Roald Dahl Would Hate Netflix’s Cheap Wonka-Themed Game Show
By Benji Wilson | Wed, September 23, 2026 at 12:35 PM UTC | 3 min read
In the world of entertainment, Netflix's latest offering, Wonka's The Golden Ticket, has sparked debate. While it bears a superficial resemblance to Roald Dahl's classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, critics argue that the show falls short in capturing the essence of Dahl's work.
Dahl's Vision vs. Netflix's Reality:
Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a masterclass in competition reality TV, years ahead of its time. It presented various flawed characters competing in a moral dilemma-filled race to win a grand prize. Netflix's adaptation, however, feels like a mere grammatical mishap, leading one to question if the executives behind this project truly understood Dahl's catalog.
A Cheap Imitation:
Wonka's The Golden Ticket begins by randomly selecting 12 individuals and granting them golden tickets, inviting them to a chocolate factory (a rather cheap-looking film set) for a series of tasks loosely inspired by Wonka's world. Gene Wilder's iconic character appears only as an AI-generated voice, while the Oompa Loompas, though no longer solely dwarves (a nod to modern diversity standards), still retain their iconic baked-bean faces.
Anodyne Challenges:
The challenges themselves are remarkably tame, largely resembling those from other American game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Deal or No Deal. The whole experience feels stretched out, with contestants wandering aimlessly on edible grass and reacting exaggeratedly to fake scenarios.
Filling Time with Schemes:
To pad the running time, the show incorporates the mandatory The Traitors-style scheming segments, where contestants conspire, lie, and boast about their strategic prowess. By episode one's end, many contestants are in tears, despite standing beside a bizarre Oompa Loompa-by-the-Thames-Water-shock-doc near a fake chocolate river.
In conclusion, while Wonka's The Golden Ticket may have captured the surface level of Dahl's story, it fails to embody the intricate allegories and moral lessons that made his work so captivating.