the show on his popular podcast, The Read, and last month the game show taped a sold-out live episode at Center Stage.

As the show enters its third season Sunday, creator Melonie Torres says the Round Table has exceeded her expectations. They started filming the show at Airbnb properties in the city and have since expanded to using studio spaces across the metro area.

“It’s created a space for women, especially Black women, to feel safe enough to laugh and joke because you don’t really see that in the comedy space,” she said. “That’s rare.”

Torres came up with the concept for the show last year. The content creator wanted to poke fun at how some podcast hosts “will say anything that’s kind of deep, but it’s really not.”

She started making skits based on that idea, but felt it would be funnier as a game show instead. She recruited her fiance and fellow content creator, Chase Brown, to produce. Brown and Torres have been digital creators for over a decade.

Brown said he thought the concept was “super hilarious” and instantly wanted to be a part.

“It is really fun, but you have to capture the shot, so you can’t really sit behind the camera laughing,” Brown said. “Dissociating from what they’re actually saying is kind of hard. But also, the chemistry is probably the most important thing in collaboration. If we had just got some other people to start this, I don’t think it would have been as funny.”

Though special guests, including popular comedian B. Simone, have made appearances, the show’s recurring cast includes a small collection of comedians, actresses and content creators like Torres, Tee Sanders, Whitney Code, Jordan “Jojo” Johnson, Beverly “Bevvy Boo” Buo, Vanessa D. Fant, Tamera “Thee Little Person” McLaughlin and Anjali Persad.

Some were friends before the show and wanted to participate. Others became closer as the show developed.

Sanders, a Chicago native, said the Round Table offers a space for healing.

“We all have our own personal stuff,” she said, describing how the show has helped reduce her impostor syndrome. “But when we come into the room, when we come into wherever we are, it’s gone. It’s done. Nothing else matters.”

Persad, who’s Trinidadian and Indian, said the space provides a sense of empowerment, as the show features Black women of all different backgrounds and ethnicities.

“As someone who’s masculine-presenting, there’s not many spaces for us to just be silly, share joy, give people a reason to laugh in the middle of going through a personal crisis,” Persad said. “Many people go to our pages, and they’re like, ‘Wow, thank you. This is first time I laughed since I got divorced or since I got diagnosed.’ We’re bringing that sense of comfort to a space that doesn’t have us.”

Credit: NATRICE MILLER

Credit: NATRICE MILLER

During the first two seasons, Torres said the group figured it out as they went along, incorporating elements like referees and an actual round table. Everyone comes prepared with jokes to elevate the show beyond “basic dad jokes,” she said.

For the third season, she said fans can expect “bigger and better jokes with more special guests.” But her main goal is to continue the same fun spirit that has defined the show’s success. Torres would like to take the live show to more cities and hopes to appear at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans.

“I was definitely surprised as to how much it’s grown in less than a year, and the response it has gotten, because it’s something I just wasn’t expecting,” Torres said. “That wasn’t the intent behind creating it, but it’s been beautiful to see that it’s resonated with so many people all around the world. And it keeps growing.”

IF YOU WATCH

The Round Table Game Show

Season 3 premieres Sunday on YouTube. Episodes drop weekly.