MANCHESTER — NBC confirmed it will launch a primetime television adaptation of the puzzle game Wordle, hosted by Today anchor Savannah Guthrie and scheduled to premiere in 2027. Guthrie and Jimmy Fallon announced the greenlight on a Monday broadcast of Today.

The series will be filmed in Manchester, England, and broadcast in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Episodes will run half an hour, replicate the Wordle typeface and color scheme, and feature squads of players competing for a cash prize in five-letter word puzzles. Casting for the first season is open, and production is set to begin later this year.

Universal Television Alternative Studio is producing the show in partnership with Fallon's Electric Hot Dog banner and the Times. Executive producers include Fallon and Jim Juvonen for Electric Hot Dog, Caitlin Roper and Jonathan Knight for the Times, and Wes Kauble, who will also serve as showrunner. The format will be licensed by NBCUniversal Formats.

"Savannah Guthrie will bring the perfect blend of warmth and wit to a television version of the game," said Toby Gorman, President of Universal Television Alternative Studio. "I feel very honored to be working with Savannah Guthrie on this show," Fallon said.

The project marks the first time the Times has co-produced a primetime entertainment program on a major broadcaster. The Times previously collaborated with cable and streaming channels on programs based on its journalism. Its games app, which features daily crosswords, Spelling Bee, and Wordle, is among its most popular products.

Wordle was created by Welsh software engineer Josh Wardle in 2021 and acquired by the Times in 2022, the same year it was the most Googled word of the year. The game challenges players to find a five-letter word in six guesses or fewer. The television adaptation was reported to be in development in October. Wardle has said, "I haven't played since the day I sold it."

The Wordle series adds to NBC's slate of Fallon-produced programs, which includes a Password reboot hosted by Keke Palmer, That's My Jam, On Brand, and The Tonight Show.

Filming was delayed after the February 1 disappearance of Guthrie's 84-year-old mother, Nancy, from her Arizona home. Guthrie took a hiatus from Today in early February during the FBI investigation into her mother's disappearance and returned to the program on April 6. Nancy Guthrie remains missing.