ABC falls for 'Wipe Out' Endemol, Matt Kunitz behind reality program By JOSEF ADALIAN
ABC is teaming with Endemol USA and "Fear Factor" showrunner Matt Kunitz to produce "Wipe Out," a reality competition designed to produce what the network hopes will be "the most crashes, face plants, impacts and wipeouts ever seen on television." Like the Alphabet's long-running "America's Funniest Home Videos" -- a series built on thousands of clips of people getting hit in the groin -- "Wipe Out" will go for laughs, not drama.
"There's just something inherently funny about watching someone wipe out, as long as they're not seriously hurt," said Endemol USA topper David Goldberg. "It's why we watch Charlie Chaplin or cartoons."
Developed and exec produced by Kunitz, "Wipe Out" will feature 24 contestants trying to make their way through increasingly tough obstacle courses. "But the courses are designed to make people crash and burn," Goldberg said, explaining that there will be wipeouts "from the minute the show starts."
After a series of elimination rounds, four finalists will compete in the Thunderdome-like "Wipe Out Zone." The winner walks away with $50,000 at the end of each episode.
Goldberg said his company has been "trying to create a high-octane competition show" since "Fear Factor" left NBC a few years back.
"We think this show represents the next generation," he said. "It shares some of 'Fear Factor's' DNA, but unlike 'Fear Factor' -- which focused more on danger and grossouts, 'Wipe Out' is not about scaring the hell out of people."
John Anderson of ESPN's "SportsCenter" will host the series, with Jill Wagner serving as co-host. Kunitz, who has an overall deal with Endemol USA, will exec produce.
Thanks. It's not mentioned here, but I believe this is the US version of Japanese hit Ninja Warrior, which is shown here on G4. I think if done right this could be a hit -- nice guilty pleasure!
Hmmm...Wonder if this'll be anything like the Japanese "Ninja Warrior"(Sasuke), a grueling obstacle course with "wipe outs" such as a fall into a mud pit if a contestant slips from certain of the obstacles & challenges.(Currently shown by the G$ net)
ABC has ripped off on all of the other network's non-scripted shows. why not rip off their own - they should just call it America's Funniest Wipe Outs.
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Posts: 5746 | Location: Chicago, IL | Registered: 20 September 2006
Originally posted by xwiseguyx: ABC has ripped off on all of the other network's non-scripted shows. why not rip off their own - they should just call it America's Funniest Wipe Outs.
I don't think of ABC whenever I think of networks that rip off other networks' unscripted formats. The top on that list for years was FOX, followed by NBC.
Here's a brief history:
ABC brought over SuperNanny, FOX cloned it with Nanny911 ABC brought over WifeSwap, FOX cloned it with Trading Spouses ABC had The Bachelor first, FOX gave us Who wants to marry a Millionaire and Joe Millionaire, and NBC had Average Joe and a bunch of shows whose name I don't remember ABC returned the quiz show with Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and all of the other networks followed suit: Greed, Weakest Link, 5th Grader, you name it.
Originally posted by Chimera: ABC brought over SuperNanny, FOX cloned it with Nanny911
Actually, Nanny 911 debuted before Supernanny did and it was ABC that copied Fox after Fox copied ABC in the Trading Spouses-Wife Swap debacle. At least NBC and Fox can give us some original comedies. ABC takes theirs from commercials.
Originally posted by Chimera: ABC brought over SuperNanny, FOX cloned it with Nanny911
Actually, Nanny 911 debuted before Supernanny did and it was ABC that copied Fox after Fox copied ABC in the Trading Spouses-Wife Swap debacle. At least NBC and Fox can give us some original comedies. ABC takes theirs from commercials.
Nanny911 may have debuted before Supernanny, but it was clearly the copy. Supernanny was the existing BBC show, and when ABC outbid it for the US rights, FOX simply copied it and gave it a different name. It then rushed it to show it on tv first. But being on the air first doesn't mean they were not the copy.
Originally posted by Chimera: ABC brought over WifeSwap, FOX cloned it with Trading Spouses
You know, I don't think I ever realized that those were two different shows...I've never seen either of them, I just knew there was a show about trading wives. Even when I saw an ad or a story on them, I didn't pay attention to the name or network.
The "Ninja Warrior" course is designed to best suit smaller, wiry people. The few Americans of non-Japanese ancestry I've seen on the show are larger than the average Japanese man, & have not fared well on the course; their size and weight worked against them.
There's another show, I believe from Korea, where people do stunts such as wear velcro pads & make a long leap toward a velcro-covered wall, attempting to stick to it long enough to climb it. If they fall, it's into a goo pit. I can't remember the name of that show, but it has "wipe-outs" a-plenty. Maybe that's the show that's gonna have an American version. If so, it'll be hilarious & should be a big hit!!
Here are a few that must have escaped your memory....
The Benefactor ripped off from The Apprentice I'm A Celebrity ... ripped off from Survivor The One ... ripped off from American Idol Fat March ... ripped off from Biggest Loser The Next Best Thing/Celebrity Impersonator... ripped off from Last Comic Standing The Ex-Wives Club ripped off from Real Housewives of Orange County
I could go on too. (I try not to include those that come out at the same time because we really don't know which exactly came first.)
quote:
Originally posted by Chimera: I don't think of ABC whenever I think of networks that rip off other networks' unscripted formats. The top on that list for years was FOX, followed by NBC.
Here's a brief history:
ABC brought over SuperNanny, FOX cloned it with Nanny911 ABC brought over WifeSwap, FOX cloned it with Trading Spouses ABC had The Bachelor first, FOX gave us Who wants to marry a Millionaire and Joe Millionaire, and NBC had Average Joe and a bunch of shows whose name I don't remember ABC returned the quiz show with Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and all of the other networks followed suit: Greed, Weakest Link, 5th Grader, you name it.
I could go on like this forever...
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Posts: 5746 | Location: Chicago, IL | Registered: 20 September 2006
The Benefactor ripped off from The Apprentice I'm A Celebrity ... ripped off from Survivor The One ... ripped off from American Idol Fat March ... ripped off from Biggest Loser The Next Best Thing/Celebrity Impersonator... ripped off from Last Comic Standing The Ex-Wives Club ripped off from Real Housewives of Orange County
I could go on too.
Those shows were BAD!!! Let's forget you brought them up and never mention their names again!
Originally posted by Chimera: ABC brought over WifeSwap, FOX cloned it with Trading Spouses
You know, I don't think I ever realized that those were two different shows...I've never seen either of them, I just knew there was a show about trading wives.
Just as a 'heads up', there is a new show coming out soon called 'Swingtown'. It will be different than these other two shows.
BTW, I agree with you that the two reality shows are interchangeable and irrelevant.
The Benefactor ripped off from The Apprentice I'm A Celebrity ... ripped off from Survivor The One ... ripped off from American Idol Fat March ... ripped off from Biggest Loser The Next Best Thing/Celebrity Impersonator... ripped off from Last Comic Standing The Ex-Wives Club ripped off from Real Housewives of Orange County
I could go on too.
Those shows were BAD!!! Let's forget you brought them up and never mention their names again!
So it's not that ABC doesn't produce rip-offs other reality shows, it's that they produce bad rip-offs.
The Benefactor ripped off from The Apprentice I'm A Celebrity ... ripped off from Survivor The One ... ripped off from American Idol Fat March ... ripped off from Biggest Loser The Next Best Thing/Celebrity Impersonator... ripped off from Last Comic Standing The Ex-Wives Club ripped off from Real Housewives of Orange County
I could go on too.
Those shows were BAD!!! Let's forget you brought them up and never mention their names again!
So it's not that ABC doesn't produce rip-offs other reality shows, it's that they produce bad rip-offs.
