Created by Merrill Heatter (who also produced the show's predecessor Gambit), the series follows three contestants as they play a card game centered on blackjack and trivia.
Additionally, the series was acquired by Bounce TV in 2013, with the network hopeful it could "add fuel" to the channel's growing momentum.
GSN revived the series on October 14, 2019, with Ribeiro returning to host and Witney Carson as the card dealer.
Three contestants are each given a card to start a blackjack hand from a standard 52-card deck shuffled prior to taping.
The two remaining contestants play one more round involving the same toss-up question format, but point scores are not kept.
[2] The 2019 revival changed several aspects of the game: The winner now controls three separate hands, each staked with one card.
Additionally, the jacks of spades and clubs allow any column to be cleared immediately for 75 points (called a "Blackjack Attack").
[6] The series featured executive producers Scott Sternberg and Merrill Heatter,[1] and premiered on July 21, 2008.
[10] The name of the show is inspired by Catch-22, a phrase describing a paradox that cannot be avoided due to limits or a rules contradiction.
[11] On February 18, 2009, GSN renewed the series for a 65-episode second season on April 6, 2009, which featured the addition of an extra power chip in the bonus round in order to increase contestant's chances of winning the top prize.
[1][4] A third season, which was announced on September 16, 2009, debuted on October 12, 2009, with some episodes featuring celebrities with a common bond (such as three The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast members or three former child stars) playing for charity.
[13] On March 21, 2019, Adweek reported that GSN would revive Catch 21, producing new episodes for the first time in nearly a decade.
[18] The network's chief operating officer Jonathan Katz commented, "We are very confident that the broadcast premieres of The American Bible Challenge and Catch 21 will add fuel to Bounce TV's skyrocketing growth.