Fear Factor
From Free net encyclopedia
- Not to be confused with the metal band Fear Factory.
Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. It was originally created by Endemol Netherlands and first aired on June 11, 2001.
The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market they changed the name to Fear Factor.
The show pits contestants (usually three men and three women) against each other to complete a series of stunts better and/or quicker than all the other contestants. In season six, the show moved to a permanent format of teams of two (couples, friends, etc.). The show is hosted by Joe Rogan.
The show became a hit for NBC, but as the years passed, the ratings faded. Despite much publicity concerning an upgraded format and better stunts for the sixth season, NBC yanked the struggling program off its schedule for the rest of the season (to make room for the sitcom Joey, which got taken off the schedule a few weeks later). The network plans to air the remainder of the season during the summer, likely ending the long-running series. [1]
Image:Tv fear factor Tongue Bob and Transfer best friends episode.jpg
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Gameshow format
The regular format involves three men and three women who must complete three stunts in order to win US$50,000. If a contestant fails to complete a stunt or does not perform it better or quicker than other contestants, they are eliminated from the competition. Before the third stunt, if only one contestant remains, they automatically win $25,000 and the other contestants who were eliminated in the stunt, will return for the next stunt to compete for the remaining $25,000. If no one completes the second stunt, then they return to the third stunt for a reduced $25,000.
Other formats have included:
Couples — Four couples compete in three stunts like normal, with the winning team dividing the $50,000 prize and sending either one player to the Tournament.
Season Four had nine couples competing over seven weeks and 17 stunts for a jackpot of $1 million. Along the way, they competed for various prizes ($10,000), cars, trips, and one chance to steal a desired prize from another team. Along the way, couples were eliminated and two teams competed in the 17th stunt for the $1,000,000.
Twins — Three teams of identical twins compete on day one, the team with the poorest performance was eliminated, and the four twins played for themselves from then on, only one single person would win the $50,000. In season four, four teams of twins competed in the same format as the couples show.
Models, all-female — Played just like the regular shows.
Parents and children — Four teams compete, with the second stunt being played for a bonus prize such as a trip or car, the winners on day three divide the cash prize.
Celebrities — Special episodes with the celebrity contestants donating the money won from competing the stunts to a charity of their choice.
Tournament of Champions — Seasons two and three concluded with a Tournament featuring the winners of each show. In season two, men competed amongst men and women amongst women until two of each made it to the third stunt, with the winner collecting $100,000.
Season three divided the 24 winners into two semi-final groups of 12 each. The semi-final was structured just like a normal show: with the group being cut from 12 to six, then to three, and finally two. The two people who got through the third stunt won a Mazda RX-8 and a chance at the $100,000 in the third week. Each of the three last stunts eliminated one contestant, and the final stunt determined the winner.
$1 Million Episode — Twelve contestants competed in six stunts at the start of the fourth season. The one player who survived all six won a $1 million annuity.
First stunt
The first stunt is a physical stunt which usually involves a body of water and/or a helicopter for dangling purposes, where the contestant who manages to complete the stunt in the shortest time possible or to go the farthest (to break ties, there is time set). It may also include stunts involving swimming, holding one's breath, or something else that is aquatic.
Because of the three men/three women format, the men and the women would pit against contestants of their own gender so that at least one man and one woman would be eliminated in the first stunt.
Second stunt
The second stunt is more popularly known as the gross stunt and involves the contentants consuming or getting in contact with something unappetizing or downright disgusting. Eating stunts typically entails consuming some unappealing animal parts (e.g. cow brains, horse rectum, fish eyeballs or rooster testicles) or insects such as cockroaches and worms. Other less frequently featured stunts include eating durian, a tropical fruit that has an evil stench. Non-eating gross-out stunts would sometimes involve in transferring the undesirable items from one place to another only by using the mouth, though at times a bonus would be given to the contestants if they can eat some insects. Apart from that, some of the second stunts would need one to dive into a place with neck-high foul smelling water to retrieve items in the shortest time possible. There may also be a stunt where contestants have bees, tarantulas, or other insects swarming or crawling around them.
One stunt required contestants to throw rocks at windows painted with different numbers. The number on the glass panel would determine the distance which the contestant would have to walk barefoot over shards of broken glass. Another required them to dive into a tank of live Piranha and pick up pig kidneys in their mouth and spit them out of the tank.
Third stunt
The third stunt usually involves stunts more common with action or movie stunts. In the series, some of the contestants had to drive an all-terrain vehicle off a cliff, a car into a house, move from the top floor of one building to the other, retrive an item off a pole from the top of a building, and other stunts that mainly involves automobiles or height. Upon winning the final stunt and therefore becoming Fear Factor champion, Rogan says to the winner, "evidently fear is not a factor for you".
Special Editions
Miss USA
From 2003-2005 six Miss USA delegates each year were chosen to participate in a special Miss USA edition of Fear Factor, with the victorious contestant taking the title 'Miss Fear Factor' and a prize of $50,000 ($25,000 of which was to be donated to a charity of the winners choice). These specials were broadcast immediately prior to the live pageant broadcast.
Fear Factor Miss USA edition 2003
- Stunts<ref>TV.com: Fear Factor Miss USA Edition 2003; URL accessed March 21, 2006</ref>
- Stunt #1 (Inverted water hang) Contestants were hung upside-down by their ankles and submerged underwater. The four ladies to hold their breath the longest before dropping a set of weights advanced to the next round.
- Stunt #2 (Fish Quicksand) Contestants had to jump into a water tank and dig through fish scales to find metal canisters. They had to find one of eight canisters containing fermented squid guts, which they then had to drink. The slowest contestant to perform the stunt was eliminated.
"Stunt #3 (Truck surfing) Contestants had to balance on the top of a tanker truck as it swerved down a highway at over 40 miles per hour. The one who could stay on top the longest won the competition.
- The contestants involved were:
- Miss Fear Factor: Brittney Rogers (Miss Louisiana USA 2003)
- 2nd place tie: Sarah Cahill (Miss Minnesota USA 2003)
- 3rd place: Kristen Luneberg (Miss North Carolina USA 2003)
- 4th place: Elisa Schleef (Miss Michigan USA 2003)
- 5th place: Alina Ogle (Miss New Mexico USA 2003)
- 6th place: Kelly Chapman (Miss Utah USA 2003)
Fear Factor Miss USA edition 2004
- Stunts<ref>TV.com: Fear Factor Miss USA Edition 2004; URL accessed March 21, 2006</ref>
- Stunt #1 (Tilting platform) The contestants started on a plexiglass platform over a harbor, which swung in a steep arc. As the platform tilted they had to transfer flags from the lower end to the higher end of the platform. The four who transferred the most flags the fastest before falling into the water advanced into the next round.
- Stunt #2 (Sea cucumbers) A game of miniture golf where the number of putts taken to sink a golf ball determined which of four sizes of sea cucumber they would have to eat. If they were able to get a hole-in-one, they would not have to eat anything. Everyone who finished their sea cucumber in the 20-minute time limit would advance to the final round.
- Stunt #3 (Helicopter hang) Riding on the back of a jet-ski as a helicopter flew overhead, the contestants had to grab onto a trapeze hanging from the helicopter to be lifted off the jet ski. The contestant who could hang on the longest won the competition.
- The contestants involved were:
- Miss Fear Factor: Tara Darby (Miss Alabama USA 2004)
- 2nd place tie: Jaclyn Nesheiwat (Miss New York USA 2004), (Stacey Lee) (Miss Michigan USA 2004)
- 3rd place: Carolyn Jennings (Miss West Virginia USA 2004)
- 4th place: Kyla Faye Dickerson (Miss Utah USA 2004)
- 5th place: Vanessa Bissanti (Miss New Hampshire USA 2004)
Fear Factor Miss USA edition 2005
- Stunts<ref>TV.com: Fear Factor Miss USA Edition 2005; URL accessed March 21, 2006</ref>
- Stunt #1 (Water beams): Contestants had to work their way around a square-shaped beam structure and collect up to ten flags before jumping into the water below. The beams were rigged with high-pressure jets that sprayed water during the stunt. The four contestants who completed the stunt in the fastest time or those that collected the flags the fastest before falling advanced to the next round.
- Stunt #2 (Triple Dump Tunnel) Contestants fought a high pressure water hose to make their way through a plexiglass tunnel whilst attempting to pull down three chains and collect a key from each. The hose stopped after the retrieval of the second key. Each time they retrieved a key, a bucket containing 55 gallons of disgusting contents would be dumped on them. The first bucket contained dead fish and fish guts, the second bucket contained fish oil, and the third bucket contained red worms and super worms. At the end of the tunnel the contestants had to use the keys to open three locks, open a door, and grab a flag. The three that completed this stunt the fastest advanced to the finals.
- Stunt #3 (Helicopter net-cage) Contestants had to work their way around the outside of a square-shaped cage made of cargo netting suspended under a helicopter, attempting to release 5 flags from the sides of the cage and 1 flag from the bottom of the cage. The one who released the most flags the fastest before falling into the water below won the competition.
- The contestants involved were:
- Miss Fear Factor: Sarah-Elizabeth Langsford (Miss District of Columbia USA 2005)
- 2nd place tie: Brittany Hogan (Miss California USA 2005),
- 3rd place: Meaghan Jarensky (Miss New York USA 2005)
- 4th place: Laci Scott (Miss Oklahoma USA 2005)
- 5th place: Christina Nardozzi (Miss Massachusetts USA 2005)
- 6th place: Kristen Johnson (Miss Kentucky USA 2005)
International versions
As stated before, the Netherlands was home to the original version of Fear Factor, Now or Neverland. That started in 1998 on the Veronica channel.
In the UK, Sky One broadcast a version of Fear Factor with British contestants. The nature of the stunts was similar to the US version, but instead of individual contestants, Fear Factor UK was contested by two teams of three, who banked prize money according to their success or failure in the first two stunts. The winner of the third stunt took away the money they had banked (which could be up to £15000) plus a £5000 bonus (£20,000 = approximately US$35,000). The UK host was Ed Sanders, now on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
In early 2002 an Australian version briefly ran on the Nine Network. It was also similar to the American version, however instead of having contestants compete for prize money each episode, the winning contestant would instead compete for a place in a final, where they and other winning contestants would compete for a final $50,000 AUD prize (A$50,000 = approximately US$37,000). The host was Marc Yellin. Only two episodes were aired before the show was withdrawn from schedules.
In Germany, Fear Factor was hosted by Sonja Zietlow, and it aired on RTL. It didn't last very long.
In the middle of 2004 a Polish version, called Fear Factor - Nieustraszeni, started and was broadcast on Polsat. It was similar to American version but instead of only three men and three women, 300 people around all Poland were picked to participate. Only 90 contestants qualified to second stunt and only five got through to the final stunt where one of them won the 50,000 PLN prize (50,000 zlotys = approximately US$16,000). The host of the Poland version was Roman Polko, a Polish army commander. Only one episode was aired before the show had been withdrawn from schedule.
In July 2005, Malaysia's ntv7 television station (which also currently airs the US version of Fear Factor) announced the creation of Fear Factor Malaysia. Out of over a thousand applicants, 78 successful candidates from all over Malaysia had been picked to participate in it. Production for the 13-episode show is currently underway, with the launch at Sunway Lagoon Resort on August 27, 2005. The host of the show is Shamser Sidhu. The grand prize is 50,000 MYR (ringgits), about US$13,000.
In Indonesia, the local version currently airs on RCTI. The Indonesian version of Fear Factor named Fear Factor Indonesia shoot in the same place where Fear Factor Malaysia shoot. This is possible because 3 Asian countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, co-operate to produce 3 different Asian local versions in Malaysia. The grand prize is 50 juta (50,000,000) rupiahs, about US$5,600, not much by international standards. Here, Fear Factor Indonesia is emceed by Agatsya Kandau, a popular film actor.
In India, Sony Entertainment Television airs The Fear Factor India version. It is hosted by Mukul Dev. The 78 contestants have ranged from television actors to ordinary people. Each episode's winner will take home Rs 1 million (10 lakh rupees, about US$22,000).
In Mexico, the format is the same, except that stunts one and three are swapped, so they do the action stunt first, then the gross one, and the physical last. The grand prize is 150,000 Mexican pesos, about US$15,000. It airs on Televisa and is hosted by Julio Bracho.
In Belgium, the show airs on VTM and is hosted by Walter Grootaers.
Criticism
Fear Factor has received critism from the general public mainly because of the show's second stunt, which intends to disgust its viewers. More seriously, the American Humane Association has shot out at Endemol for allowing animals and insects to get injured and even killing insects by eating them alive during the filming of the show. The association also revealed that professional animal trainers have refused to work on the show because the producers of Fear Factor have demanded stunts which violate the association's guidelines.
- "American Humane believes that shows like Fear Factor are on a slippery slope of animal mistreatment and provide poor examples of animal treatment and humane ethics. As we work diligently to expand voluntary compliance with animal safety guidelines, organisations like Endemol who blatantly demonstrate complete disregard for animal welfare — or even that of their human contestants — are producing unacceptable programming." — Karen Rosa (Communications Manager of AHA Film and TV Unit) [2]
Lawsuit
In January 2005, an episode featuring a stunt involving blended rats aired in its normal prime time slot. Austin Aitken, a part-time paralegal from Cleveland, sued NBC for $2.5 million USD for airing the show, claiming that he felt so disgusted from watching the stunt, his blood pressure rose until he felt dizzy and bumped his head into the doorway. In March 2005, U.S. District Judge Lesley Wells threw out the lawsuit.
Quotes
"The stunts you are about to see were all designed and supervised by trained professionals. They are extremely dangerous and should not be attempted by anyone, anywhere, anytime."--disclaimer said at the beginning of every Fear Factor
"You contestants have been brought here from all over the country for one reason: Stare fear in the eye as you compete for $50,000. To win the money, you're going to have to complete three extreme stunts. These stunts will test you not only physically, but mentally as well. If you fail to complete a stunt, you're eliminated. If you're too scared to do it, you're gone. If you succeed, you move on to the next round and you're that much closer to the cash. Remember, this is a game. Feel free to mess with each other's minds and play off their emotions. Gamesmanship is welcome here."--Joe Rogan's opening comments to the contestants, although shortened in later seasons until it disappeared in season 6
"We've randomly selected who will go first/today's order, and (contestant's name), you are lucky number one."--said at the beginning of almost every stunt from season 2 to present (season 1 used dog tags chosen randomly)
References
- UKGameshows.com Fear Factor - UKGameshows. Retrieved Oct 19, 2004.
- Reuters (Jan. 5, 2005). "Fear Factor" sued for rat-eating episode. MSNBC.com.
- Associated Press (Mar. 10, 2005). Judge nixes viewer's "Fear Factor" lawsuit. The Miami Herald.