Matt Kunitz and Scott Larsen created and executive produced a comedy television game show in 2008, which ran till 2014. Twenty-four contestants begin with the first round, while only one wins the grand prize. The production team comes with new comical obstacles every week.
Tokyo Broadcasting System, the Japanese broadcaster, sued Wipeout’s team for copying the concept of Takeshi’s Castle, SASUKE, and Unbeatable Banzuke. However, the showrunners did not go through the trial, and the lawsuit was settled through arbitration in 2011.
The contestants confess that the crew members are pretty cool, while the peers are weird apart from being cool. The contestants must yell funny lines which make them look weird. They can be loud and quirky but not retarded. For instance, wearing a banana suit might freeze them after falling into the water.
Is Wipeout Scripted?
Wipeout has been an unscripted reality show since its launch in 2008, and the same rule applies to Wipeout Reboot, which premiered in April 2021. Ari “Dorky Kong” Grant won a season and informed people about his experience regarding Wipeout on Reddit.
Ari could wear any attire, perform his stunts as he wanted, and interact with other cast and crew members. He never got any script. However, the contestants get an 80-page deal before appearing in the show and might have required two hours to read every statement written in it.
The contestants do not go through trials before performing on camera. Thus, the stunts we see are performed in real-time. The contestants cannot even see the set-up before the camera rolls and only get a brief description before randomly stumbling upon it. Some say they got a demo through a video. However, the show has an entire team to test the setup.
The team consists of nineteen to twenty-five-year-olds who test the set-up throughout the day for several months and end up black and blue. They test every possible way, including all stupid ways, the contestant could get hurt, after which real contestants are allowed to play.
The viewers find the contestants weird and ask whether the executives told them to do so. According to a contestant, the producers demand reactions or soundbites or both from some contestants, who must answer the questions asked by the crew members.
For instance, they might be asked about their embarrassing personal experience, food, and more. The editing team adds background music and flashbacks to add drama to the reality show.
On-site filming takes over fifteen hours, and the hosts do not comment there. Instead, they do it before a green screen, and the contestants do not see them. Hanging with fellow contestants and crew members during the auditions and interview process must be more fun for the contestants than going through the obstacles.
Disadvantages Of Wipeout
Wipeout is genuine and accurate as possible. However, the post-production editing process includes the producer’s interference, and we do not know how much it might be. The stunts look easier for those sitting before their televisions, but the contestants know how difficult they are.
For those who wonder whether the contestants get paid to compete, here is the answer. Only the winner gets the $50,000, while the other contestants get bruises, injuries, some breakfast, lunch, and ten dollars for gas from the production team, who is not responsible for the injuries caused to the contestants.
Over 74,000 applicants compete to enter the show. They go through application, casting, drug, and fitness tests. Thus, those selected feel lucky until they go through the challenges in the show, which bring a few minutes of fame and several hours of pain.
Wipeout’s production team does not pay the medical bills for the contestants. Once, a 33-year-old contestant, Tom Sparks, showed signs of trouble, and the medical staff immediately sent him to the hospital. The newly married Radio DJ died of a stroke two weeks later.
The course is padded but hurts. Only a few contestants get severe injuries, and most return with minor ones. The production team makes it more difficult by adding extra obstacles and a lake/pool of ice-cold water for the contestants to fall in.
On the other hand, they must wait for hours in the hot, stuffy trailer before facing loneliness while going through the obstacles. The show is the only supposed source for the contestants to get their photos, but they do not get them for free, which adds weirdness to the show.
