Wipeout: Behind the Balls
Executive producer Matt Kunitz shares the secrets of splat!
Wipeout, the gameshow that plops people on insane obstacle courses, is back. Executive producer Matt Kunitz shares the secrets of splat!
Slammin’ science.
“We tried using consultants from NASA to de-sign obstacles, but it didn’t work out. You need four things: speed, momentum, something to slam into, and something to ricochet off.”
Safety first.
“We have the Black and Blue Team, who test every stunt over and over, trying to figure out what would happen if someone did something we didn’t expect. What if someone sat down on this moving platform? What if they tried running backward?”
Fat is good. “We cast all shapes and sizes because (1) it’s funny, and (2) the audience lives vicariously through the contestants. Most people don’t look like the Situation. It could be your grandmother up there.” Heed the voice of God. “There’s lots of yelling from the officials that you don’t hear on TV. People are al-ways trying to quit. If someone’s injured, we’ll stop. But if it’s just, ‘It’s too cold, wah, wah,’ no, keep going!”
Celebs need not apply.
“Ice T tweeted how he loves Wipeout. He wrote, ‘Or as I like to call it, Get Fucked Up.’ But there’s a bit of, ‘Is it jumping the shark if we do the celebrity episode too soon?’”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hav6s3AxDKshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLfAhhAVBjE
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